How to write YouTube titles that get clicked
A good YouTube title says what the video gives in the first few words, makes someone want it, and is short enough to read whole: YouTube allows 100 characters, but long titles get cut off, so keep the words that matter at the start. Here's how long a title should be, formulas that work with examples, where the keywords go, what's different for Shorts, how titles and thumbnails work together, and how to test them on YouTube.
Updated 8 min read
From Clyper, the AI clipping tool that turns long videos into captioned vertical clips for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
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In short
- YouTube titles can be up to 100 characters, but YouTube says viewers may only see part of it: put the most important words first and branding or episode numbers last. As a rule of thumb, aim for about 60 characters with the point in the first 40.
- Most titles that get clicked follow a few formulas: how to get a result, a mistake to avoid, a test with an outcome, a number, a comparison, or a question the video answers.
- Write searchable titles (the words people type) for videos people look for, and intriguing ones (a reason to click) for videos people find on the home page.
- Test them: YouTube's Test & compare tries up to 3 titles, thumbnails or both and keeps the one with the most watch time. It isn't available for Shorts.
On this page
How long a YouTube title should be
YouTube's limit is 100 characters, but its own advice is to be succinct: “Viewers may only see part of your title, so aim to keep it short and put the most important words near the beginning.” How much shows depends on where the title appears (search, the home page, suggested videos, a phone or a TV) and on the screen size. YouTube doesn't publish a number, so plan for the smallest:
| Length | What it means |
|---|---|
| First 40 characters | Put the topic and the promise here: on a small screen it may be all that's read |
| About 60 characters | Our rule of thumb for a title that's read whole in most places |
| 100 characters | YouTube's limit. Fine for search, but the end will be cut in many places |
Check a title's length in the free character counter, which counts it the way YouTube does, or start from the YouTube title generator, which checks each title it suggests against the length that shows.
YouTube title formulas, with examples
Most titles that get clicked are one of a handful of shapes. Pick the one that fits what the video actually delivers:
| Formula | Example | Works for |
|---|---|---|
| How to [result] (without [pain]) | How to keep basil alive indoors (without a grow light) | Tutorials people search for |
| Why [problem] (and the fix) | Why your sourdough is flat (and the 2-minute fix) | Fixing something people already struggle with |
| [Number] [things] that [outcome] | 7 cheap tools that make woodworking easier | Lists and roundups |
| I tried [thing] for [time] | I ran every day for 30 days. Here's what changed | Experiments and challenges |
| [Mistake] that [costs you] | The resume mistake that gets you rejected in 6 seconds | Warnings and tips |
| [A] vs [B]: [the question] | iPhone vs Pixel cameras: which is better at night? | Comparisons and buying decisions |
| [Question the video answers] | Is a $40 knife as good as a $200 one? | Tests and reviews |
| [Surprising claim] | Your dog isn't ignoring you | Browse and suggested, where curiosity drives the click |
What the good ones share:
- A specific result. “Faster” is vague; “in 10 minutes” isn't. Numbers, times and money make a promise concrete.
- A reason to click now. A gap the viewer wants closed: the fix, the answer, what happened.
- Plain words. The ones your viewer would use, not the ones you use in the edit.
- Few capitals and emoji. YouTube suggests limiting ALL CAPS and emoji to emphasis. One word in capitals stands out; a whole title shouts.
Variations of these for your topic, checked for length, are in the free YouTube title generator. The same formulas make good opening lines for the video itself: see the hook generator.
Where the keywords go
YouTube's tips describe two kinds of title: searchable ones that “clearly outline what to expect” so people searching for the topic find them, and intriguing ones that “spark curiosity” for viewers who aren't looking for the topic. Choose by where most of your viewers will come from.
- For search, lead with the words people type. “Sourdough not rising” first, then the promise: “Sourdough not rising? 3 fixes that work every time”. YouTube's search box suggestions show the phrases people actually use.
- For browse and suggested, lead with the hook. On the home page nobody is searching, so the curiosity matters more than the exact words: “Your sourdough isn't flat because of the starter”.
- Often you can do both. Keyword first, hook after: “Flat sourdough? It's not your starter”.
Say the same words in the first sentence of the video and in the description. The title gets the click; the opening has to confirm it was the right one, or people leave and the video is shown less.
Titles for YouTube Shorts
In the Shorts feed the video plays as it's swiped to, so the title isn't what wins the view: the first second is. The title still counts in search, on the channel page, and wherever Shorts appear as a shelf. So for Shorts:
- Name the topic plainly, in the words someone would search, within the first few words.
- Keep it short. In the feed it sits over the video, where a few words are read at a glance.
