The short version
- A YouTube end screen is the final stretch of a video, up to 20 seconds, where you can place clickable elements such as another video, a playlist and a subscribe button.
- Design the end screen background at 1920×1080 pixels, the 16:9 frame of a full HD video.
- YouTube allows up to four end screen elements, and they sit on top of your video, so the background should leave empty space where they will go.
- A good end screen recommends one specific next video, says why in a few words, and keeps the channel's colours and type.
- Reusing one end screen layout on every video teaches viewers where to look and saves editing time.
On this page
A YouTube end screen is the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video, where YouTube lets you place up to four clickable elements: a video or playlist, a subscribe button, another channel or, for eligible channels, a link. The elements sit on top of whatever your video shows, so the design job is the background underneath them. Make it 1920×1080, give it your channel's colours, leave clear space where the elements go, and add a few words telling the viewer what to watch next.
YouTube end screen size and timing
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The background is simply part of your video. Edit a still or gently moving 1920×1080 frame onto the end of the timeline, long enough to cover the time the elements will show, and then add the elements in YouTube Studio so they line up with the empty areas you designed. If you film in 4K, design at 3840×2160 instead; the proportions are the same.
Where end screen elements go
YouTube's editor offers ready layouts, and you can move elements freely within the frame. Most channels settle on one of a few arrangements. Pick one, design the background for it, and keep it for every upload so your viewers learn where the next video lives.
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Keep the edges clear. Elements cannot sit right against the frame edge, and some players show controls along the bottom, so leave a margin of around 80 pixels on every side. The headline usually goes top left or across the top third, above the tiles. Never put words where a tile will land: the element will cover them.
Words on one side, open space on the other for a video tile and a subscribe button.
How to design a branded end screen background
- 1
Choose your layout first
Decide which elements you will use and where. The background is a frame for them, so it follows the layout, not the other way round.
- 2
Start a 1920×1080 canvas
Use the same size as your video. A 16:9 frame at full HD is the safe default for most uploads.
- 3
Use your channel's background
The colour or material from your thumbnails and banner. When the end screen looks like the channel, the next video feels like a continuation rather than an advert.
- 4
Write one short line
Three to five words that give a reason to click: "Watch part two", "The full recipe", "Start the series here". Set it large; viewers are leaning back from the screen.
- 5
Mark the element areas lightly or not at all
Leave those regions calm and empty. A faint panel is fine, but the tiles carry their own thumbnails and need no frame.
- 6
Export and place it at the end
Export as an image or a short video clip, drop it on the timeline, and line up the elements in YouTube Studio's preview.
A slow moving background helps here. Twenty seconds of a frozen frame can feel like the video has stalled, while a gently drifting gradient under still words feels deliberate. On Gradiently Pro, any design exports as MP4 or WebM where your browser supports recording, so the end screen can be the same living background as your thumbnails, at the size your video needs. The approach is explained in animated gradient backgrounds.
What makes viewers click the next video
The end screen is a recommendation, and recommendations work when they are specific. "Watch more" asks the viewer to do the choosing. "Part two: fixing the wiring" does it for them. Say it out loud in the video too: a sentence in your last few seconds pointing at the tile does more than any design.
Avoid
- Four elements competing for attention
- Text under the tiles, hidden once they appear
- A busy photo behind the elements
- A different style from the rest of the video
- Saying goodbye before the end screen starts
Do
- One video and a subscribe button
- A headline above or beside the tiles
- A calm branded background
- The same colours as your thumbnails
- Point at the next video as the end screen begins
Choose the recommended video with care. YouTube can pick "best for viewer" automatically, which is often sensible, but a deliberate link to the next part of a series or a related tutorial gives the viewer a stronger reason. The same thinking about one clear next step drives a good YouTube thumbnail design.
Keep end screens consistent with your channel
Your banner, thumbnails, intro and end screen are one set. When they share a background and typeface, viewers recognise your work in a crowded sidebar, which is the heart of YouTube channel branding. Design them together: YouTube banner size covers the 2560×1440 channel art, and YouTube intro covers the opening seconds.
The thumbnail at 1280×720.
The end screen at 1920×1080, same Mark and type, space on the right for the tile.
With a brand kit and one design in Gradiently, you can resize to every size in one step on Pro, so the thumbnail, end screen and banner come from the same source and stay matched when you change your look.
Questions people ask
What size should a YouTube end screen be?
Design the background at 1920×1080 pixels, the 16:9 frame of a full HD video. If you upload in 4K, use 3840×2160.
How long is a YouTube end screen?
End screen elements can appear during the final 5 to 20 seconds of a video, so make the background segment at least as long as you want them to show.
How many elements can a YouTube end screen have?
Up to four, such as a video, a playlist, a subscribe button and a channel or link. One video and a subscribe button is often the clearest choice.
Do I need to design an end screen background?
No, elements can sit over any footage. A designed background with empty space for the elements makes them easier to see and keeps the video on brand.
Can the end screen background move?
Yes. It is part of your video, so a gently animated background works, as long as the motion stays calm behind the clickable tiles.
Written by Gradiently
The team behind Gradiently, a design tool built around Marks: living gradients that make everything you design look like yours.
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