Best Time to Post on YouTube: Videos and Shorts, Every Day (2026)
By PostMax Team · Updated · 8 min read
Quick answer
Long videos: the best time to post on YouTube is Sunday at 9–10 a.m. On weekdays, aim for the afternoon from Wednesday to Friday (around 12–5 p.m.). Shorts: post in the evening, 5–9 p.m., with Thursday to Saturday the strongest days.
All times are in your audience’s local time. YouTube timing mostly affects the first hours, so the video matters more than the clock.
On this page
YouTube is really two platforms: long videos people search for and come back to, and Shorts that live in a fast feed like TikTok. Their best times are different, so this guide treats them separately. The times come from studies by Buffer (1.8 million videos), SocialPilot (301,000 videos) and vidIQ (40.2 million videos).
Best time to upload on YouTube today
Pick where your audience lives to see today’s times on your own clock.
Best time to post long YouTube videos, day by day
| Day | Best times | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. | Studies disagree; each study’s top pick |
| Tuesday | 8–11 a.m. and 2–4 p.m. | Studies disagree; each study’s top pick |
| Wednesday | 3–5 p.m. | Studies agree |
| Thursday | 5 p.m. | Studies agree |
| Friday | 12–3 p.m. | Studies agree |
| Saturday | 10 a.m. | Studies agree |
| Sunday | 9–10 a.m. | Strongest |
- Weekends: both studies favor the morning. Buffer’s best slot of the whole week is Sunday at 10 a.m., and SocialPilot names 8–10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
- Wednesday to Friday: both studies point to the afternoon, between about 12 and 5 p.m.
- Monday and Tuesday: the studies split. Buffer prefers the morning (around 9 a.m.) and SocialPilot the afternoon (2–4 p.m.).
Best time to post YouTube Shorts, day by day
| Day | Best times | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. | Studies disagree; each study’s top pick |
| Tuesday | 7 p.m. | Studies agree |
| Wednesday | 3–6 p.m. and 7–9 p.m. | Studies disagree; each study’s top pick |
| Thursday | 7–9 p.m. | Strongest |
| Friday | 11 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4 p.m. | Studies disagree; each study’s top pick |
| Saturday | 6 p.m. | Strongest |
| Sunday | 5 p.m. | Studies agree |
- Evenings win most days. Most of Buffer’s top Shorts times fall between 5 and 9 p.m.
- Friday is the best day, with Buffer’s single best Shorts slot at 4 p.m. SocialPilot’s Friday picks are earlier (11 a.m.–1 p.m.).
- Skip weekday early afternoons. Buffer found 12–5 p.m. the weakest time for Shorts on most days.
Posting the same vertical video to TikTok and Reels too? Compare with the best time to post on TikTok.
What the studies found
| Study | What it measured | Long videos | Shorts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffer (July 2026) | ~1.8 million videos, median engagement | Best: Sunday 10 a.m. Best days: Sunday, Tuesday, Monday | Best: Friday 4 p.m. Best days: Friday, Saturday, Thursday |
| SocialPilot | 301,000 videos from 27,000 channels, engagement per view | Weekdays 1–5 p.m., weekends 8–10 a.m. Best days: Wednesday–Friday | Varies by day. Best days: Friday, Saturday, Thursday |
| vidIQ | 40.2 million long videos | Sunday about 3.5% above a channel’s average day, Saturday about 2.2%; Wednesday weakest | — |
The clearest agreements: weekend mornings for long videos and Thursday to Saturday for Shorts.
How much does upload time matter on YouTube?
Less than most people think. YouTube recommends videos when viewers open the app, so a good video keeps finding viewers for weeks or months, long after the upload hour stops mattering. vidIQ found that differences by upload hour even out quickly, and even its best day, Sunday, was only about 3.5% better than average.
Timing helps the start: a video posted when your subscribers are online gets early views and comments faster. Use a good time, then spend your effort on the title, the thumbnail and the first 30 seconds.
Find your channel’s best time to post
- 1
Open YouTube Studio
Go to Analytics, then the Audience tab.
- 2
Find “When your viewers are on YouTube”
The chart shows the days and hours your viewers are most active. Darker bars mean more viewers.
- 3
Post an hour or two before the peak
That gives your video time to collect early views as your viewers arrive.
- 4
Compare after a few weeks
Check views in the first 48 hours for videos posted at different times, and keep the best slot.
Schedule YouTube uploads ahead
Sunday at 10 a.m. is a great slot and a bad time to be at your desk. Schedule the upload instead. In PostMax you add the video, YouTube title, description, privacy setting and a cover photo (custom thumbnails need a verified channel), then pick the minute. It goes out on time even when your laptop is off.
Cut a Short from the same video and post it to YouTube Shorts, TikTok and Instagram Reels at once, each at its own best time.
See every platform side by side: best time to post on social media.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on YouTube today?
For long videos, weekend mornings (9–10 a.m. on Sunday, around 10 a.m. on Saturday) and weekday afternoons from Wednesday to Friday. For Shorts, evenings between 5 and 9 p.m. The tools on this page show today’s times in your audience’s time zone.
What is the best day to upload on YouTube?
Sunday for long videos: it was Buffer’s best day, and vidIQ’s study of 40.2 million videos found Sunday uploads did about 3.5% better than a channel’s average day. For Shorts, Buffer and SocialPilot agree on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
What is the best time to post YouTube Shorts?
Evenings. Buffer’s best Shorts times are mostly 7–9 p.m., with its single best slot on Friday at 4 p.m. SocialPilot also finds Thursday 7–11 p.m. strong. Avoid early afternoon on weekdays, which Buffer found weakest for Shorts.
Does upload time matter on YouTube?
Mostly for the first hours. YouTube recommends videos when viewers visit, not only when you upload, and vidIQ found that differences by upload hour even out quickly. Posting when your viewers are active gives a video a stronger start, but the video itself matters far more.
Should I upload at the same time every week?
It helps. A regular slot lets subscribers know when to expect a video, and it makes your own results easier to compare. Pick a time from your YouTube Studio data and stick with it for a few weeks before changing.
Which time zone should I use for YouTube?
Your audience’s. All times on this page are the viewers’ local time. YouTube Studio shows where your viewers are (Analytics → Audience) and when they’re on YouTube.
Keep reading
- How to Post to All Social Media at Once (Free and Paid Ways)The free ways, the paid way, and what to change for each platform so one post works everywhere.
- How to Manage Multiple Social Media Accounts (Without Losing Track)A 6-step system for running many accounts and clients, with an account list template and access steps for each platform.
- Best Time to Post on TikTok (Every Day of the Week, 2026)Today’s best time in your audience’s time zone, every day of the week, and what four studies agree on.