YouTube Sizes, Dimensions and Limits
Updated September 2026 · By Joseph Pugliese, founder of Linklay
Last verified: September 7, 2026
YouTube uses different dimensions and limits for channel branding, standard video, Shorts and video metadata. This reference hub collects the current YouTube banner size, video resolutions, Shorts dimensions, profile-picture guidance and title and description character limits in one place. Each guide separates YouTube’s published requirements from practical production recommendations and includes a visible verification date.
Images
- YouTube Banner Size — Use a 2560 × 1440 px image for a YouTube channel banner.
- YouTube Profile Picture Size — YouTube profile pictures render at 98 × 98 px.
Video
- YouTube Video Size — Use 1920 × 1080 px for a standard Full HD YouTube video at 16:9.
- YouTube Shorts Dimensions — Create YouTube Shorts at 1080 × 1920 px with a 9:16 vertical aspect ratio for a full-screen mobile presentation.
Text limits
- YouTube Title Character Limit — The YouTube title character limit is 100 characters.
- YouTube Description Character Limit — The YouTube video description limit is 5,000 characters.
Existing guides
Sources and verification
Every YouTube specification linked from this hub was last verified September 7, 2026, and each page lists the source behind its numbers.
Sources
- YouTube Help, Manage your channel branding https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10456525
- YouTube Help, Channel banner & profile picture tips https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12950272
- YouTube Help, Video resolution & aspect ratios https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6375112
- YouTube Help, Upload YouTube videos https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407
- YouTube Help, Edit video settings https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404
- YouTube Help, Tips for video descriptions https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449