YouTube Shorts Safe Zone
YouTube Shorts safe zone at 1080 × 1920: keep text between 48 and 888 px across and 288 and 1248 px down. See what the Shorts buttons and title cover.
Grey shapes show roughly where YouTube Shorts's buttons and text sit. The red area is outside the safe zone.
Nothing is uploaded: the file opens in this tab only and is gone when you close it.
- Top
- 288 px
- Bottom
- 672 px
- Left
- 48 px
- Right
- 192 px
A transparent 1080 × 1920 PNG with the layers you have on. Put it on the top track in your editor and hide it before export.
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone?
The YouTube Shorts safe zone is the part of a 1080 × 1920 Short that YouTube's buttons and title don't cover. Google publishes a transparent overlay for vertical video ads on YouTube; measured, its clear box runs from 48 to 888 px across and 288 to 1248 px down.
YouTube doesn't publish a separate safe zone for organic Shorts. The ad overlay is the most careful published figure, so it's the one the checker uses.
What covers your video on YouTube Shorts
- Top: search and the menu.
- Right side: like, dislike, comment, share and remix, with the sound thumbnail at the bottom of the column.
- Bottom: your channel name and Subscribe button, the title and the sound name.
- On ads: a call-to-action button above the channel name.
- Very bottom: Home, Shorts, the + button, Subscriptions and You.
YouTube Shorts safe zone in pixels
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Top margin | 288 px (15%) |
| Bottom margin | 672 px (35%) |
| Left margin | 48 px (4.4%) |
| Right margin | 192 px (17.8%) |
| Safe box | x 48–888, y 288–1248 (840 × 960 px) |
YouTube Shorts: Google's vertical video ad overlay: the safe box runs from 48 to 888 px across and 288 to 1248 px down.
These figures are approximate. They come from each platform's published ad specs, checked on 2026-10-13; the apps change their layouts, captions vary in length and phones differ in shape, so check a real post before you deliver. The grey shapes in the checker are a rough drawing of each app, not a published spec.
Why the safe zone matters for UGC ads and TikTok Shop videos
- The Shorts title and Subscribe button sit over the bottom of the video, so burned-in captions there are covered.
- YouTube's right-side buttons are wider than the left margin, which is why Google keeps 192 px clear on the right and 48 px on the left.
- UGC made for TikTok often gets posted to Shorts unchanged. Shorts needs more room at the top (288 px) than TikTok (240 px).
Tips for placing text on YouTube Shorts
- Keep the hook text below 288 px.
- Keep captions so their bottom edge stays above 1248 px.
- Shift text a little left of centre: 192 px is reserved on the right against 48 px on the left.
- Watch the Short in the Shorts feed on your phone after posting; the title grows with its length.
Sources
- Google Ads Help: About video ad specs (vertical safe zone overlay) (checked 2026-10-13)
Pixel values are for a 1080 × 1920 frame; Meta's percentages are rounded to the nearest pixel.
Safe zones for other apps
How to use YouTube Shorts Safe Zone
- 1
Add your video or image
Drop a file on the frame or tap to choose one. It opens in this tab only; nothing is uploaded. A 1080 × 1920 export shows exactly what YouTube Shorts will show.
- 2
Check what gets covered
Turn the overlays on and off. Anything under a grey shape or in the red area can be hidden by the app: move text, faces and products inside the green line.
- 3
Download the template
Download the transparent PNG, put it on the top track of your editor while you place text, and hide it before you export.
FAQYouTube Shorts Safe Zone FAQ
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone in pixels?
Google's vertical video overlay for YouTube leaves a clear box from 48 to 888 px across and 288 to 1248 px down on a 1080 × 1920 frame: 288 px top, 672 px bottom, 48 px left and 192 px right.
Does YouTube publish a safe zone for organic Shorts?
Not separately. Google publishes the overlay for vertical video ads, which run in the Shorts feed. It's the most careful published figure, so it works for organic Shorts too.
What covers a YouTube Short?
Search and the menu at the top; like, dislike, comment, share, remix and the sound on the right; your channel name, Subscribe button and title at the bottom; and on ads, a call-to-action button.
Why is the right margin wider on Shorts?
The Shorts buttons sit in a column on the right, so Google keeps 192 px clear there against 48 px on the left.
Where can I get a YouTube Shorts safe zone template?
Choose Shorts above and press Download for a transparent 1080 × 1920 PNG. Google also offers its own overlay PNG on its video ad specs page.
Are these numbers exact?
They're measured from Google's own overlay, checked on 2026-10-13. The app changes, so check a real Short on your phone.
Still have questions?Email us
More free tools
Safe Zone CheckerSafe zone checker for TikTok, Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories and YouTube Shorts: drop in a vertical video or image and see what each app's buttons and captions cover.
TikTok safe zone checkerTikTok safe zone for 1080 × 1920 video: keep text 240 px from the top, 660 px from the bottom and clear of the side buttons. Check your own video below.
Reels safe zone checkerInstagram Reels safe zone at 1080 × 1920: Meta asks for 14% clear at the top, 35% at the bottom and 6% on each side. See what that covers on your Reel.
Story safe zone checkerInstagram Story safe zone at 1080 × 1920: keep text out of the profile row at the top and the reply bar at the bottom. Check a Story frame below.
From the UGCLive appCaptions you can see before you post.
UGCLive captions every word and lets you drag captions and text anywhere on the 1080 × 1920 frame, so you can lift them above the app buttons before you export.
Join the waitlist- Starter will be free
- No card to join the waitlist
- Made for iPhone