Best Time to Post on YouTube
See when YouTube viewing peaks, automatically converted to your timezone. Covers long-form uploads and Shorts.
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Peak window
2 PM – 4 PM
on Wednesday to Friday
These hours are already in your audience's local time, so nothing is converted.
Recommended hours by day
Recommended hours across the day
A block is darker when more days of the week name that hour. Pale blocks are hours no day recommends.
Source: SocialPilot, “Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2026” — 301,000+ videos across 27,000+ YouTube channels.
When is the best time to upload to YouTube?
SocialPilot's analysis puts YouTube's best window for long-form uploads at 2 to 4 PM on Monday and Tuesday, 3 to 5 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, and 1 to 3 PM on Friday, with Wednesday through Friday the strongest days. Weekends shift earlier, to 8 to 10 AM. Uploading before 9 AM on a weekday or after 10 PM on any day is listed among the worst choices.
Those figures come from SocialPilot's study of more than 301,000 videos across 27,000+ channels, measured in the audience's local time. Note that Shorts run on almost the opposite schedule to long-form, so do not reuse this window for them without checking your own analytics.
Tips for posting on YouTube
- Upload two to four hours ahead of the peak. YouTube needs time to process and start recommending.
- Shorts and long-form have almost opposite best windows, so do not reuse one schedule for both.
- Shorts follow a flatter curve than long-form and tolerate weekday posting far better.
- The first 24 to 48 hours of click-through rate shape long-term recommendations. The thumbnail matters more than the minute.
- Use YouTube Studio's 'When your viewers are on YouTube' report. It is real data about your channel, not a benchmark.
- Premiere or schedule rather than uploading live, so the video lands in the window instead of whenever you finished editing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to upload a YouTube video?
Early to mid afternoon on a weekday: 2 to 4 PM on Monday and Tuesday, 3 to 5 PM on Wednesday and Thursday, 1 to 3 PM on Friday, per SocialPilot's 2026 analysis. Weekend uploads do better at 8 to 10 AM.
What is the best day to post on YouTube?
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the strongest days in SocialPilot's data. Weekends still work but shift to a morning window.
Is the best time to post Shorts different?
Yes, somewhat. Shorts behave more like a scrolling feed, so their curve is flatter and weekday posting works better than it does for long-form uploads.
Does upload time actually affect YouTube views?
Less than on feed-based platforms. YouTube's recommendation engine surfaces videos for weeks, so timing mainly affects the first 48 hours of click-through rate, which then influences longer-term reach.
Next step
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