Best time to post on YouTube and YouTube Shorts
Best time to post on YouTube, from two studies (one undated): long videos on weekend mornings or midweek afternoons, Shorts in the evening. YouTube itself says publish time doesn't decide long-term views.
Today
Your local day and time load here in a moment. Until then, the week below is in your audience's local time.
Next good slot
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Counts down to the next window that at least two of the 2 studies share, skipping days they split on.
YouTube week at a glance
Hours are the audience's local time, as the studies give them.
Best time to post on YouTube each day
- Monday9 a.m., then 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.Buffer2–4 p.m.SocialPilot
- Tuesday9 a.m., then 11 a.m. and 8 a.m.Buffer2–4 p.m.SocialPilot
- Wednesday3–6 p.m.2/2
- Thursday3–7 p.m.2/2
- Friday11 a.m.–4 p.m.2/2
- Saturday8–11 a.m.2/2
- Sunday8–11 a.m.2/2
The small number is how many of the studies have a time inside that window. Dashed chips mark a day where no two studies meet: each study's own times, with its name. Sources: Buffer, SocialPilot.
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Best time to post on YouTube: the short answer
- Long videos, both studies
- Wed 3–6 p.m., Thu 3–7 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 8–11 a.m., Sun 8–11 a.m.
- Shorts, both studies
- Tue 5–10 p.m., Thu 7–11 p.m., Sat 3–8 p.m., Sun 3–6 p.m.
- Best single slots (Buffer)
- Sun 10 a.m. (videos), Fri 4 p.m. (Shorts)
- Studies
- Buffer (Jul 2026) and SocialPilot (undated)
Two studies cover YouTube, and one of them, SocialPilot's, carries no date. For long videos they meet on weekend mornings and on Wednesday to Friday afternoons. For Shorts, Buffer finds evenings (6–11 p.m.) strongest and afternoons weakest. YouTube's own help center says publish time "is not known to impact a video's long-term performance", so treat these windows as a way to get early views.
What does YouTube itself say about upload time?
- "Publish time is not known to impact a video's long-term performance." Posting when viewers are active may help early viewing, and publish time matters for Live and Premieres (YouTube performance FAQ).
- The same page says "growth in views across uploads is not correlated with time between uploads" and that old videos often pick up views later, because many viewers don't watch in upload order.
- The When your viewers are on YouTube report "shows you when your viewers are online across YouTube in the last 28 days". YouTube suggests it for scheduling a Premiere or planning a live stream (Understand your YouTube audience).
- For Shorts, YouTube's upload schedule tips skip the hour entirely and talk about cadence: "A consistent, sustainable release schedule is critical", with filming in batches and saving drafts.
Checked October 14, 2026.
What did the two YouTube studies measure?
| Study | Best times | Best days | Weakest | What it measured | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Jul 24, 2026 | Sunday at 10 a.m. | Sunday, then Tuesday and Monday | Thursday (Wednesday also weak) | Engagement | About 1.8 million YouTube videos, long-form and Shorts analysed separately |
| SocialPilot Undated | Weekdays 2–4 p.m. | Wednesday, Thursday, Friday | Before 9 a.m. and after 10 p.m. on weekdays | Engagement rate per view | 301,000+ YouTube videos from 27,000+ channels scheduled with SocialPilot |
- SocialPilot: SocialPilot counts videos 8 minutes or longer as long-form.
Buffer measured median engagement on about 1.8 million videos and split long-form from Shorts because they "have almost opposite peak times". SocialPilot measured engagement per view on 301,000 videos from 27,000 channels and counts 8 minutes or longer as long-form. Both say Shorts keep resurfacing for days or weeks, so the hour you post a Short matters less than it does for a long video.
Best time to post YouTube Shorts
| Study | Best times | Best days | Weakest | What it measured | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer Jul 24, 2026 | Friday at 4 p.m. | Friday, then Saturday and Thursday | Monday and Tuesday | Engagement | About 1.8 million YouTube videos, long-form and Shorts analysed separately |
| SocialPilot Undated | 12–2 p.m. or 6–7 p.m. | Friday, Saturday, Thursday | 3–7 a.m., and Sunday evenings | Engagement rate per view | 301,000+ YouTube videos from 27,000+ channels scheduled with SocialPilot |
Every one of Buffer's Shorts slots starts between 4 and 9 p.m., except Saturday's 11 a.m.; SocialPilot spreads its picks from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Where they meet: Tue 5–10 p.m., Thu 7–11 p.m., Sat 3–8 p.m., Sun 3–6 p.m.. They don't meet on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Whichever slot you pick, have the hashtags ready before it: the Shorts hashtag generator picks three for the title area.
