ouTube End Screens are more than just a decorative final frame; they are a critical, interactive tool for driving channel growth and retaining viewers. Appearing in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video, these outros serve as a powerful call-to-action, directing your audience to watch more content, subscribe to your channel, or visit an external website.
This guide will walk you through the entire process of leveraging this feature—from ensuring your video is long enough and using the correct design dimensions, to employing the best creation tools and mastering the strategic placement of elements. By crafting a high-converting End Screen, you can turn a single watch into a binge-watching session, drastically boosting your overall channel views.
How to Make a YouTube End Screen
1. First, Make Sure Your YouTube Video is Long Enough
Your video needs to be at least 25 seconds to have an end screen. That’s easy to do if you’re like most creators. Naturally, people record for a long time and post videos spanning several minutes. Unless you’re making a YouTube Short, you will likely have enough footage.
Above all, don’t forget to leave space at the end of your video for an outro.
2. Use the Correct Dimensions for Your YouTube End Screen
The end screen dimensions for an HD video are 1920px by 1080px. That’s how big the entire frame should be. If you’re shooting in 4K, bump that up to 3840px by 1260px.
Also, make sure any custom graphics in your end screen are sharp. YouTube says your images – pictures used for the subscribe button and website links – should be at least 300px by 300px.
Check out the example below. Photography creator Ben Johnson uses a crisp self-portrait for the “subscribe” feature.
3. Use a YouTube End Screen Maker
You can make a video outro in 30 minutes using a graphic design website. Some even have YouTube end screen templates, which are extremely helpful.
Here are five remarkable end screen makers:
Canva is one of the better options on this list. It has plenty of design templates to choose from, like this one:
To create the best end screen using Canva:
- Use a template. You can move the elements around, choose new colors, and add animations to your end screen.
- Personalize the template. Use images that represent your channel or brand.
- Keep it simple. Leave enough negative space so you can fit two to three videos or playlists on your end screen.
4. Add the End Screen to Your Video Project
Once you’ve created an end screen, you can:
- Download it as an MP4.
- Drop the end screen into your video project (Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Davinci Resolve, etc.)
- Add your end screen clip to the last few seconds of your video.
- Upload the full video to YouTube.
- Use YouTube’s video editor to add clickable elements, such as videos and playlists.
How to Add an End Screen on YouTube
1. Open YouTube Studio: Click your profile icon in the top right, then select YouTube Studio.
2. Navigate to Content: Click the “Content” tab on the left-hand menu.
3. Edit the Video: Click the pencil icon (edit button) next to the selected video.
Locate the End Screen Option:
- Scroll down the editing page until you find the “End Screen” button.
- Click it to enter the end screen editor.
As you experiment with End Screens, remember these key limitations and options:
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Cards & Watermarks: YouTube Cards and video watermarks are suppressed and will not appear during the End Screen segment.
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Video Selection: You have control over the video element you recommend: choose your most recent upload, let YouTube automatically select the best fit, or pick a specific video.
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Kids Channels: End Screens are unavailable on videos that are designated as “made for kids.”
Conclusion
Mastering the YouTube End Screen is a high-impact, low-effort strategy that directly contributes to channel growth by increasing watch time and subscriber count. The key to success lies in a combination of technical precision—ensuring your video is over 25 seconds, using the correct 1920×1080 dimensions, and utilizing tools like Canva or InVideo—and strategic finesse. Most importantly, simplify the viewer’s choice by recommending just one piece of content, avoid the view-killing phrase “thanks for watching,” and focus on creating shorter, highly engaging videos that lead naturally to a clickable end. By consistently applying these design and strategy tips, your end screen will evolve from a mere goodbye into a powerful, automated engine for retaining viewers and converting them into loyal fans.