Have you ever wondered why some channels get millions of views on their very first Short, while you’ve been uploading Shorts on multiple channels for months and still can’t cross 5,000 views?
Well, maybe the mistake isn’t in your Short — maybe it’s in your uploading process. So today, I’m going to tell you the full updated process of uploading a YouTube Short, and I’ll also answer all your questions — like: * Should you upload Shorts from desktop or phone? * From the YouTube app or Chrome browser? * Is SEO necessary for Shorts or not? * What’s the best time to upload? * Should you add a thumbnail to Shorts or not? * And much more. This video is going to be very interesting. Let’s begin. You can mainly upload your Short through three platforms: 1. The YouTube app 2. The YouTube Studio app 3. Chrome browser (or any browser you use) Let me clarify one thing first: no matter which method you use, the algorithm doesn’t care. It will treat your Short equally. However, if you upload from the YouTube app, you get some exclusive features for Shorts — like: * Sound library * Effects * Filters * Text * And most importantly, the option to select a thumbnail This thumbnail selection feature is not available in YouTube Studio. So if you ask me, uploading from the YouTube app is the best option because it gives you the maximum number of features. But if you don’t need those exclusive features, you can upload from Studio or a browser too. It won’t affect your reach. Now let’s say you want to upload via the YouTube app. Open the app. you’ll see a plus icon. Click it. Then click on “Shorts.” The camera will open, which means you can record and upload live. But most of the time, our video is already created. In that case, go to the “Add” option, select your video, and click Next. You can trim your Short if you want, then click Done. This is why I said uploading through the YouTube app is the best option. On this page, YouTube gives you exclusive editing features like: * Text * Filters * Stickers * Captions * Voice-over * And most importantly, the “Add Sound” feature With this, you can use trending audio without copyright issues. YouTube will automatically show you many trending audio tracks. You can also see how many Shorts are made using that audio. If you want a specific trending sound, just search for it and use it. Now, many creators ask: should we use trending audio? And can just one trending sound make our Short go viral? When you use a sound, it also sends a signal to the algorithm that your Short belongs to that specific sound cluster, where a set audience already exists. If most creators using that sound are in the entertainment category, your Short might be shown to entertainment viewers — even if your video is educational. That could negatively affect your performance. After this, click Next to go to the “Add Details” page, where we manage SEO and important settings. You’ll see a pencil icon on the thumbnail. Click it to select any frame from your Short as a thumbnail. If your video has a frame that naturally creates curiosity, select that as your thumbnail. Big creators like MrBeast use custom thumbnails for Shorts. 1. Create a 9:16 canvas and design your custom thumbnail. 2. Export it. 3. Insert it at the very start or end of your Short for one second. 4. While uploading, select that frame using the pencil icon. That’s how you get a custom thumbnail. Next is the caption (title). Most views come from the Shorts feed, where videos autoplay. Viewers decide based on the intro, not the caption. That’s why many big creators write almost anything in captions — because they know it’s not that important. However, your Short can still appear in search or browse features. There, a good caption helps. Don’t overdo SEO in the title. * “Most skinny guys ignore this” * “This helped me gain 10kg naturally” These titles create incomplete information, and the brain wants to complete it — so viewers click. Also, after around 35 characters, captions get cut off in search. So put important words at the beginning. What about hashtags? Now go to Visibility. By default, it’s Public. If you want to post immediately, leave it as Public. Otherwise, set it to Unlisted and publish later. You can also schedule your Short. Now the big question: what’s the best time to upload videos? Use the Time Heat Map in YouTube Studio Analytics under the Audience tab. It shows when your audience is most active. Darker areas mean more active viewers. The best upload time is usually one hour before your peak time. Next, select audience (usually “No, it’s not made for kids”). Click Show More to add a description. If your Short is search-based, you should do SEO. For example, if your topic is “How to upload YouTube Shorts,” that’s your main keyword. Search similar phrases in the YouTube search bar to find popular keyword variations. Add 10–15 keyword phrases in the description. You can also add Hindi keywords if your audience searches in Hindi. Location isn’t very important unless your video shows a specific place. The “Related Video” feature is important. It allows you to link another video from your channel. If viewers click it, they’re redirected to that video. Even if they leave your Short early, your total session watch time increases — and the algorithm values session watch time more than individual video watch time. You can also add your Short to a playlist — but if your Short is Unlisted and added to a public playlist, people can still view it. So only add it after publishing. Enable comments. Allow video and audio remixing. Fill attributes if needed. Tags are not very important. Just copy the keyword phrases from your description and paste them into tags. Click Upload Short — and it’s done. But remember: even a perfectly uploaded Short only goes viral if the content is engaging and has high audience retention. How do you make an engaging Short? There’s no fixed formula because every niche is different. But one thing is common in every viral Short: The hook. Just like titles and thumbnails matter in long videos, your hook plays that role in Shorts. You don’t have 30 seconds — you have only 3 seconds. What you say in the first 3 seconds can make or break your Short. Here are some powerful hook types: 1. Climax Hook – Show the best moment in the first 3 seconds but cut just before the climax. Example: MrBeast showing a bullet about to hit a katana but cutting before impact. 2. Contrarian Hook – Say something that contradicts a popular belief. Example: “You can never become rich through SIP.” 3. “Stop Scrolling” Hook – Call out your target audience. Example: “Gamers, stop scrolling!” 4. Fear-Based Hook – Create fear of missing out. Example: “If you ignore this, you’ll never grow on YouTube.” 5. Authority Hook – Establish credibility. Example: “I tried journaling for one year — here’s what happened.” 6. Time-Sensitive Hook – Add the current year. Example: “How to upload Shorts in 2026.” 7. Abstract Concept Hook – Introduce a complex idea. Creators like Ali Abdaal often use this. Example: “Have you heard of the ‘Region Beta Paradox’? You might be suffering from it.” 8. “Did You Know?” Hook Example: “Did you know about this YouTube feature?” 9. “If You Want ___, This Is for You” Example: “If you want 1K subscribers, this is for you.” 10. Listicle Hook Example: * “Top 5 deadliest sea creatures.” * “3 daily habits to become mentally strong.” When viewers know they’ll get a fixed number of points, they’re mentally prepared to watch till the end. The brain prefers structured information. That’s it. On the left video, I explained exactly how the Shorts algorithm works. On the right video, I shared 8 easy hacks to make your Shorts go viral. Click whichever you want to watch — and I’ll see you there.
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