YouTube posting times by day
| Day | Buffer | SocialPilot | Where they meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9 a.m., then 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. | 2–4 p.m. | Split: no two studies meet |
| Tuesday | 9 a.m., then 11 a.m. and 8 a.m. | 2–4 p.m. | Split: no two studies meet |
| Wednesday | 7 a.m., then 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. | 3–5 p.m. | 3–6 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Thursday | 5 p.m., then 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. | 3–5 p.m. | 3–7 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Friday | 12 p.m., then 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. | 1–3 p.m. | 11 a.m.–4 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Saturday | 12 p.m., then 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. | 8–10 a.m. | 8–11 a.m. (2 of 2) |
| Sunday | 10 a.m., then 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. | 8–10 a.m. | 8–11 a.m. (2 of 2) |
| Day | Buffer | SocialPilot | Where they meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8 p.m., then 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. | 7 a.m. or 12 p.m. | Split: no two studies meet |
| Tuesday | 8 p.m., then 9 p.m. and 7 p.m. | 7–11 a.m. or 5–7 p.m. | 5–10 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Wednesday | 7 p.m., then 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. | 12 p.m. or 3–6 p.m. | Split: no two studies meet |
| Thursday | 7 p.m., then 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. | 7–11 p.m. | 7–11 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Friday | 4 p.m., then 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. | 7–9 a.m. or 11 a.m.–1 p.m. | Split: no two studies meet |
| Saturday | 7 p.m., then 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. | 9–10 a.m. or 3–6 p.m. | 3–8 p.m. (2 of 2) |
| Sunday | 7 p.m., then 8 p.m. and 5 p.m. | 10–11 a.m. or 3–5 p.m. | 3–6 p.m. (2 of 2) |
With two studies, every window shown is one both share. Long videos split on Monday and Tuesday: Buffer likes 9 a.m. there and SocialPilot 2–4 p.m.
How to use YouTube Studio to pick your upload time
- In YouTube Studio, open Analytics, then Audience, and find When your viewers are on YouTube (the last 28 days).
- For a long video, SocialPilot places its 2–4 p.m. pick two to three hours ahead of the evening peak. If you follow that logic, count back from your own heatmap's peak instead of theirs.
- For a Premiere or live stream, schedule it inside the darkest hours of the heatmap: that's the use YouTube names.
- For Shorts, compare views on your own Shorts at the same age, say 48 hours, for different posting hours.
Sources
Every page below was read on October 14, 2026. The study windows are copied as published. All the studies come from scheduling-tool companies analysing posts made through their own products, mostly by brands and businesses.
- Buffer: The best time to post on YouTube in 2026, Jul 24, 2026. About 1.8 million YouTube videos, long-form and Shorts analysed separately.
- SocialPilot: Best time to post on YouTube in 2026: videos and Shorts, Undated. 301,000+ YouTube videos from 27,000+ channels scheduled with SocialPilot.
- YouTube Help: YouTube performance FAQ and troubleshooting, undated page.
- YouTube Help: Understand your YouTube audience, undated page.
- YouTube Help: Upload schedule tips (Shorts), undated page.
How to use Best time to post on YouTube
- 1
Pick YouTube or YouTube Shorts
Long videos and Shorts have separate windows: Buffer found their peak times almost opposite, so the tool keeps them apart.
- 2
Set your viewers' time zone
Both studies report the audience's local time. If your viewers mostly live elsewhere, choose their zone and the tool converts each window.
- 3
Check it against YouTube Studio
The When your viewers are on YouTube report covers the last 28 days. Where it disagrees with the studies, trust the report, especially for a Premiere or live stream.
FAQBest time to post on YouTube FAQ
What is the best time to post on YouTube?
For long videos, Buffer and SocialPilot meet Wed 3–6 p.m., Thu 3–7 p.m., Fri 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat 8–11 a.m., Sun 8–11 a.m., in your audience's local time. Buffer's single best slot is Sunday at 10 a.m. YouTube's help center adds that publish time "is not known to impact a video's long-term performance".
What is the best time to post YouTube Shorts?
Buffer finds evenings (6–11 p.m.) strongest and afternoons weakest, with Friday 4 p.m. its best slot. SocialPilot says 12–2 p.m. or 6–7 p.m. They meet Tue 5–10 p.m., Thu 7–11 p.m., Sat 3–8 p.m., Sun 3–6 p.m..
What is the best day to post on YouTube?
For long videos, Buffer ranks Sunday, then Tuesday and Monday; SocialPilot says Wednesday to Friday. For Shorts, Buffer puts Friday first, then Saturday and Thursday, and SocialPilot names the same three days. Buffer finds Monday and Tuesday weakest for Shorts.
Does upload time matter on YouTube?
For long-term views, YouTube says no: publish time isn't known to affect them, and old videos often pick up views later. It matters for Premieres and live streams, and posting when viewers are active can help a video's first hours.
Where can I see when my YouTube viewers are online?
In YouTube Studio, open Analytics, then Audience, and find When your viewers are on YouTube. YouTube's help center says it shows when your viewers are online across YouTube in the last 28 days.
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More free tools
Posting times, all platformsBest time to post on social media, platform by platform: where the published studies meet on each weekday, which days they split on, and today's windows in your own time.
TikTok posting timesBest time to post on TikTok: Sprout Social and Hootsuite say weekday afternoons, Buffer says evenings and Saturday, and all three meet Fri 3–7 p.m.. The tool shows today's windows in your own time.
Instagram posting timesBest time to post on Instagram: three of four studies overlap Mon 2–9 p.m., Tue 1–8 p.m., Wed 12–9 p.m., in your audience's local time. Later's older data is the outlier, favouring 3–6 a.m.
Facebook posting timesBest time to post on Facebook: Buffer and Hootsuite favour weekday mornings, Sprout Social favours Tuesday and Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., and on Monday and Thursday no two of them meet.
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