Right-side action buttons
Like, dislike, comment, share, remix, and the sound disc stack down the right edge. Anything placed in the right ~15% of the frame is partly hidden for most of the video.
// vertical inspector · 1080 × 1920
YouTube Shorts Safe Zone Checker & Previewer
Upload a vertical frame and see it under the real Shorts interface — the like and comment buttons, your channel name, caption, and header — so your text and faces never get covered.
- Frame
- 1080 × 1920
- Ratio
- 9 : 16
- Right rail
- ≈ 15% width
- Bottom stack
- ≈ 20–26% height
No frame loaded
// why it matters
Why the YouTube Shorts safe zone matters
Shorts play full screen, and YouTube draws its interface directly on top of your video. Viewers decide whether to keep watching in the first second or two — if your hook text sits under the like button or your subtitles hide behind the caption, they swipe away before they ever read it.
Bottom caption stack
Your channel handle, subscribe button, caption, and sound credit fill roughly the bottom fifth to quarter of the screen — more when the caption runs to two or three lines.
Top header
Search, camera, and menu icons sit along the top. They're small, but text pushed flush to the top edge collides with them.
How to use the Shorts safe zone checker
- 1
Export a frame
Take a screenshot of your Short in your editor, or export the frame with your hook text and subtitles visible. A 1080×1920 PNG or JPG works best.
- 2
Upload or drag it in
Drop the image onto the phone preview. It loads instantly and never leaves your browser.
- 3
Match your caption
Type your channel handle and caption, then pick 1, 2, or 3 caption lines to see how much of the bottom gets covered.
- 4
Move anything in the red
Text, faces, or products inside the hatched areas will be hidden. Keep them inside the dashed safe outline, then re-export and check again.
YouTube Shorts dimensions and aspect ratio
Getting the frame size right is the first step to a clean safe zone. These are the specs to export with.
| Spec | Recommended |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080 × 1920 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 vertical |
| Maximum length | Up to 3 minutes |
| Covered right edge | ≈ 15% of frame width |
| Covered bottom | ≈ 20–26% of frame height, depending on caption length |
| Covered top | ≈ 9% of frame height |
Overlay sizes are approximate and vary slightly by phone and app version — leave a little extra room.
Shorts text placement: do
- Put hook text in the upper-middle of the frame, just below the header.
- Place subtitles slightly above center, not at the very bottom.
- Keep faces and products centered or left of center.
- Use bold, high-contrast text that survives the squint test.
Shorts text placement: don’t
- Run captions along the bottom where the channel row sits.
- Put prices, links, or punchlines on the right edge.
- Push text flush against the top of the screen.
- Reuse a horizontal video without reframing it for 9:16.
YouTube Shorts safe zone FAQ
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone?
+
The YouTube Shorts safe zone is the central part of a 1080×1920 vertical frame that stays clear of the Shorts interface. The action buttons run down the right side, the channel name, caption, and sound credit sit along the bottom, and the search and menu icons sit along the top. Text, faces, and key visuals placed inside the safe zone stay visible to viewers.
What size should a YouTube Short be?
+
Upload Shorts as vertical 9:16 video. 1080×1920 pixels is the standard full-HD size. Square and taller videos are accepted, but 9:16 fills the screen on phones without black bars.
Where should I put captions on a YouTube Short?
+
Place captions and on-screen text slightly above the vertical center of the frame, away from the right edge. Burned-in subtitles near the bottom are often covered by the channel row and video caption, and text on the right edge can sit underneath the like, comment, and share buttons.
Does the Shorts safe zone apply to TikTok and Instagram Reels?
+
The idea is the same — vertical video apps put buttons on the right and text along the bottom — but each app's interface is slightly different. A frame that is safe on YouTube Shorts is usually close to safe elsewhere, but check each platform before cross-posting.
Is my image uploaded anywhere?
+
No. The Shorts safe zone previewer runs entirely in your browser. Your frame is displayed from a temporary local link and is never sent to a server.
Posting long-form too? Check your regular thumbnail next.
Thumbnail Safe Zone CheckerKeep creating
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