Best Time to Post on YouTube and Shorts: What the Data Says
Buffer's 1.8 million videos put long-form at Sunday 10 a.m. and Shorts at Friday 4 p.m. YouTube says publish time isn't known to change long-term views.
Buffer's study of 1.8 million videos found the best time to post a long-form YouTube video is Sunday at 10 a.m. For Shorts, Friday is best, with 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. taking the top three slots. Both are in your audience's local time. There's a catch, though. YouTube's own help page says publish time "is not known to impact a video's long-term performance," while it "is important" for Live and Premiere videos. Timing mostly helps a video's first hours.
We read Buffer's study, YouTube's help page and three other guides through our server on October 23, 2026. vidIQ's site doesn't let our reader in, so its numbers come from QuickFrame's summary of them.
What does YouTube say about the best time to post?
YouTube answers the question in its performance FAQ. Its recommendation system "aims to deliver the right videos to the right viewers, regardless of when that video was uploaded," YouTube says. Publishing when your audience is most active "can be beneficial for early viewership," the page says. For Live and Premiere videos, it says publish time "is important," and it points you to the "When your viewers are on YouTube" report.
The same FAQ answers how often to upload. Asked whether you need to upload daily or weekly, YouTube says "No," and that it "found that growth in views across uploads is not correlated with time between uploads" in its analyses. It also studied thousands of channels that took a break, and it "found no correlation between break length and changes in views" among them.
What do the studies say?
| Study | Sample | Best time found |
|---|---|---|
| Buffer | 1.8M videos | Sunday, 10 a.m. (long videos) |
| Buffer | 1.8M videos | Friday, 4 p.m. (Shorts) |
| vidIQ, June 2026 | 40.2M US uploads | Sunday, about 3.5% above average |
| Postpone, USA | Up to 100 posts per account | Tue, Mon, Fri, 10 a.m. to noon ET |
| Hollyland | Not given | 7 to 10 p.m. (Shorts) |
Buffer, Postpone and Hollyland read through our server on October 23, 2026. vidIQ's figures as QuickFrame reported them on September 22, 2026.
The studies don't agree on days. Buffer ranks Sunday first for long videos, then Tuesday and Monday. Postpone's US data puts Tuesday first and says Sunday and Saturday "bring in about 39% less engagement than Tuesday" in its data. vidIQ's gaps are small. QuickFrame reports Sunday at "about 3.5% above a channel's average day" and Wednesday "about 2.2% below" it.
Buffer's own data moved, too. Its last study pointed to weekday late afternoons, from 3 to 5 p.m., and now mornings lead.
What's the best time to post YouTube Shorts?
Friday evening, in Buffer's data. Its top three Shorts slots were all on Friday: 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Shorts engagement peaks "generally between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.," and afternoons from noon to 5 p.m. are weakest, except on Friday. The best days are Friday, Saturday and Thursday, and the worst are Tuesday and Monday. Hollyland's guide calls 7 to 10 p.m. the "best default starting point" for Shorts.
Shorts don't depend as much on the hour. Buffer says Shorts "are continuously resurfaced by YouTube's recommendation engine over days or even weeks," so "the initial publish time is less make-or-break" for them.
What are the best times for each day?
| Day | Long videos | Shorts |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9 a.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 9 a.m. | 8 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 7 a.m. | 7 p.m. |
| Thursday | 5 p.m. | 7 p.m. |
| Friday | 12 p.m. | 4 p.m. |
| Saturday | 12 p.m. | 7 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m. | 7 p.m. |
Buffer's top slot for each day, in your local time, read October 23, 2026.
Buffer's weakest long video slots fall on weekday afternoons, "particularly Wednesday and Thursday," where engagement dips. Thursday at 2 p.m. scored 0.11 on its engagement scale, against 0.95 for Sunday at 10 a.m.
How do you find your own best time?
- Open YouTube Studio. Go to studio.youtube.com and click Analytics.
- Go to the Audience tab. Scroll down to the "When your viewers are on YouTube" chart.
- Read the heat map. Buffer says it's set in your local time, and the darkest blocks are when your viewers are on.
- Post a little early. For long videos, Buffer suggests posting "one to two hours before your audience's peak activity window" so YouTube has time to process it.
- Pick the hour carefully for Lives and Premieres. That's where YouTube says publish time "is important."
If you're just starting and that report is empty, Buffer's table above is a fair first test. Want more on what YouTube rewards? Our guide to the YouTube algorithm in 2026 covers it, and the most viewed YouTube videos show what the top looks like. For other apps, see the best time to post on Instagram and Facebook.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on YouTube?
Buffer's study of 1.8 million videos found Sunday at 10 a.m. best for long videos, in your local time.
What is the best time to post YouTube Shorts?
Friday at 4 p.m., then 6 p.m. and 7 p.m., in Buffer's data. Evenings work best overall.
What is the best day to post on YouTube?
Studies don't agree. Buffer says Sunday, and Postpone's US data says Tuesday.
Does the time you post on YouTube matter?
It helps early views, and it matters for Lives and Premieres. Over the long run, YouTube says publish time "is not known to impact" a video's performance.
What time zone should I use?
Your audience's. Buffer's times are local, so you don't need to convert them, and YouTube Studio shows your viewers' hours in your local time.
Sources
- YouTube Help, "YouTube performance FAQ & Troubleshooting," read October 23, 2026
- Buffer, "Best Time to Post on YouTube: Data from 1.8M Videos," read October 23, 2026
- QuickFrame, September 22, 2026, with vidIQ's June 2026 figures; Postpone's USA page; and Hollyland, read October 23, 2026
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