# Best Time to Post on YouTube: Videos, Shorts and How to Find Your Own

> The best time to post on YouTube for videos and Shorts, by weekday, why the first hours matter less than on other platforms, and how to find your own time in YouTube Studio.

Canonical: https://scheduleforyou.com/blog/best-time-to-post-on-youtube
Last updated: 2026-10-26

Category: YouTube. 

The best time to post on YouTube is two to three hours before your audience's peak viewing time, which for most channels means **early afternoon on weekdays (around 1 to 4 PM in your audience's time zone)** and **mornings on Saturday and Sunday**. YouTube needs a little time to index a new video and start recommending it, so publishing just before the peak catches the wave.

The precise answer is in YouTube Studio, and this guide shows where. First, the general pattern.

## Best times by day

| Day | Good windows (audience's local time) |
| --- | --- |
| Monday to Thursday | 1 to 4 PM, with a smaller window at 7 to 9 PM |
| Friday | 12 to 3 PM |
| Saturday | 9 to 11 AM and 3 to 5 PM |
| Sunday | 9 AM to 12 PM |

These come from aggregated studies of viewing activity and line up with YouTube's own "when your viewers are on YouTube" chart for most audiences in North America and Europe. Gaming and entertainment channels skew later into the evening; business and education channels skew earlier.

## Shorts are different

Shorts are shown in a feed that refreshes constantly, so the first hours matter more than for long videos and the daily pattern is flatter. Post Shorts when your audience is scrolling, typically mornings (7 to 9 AM), lunch and after 7 PM, and post them on a steady daily rhythm. A Short published at 2 AM gets its first viewers at 2 AM, and that first batch sets its early performance.

## Why timing matters less than on Instagram

A YouTube video keeps earning views for months through search and suggestions, so a video published at a bad hour isn't lost. Timing mostly affects the first day, which affects how quickly YouTube tests the video with new viewers. Thumbnail, title and watch time matter far more over the video's life.

## Find your own best time in YouTube Studio

1. Open studio.youtube.com and click **Analytics**.
2. Open the **Audience** tab.
3. Look at **When your viewers are on YouTube**. The darker the bar, the more of your viewers are online.

Publish two to three hours before the darkest block. If your audience spans time zones, pick the block that covers the most viewers, which the chart shows in your local time.

## Keep a schedule once you've picked a time

Consistency is what the algorithm rewards: same days, same slot. Schedule videos in YouTube Studio by setting Visibility to Schedule, or set posting slots in a scheduler so every video and Short lands in the right window without you being at your desk. In Schedule For You, YouTube joins the same queue as TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, with its own title, description and privacy per post; our guide to [scheduling YouTube videos and Shorts](https://scheduleforyou.com/blog/how-to-schedule-youtube-videos-and-shorts) walks through it.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best time to post on YouTube?
Two to three hours before your audience's peak: early afternoon on weekdays and mornings at weekends for most channels. Your Studio Analytics Audience tab has the exact chart.

### What is the best time to post YouTube Shorts?
When your audience is scrolling: mornings, lunchtime and evenings, on a daily rhythm. Shorts depend on their first hours more than long videos do.

### Does the day of the week matter on YouTube?
Somewhat. Weekend mornings and weekday afternoons are strongest for general audiences, but a consistent weekly slot matters more than the specific day.

### Is it better to post at the same time every week?
Yes. A regular slot trains viewers and gives YouTube a predictable pattern to test new uploads against.

## Related

- [All guides](https://scheduleforyou.com/blog)
- [Pricing](https://scheduleforyou.com/pricing)