Free YouTube tool
YouTube Video Length Checker
YouTube takes up to 12 hours per upload, but anything over 15 minutes needs a verified account. Drop a file in and see where its length lands.
Last updated: 2026-10-25
YouTube has the longest ceiling of any network here: 12 hours or 256 GB per upload, whichever you reach first. The limit new channels actually meet is lower. Uploads longer than 15 minutes need a verified account, and until you verify, that is your real maximum.
The other line worth knowing is 3 minutes. A square or vertical video that runs 3 minutes or less is treated as a Short, so a vertical clip just over that length is published as an ordinary video instead. Widescreen video is an ordinary upload at any length.
This checker puts the duration of your file first, then its size and shape, and reads all of it in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and the numbers come from YouTube's own help pages.
Your file never leaves your browser. The dimensions are read on your device and nothing is uploaded to us.
Pick a file and every YouTube format is checked against it at once.
The full spec sheet is below, so you can read the numbers without uploading anything.
YouTube video and image specs
Every YouTube surface with its own limits, in one place. These are the platform ceilings, so an upload that clears them still has to clear whatever your publishing tool allows.
YouTube Short
| Max file size | 256 GB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 second to 3 minutes |
| Recommended size | 1080 x 1920 |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended, 1:2 to 1:1 accepted |
| File types | MP4, MOV, WEBM |
- There is no separate Short upload: a video becomes one automatically when it runs 3 minutes or less and is square or taller.
- The same 256 GB upload ceiling applies, so file size is never what stops a Short.
YouTube Standard video
| Max file size | 256 GB |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 second to 12 hours |
| Recommended size | 1920 x 1080 |
| Minimum size | 426 x 240 |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 recommended, 1:2 to 1.78:1 accepted |
| File types | MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, WEBM |
- 256 GB or 12 hours, whichever you reach first. Uploads longer than 15 minutes require a verified account.
- YouTube recommends roughly 8 Mbps for 1080p and 12 Mbps at 60 fps, and re-encodes everything on the way in.
YouTube Thumbnail
| Max file size | 50 MB |
|---|---|
| Recommended size | 3840 x 2160 |
| Minimum size | 640 pixels wide |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 only |
| File types | JPG, PNG |
- Setting the thumbnail from the YouTube mobile app caps it at 2 MB, against 50 MB from a computer, so export JPG if you plan to set it from your phone.
- Custom thumbnails need a verified YouTube account. When Postify publishes a video it sets your cover image as the thumbnail, fitted to 1280 pixels on the long edge and under 2 MB.
Specs verified 2026-07-31. Networks adjust these without announcing them, so re-check anything you are about to build a whole shoot around.
YouTube export tips
- Verify the channel before you plan anything over 15 minutes. It is the difference between a long upload going through and being blocked.
- Decide early whether a vertical cut is meant to be a Short. At 3 minutes or less it is one; a few seconds over and it is an ordinary video.
- Export at 1920 x 1080 in 16:9 for a standard upload. YouTube recommends roughly 8 Mbps for 1080p and 12 Mbps at 60 fps, and re-encodes everything on the way in.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a YouTube video be?
Up to 12 hours, or 256 GB, whichever comes first. Uploads longer than 15 minutes need a verified account.
Why can I not upload a video longer than 15 minutes?
Uploads longer than 15 minutes require a verified account. Until the channel is verified, 15 minutes is the practical limit; after that, the 12 hour ceiling applies.
When does a YouTube video count as a Short?
When it runs 3 minutes or less and is square or vertical. Both conditions have to hold, so a 4 minute vertical video is published as an ordinary video.
Does this tool upload my video?
No. The file is read in your browser through a temporary link, the same way a local video player opens it. Nothing reaches Postify or anyone else, which is also why a large file is checked instantly.
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