- Match the opening line. The title and the first sentence of the Short should promise the same thing.
- Compare Shorts against each other. YouTube's Test & compare doesn't work on Shorts, so try different title styles across Shorts on the same topic and keep what wins.
More in YouTube Shorts SEO. For clips cut from your long videos, each one's title is the moment in a line: “The tiger cub problem with AI” tells a viewer what they're about to hear.
Write the title and thumbnail together
Viewers see the thumbnail and the title as one thing, so make them work as a pair rather than say the same thing twice:
| Thumbnail says | Title says | |
|---|---|---|
| Repeats | FLAT SOURDOUGH? | Flat sourdough? Here's why |
| Works together | A flat loaf next to a tall one | Why your sourdough is flat (and the 2-minute fix) |
| Works together | IT'S NOT THE STARTER | Flat sourdough? 3 real reasons |
The thumbnail carries the emotion or the result in a picture and three or four words at most; the title adds what the picture can't: the topic, the promise, the context. See how to make a YouTube thumbnail, and the free thumbnail maker.
A/B test titles with Test & compare
YouTube has its own A/B test for titles and thumbnails, Test & compare, in YouTube Studio:
| What YouTube says | |
|---|---|
| What it tests | Title only, thumbnail only, or title and thumbnail: up to 3 versions |
| How it picks | The version with the most watch time is shown to everyone when the test ends (not the most clicks) |
| How long | A few days; it should be finished within 2 weeks |
| No clear winner | The first version you uploaded is kept |
| Where | YouTube Studio on a computer, with advanced features turned on |
| Not for | Shorts, scheduled live streams, premieres, and videos that are made for kids, for mature audiences or private |
That it decides on watch time matters: a title that gets more clicks from people who then leave loses to one that brings fewer people who stay. Write variations that differ in one thing (the promise, the keyword, the angle), so the result tells you something for the next video. YouTube also suggests checking click-through rate in YouTube Analytics for every video after it's up.
Where clickbait crosses the line
Every good title makes someone curious. The line is whether the video delivers. YouTube's spam policy bans “malicious clickbait”: titles, thumbnails or descriptions that trick viewers into clicking on a video that doesn't deliver what was promised. Its example is a title that offers a full sports match on a video that shows only a clip. And YouTube's title tips put it plainly: if the title doesn't represent the video, viewers may stop watching, which can hurt how often it's shown.
| Fine: the video pays it off | Clickbait: it doesn't |
|---|---|
| “I tried the viral pasta. It's not what I expected” and the video says why | “A FAMOUS CHEF TRIED MY PASTA” when none did |
| “The $5 tool that fixed my wobbly table” and it's in the video | “FREE PHONE GIVEAWAY” with no giveaway |
Titles for clips of your long videos
Every long video has a dozen moments that could be Shorts, TikToks and Reels, each needing its own title and hook. Clyper finds them from a link, cuts each to whole sentences, frames it vertically and captions every word, and gives each clip a title for its moment and a hook score, so you start with the strongest.
Questions
How long can a YouTube title be?
100 characters. YouTube cuts long titles in many places, so put the words that matter first: as a rule of thumb, about 60 characters with the point in the first 40.
How many characters of a YouTube title show?
YouTube doesn't publish a number: it depends on where the title appears and the screen. It says viewers may only see part of a title, so keep it short and put the important words at the start.
Should I put keywords in my YouTube title?
Yes, if people search for the topic: put the words they'd type at the start, then the reason to click. For videos found mostly on the home page, the hook matters more than the exact words.
Can you A/B test YouTube titles?
Yes. YouTube Studio's Test & compare tests up to 3 titles, thumbnails or both, and shows everyone the one with the most watch time. It works on a computer with advanced features on, and not on Shorts, premieres or scheduled lives.
Does a YouTube Shorts title matter?
Less in the Shorts feed, where the video plays as it's swiped to, and more in search and on your channel. Name the topic plainly in the first few words and match the Short's opening line.
Should YouTube titles be in capital letters?
Mostly not. YouTube suggests limiting ALL CAPS and emoji to emphasis. Capitalizing one word stands out; a title in capitals reads as shouting.
Is clickbait allowed on YouTube?
Curiosity is fine; misleading isn't. YouTube's spam policy bans malicious clickbait: titles or thumbnails that trick people into clicking on a video that doesn't deliver what was promised.
Can I change a YouTube title after posting?
Yes, at any time in YouTube Studio. Changing the title of a video that isn't getting clicks is a cheap test; or use Test & compare to try versions side by side.
Sources
The apps' rules are from their own pages, read on November 7, 2026. They change from time to time, so check them before you rely on one.
