How long should a YouTube Short be?

Shorts can run up to three minutes, but most that do well are 30 to 60 seconds. Shorter makes it easier to watch to the end, which is what the feed rewards.

Yes, without an account. A free ClipFlux account removes the daily limit.

Do these ideas work on TikTok and Reels too?

Yes. The same premises work on any vertical feed.

Can ClipFlux make the Short for me?

Yes. Press Make this video and ClipFlux writes it, voices it and animates every scene. Free to try.

Free tool · No sign-up

YouTube Shorts Ideas

Get twelve Shorts ideas for your niche that land in under a minute: POVs, what-ifs and facts people send to friends. Free, no sign-up.

Examplespace facts

Twelve ideas that land in under a minute.

01A Day on Venus Is Longer Than Its YearOne fact and one twist, in 30 seconds
02Saturn Would Float in a BathtubLighter than water, if the tub were big enough
03Astronauts Come Home TallerTheir spines stretch, then shrink back
04You Never See the Far Side of the MoonTidal locking in one picture

How to use the YouTube Shorts Ideas

01Type your niche or channel topic.
02Press Generate and read the twelve ideas.
03Pick one and make it into a Short in one click, or copy it for later.

What works in a Short

One idea, one payoff

A Short has no room for a second point. The best ones set up a single premise and pay it off in the last seconds.

Start in the middle

The first line has to stop the scroll. Drop the viewer into the situation ("You wake up in 1350 London") instead of introducing it.

Make it rewatchable

Loops, a twist that changes the beginning, or a detail people miss the first time all push watch time past 100 percent.

Formats beat one-offs

POV, "what if", and ranked lists can be repeated every day with a new subject. Pick a format and make it your channel’s signature.

Example Shorts ideas

Format	Idea
POV	POV: you are the last guard at the edge of the Roman Empire
What if	What if you woke up in 1350 London
Fact	Sharks are older than trees. Here is what else is
Ranking	Ranking the worst jobs in medieval Europe