Free safe zone checker

YouTube Shorts Safe Zone Checker

Drop in up to three videos and see exactly where the app’s buttons and caption land.

Looked after by Hardhat, a hard hat.

Drop up to three images or videos to compare them.

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 1

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 2

Drop or click
to upload

Phone 3

Keep inside

  • Main subject and faces
  • Text overlays and titles
  • Subscribe reminders
  • Important visual elements

Keep clear of

  • Bottom 18% (channel info)
  • Right side (action buttons)
  • Top bar (YouTube header)
  • Very bottom (navigation)

Other platforms

Instagram Reels Safe Zone →TikTok Safe Zone →

Take the template with you

Transparent 1080×1920 overlays. Drop the PNG on a timeline in Premiere, DaVinci, Final Cut or CapCut, or bring the SVG into Figma. There is a dark version to look at too. No sign-up.

Measured from the live apps, and kept in step with the preview above. Checked again in October 2026 against YouTube’s new Shorts player (June 2026): a heart for likes, no dislike, a Save button, and the sound shown as small buttons under the title. The green safe area is the biggest space nothing covers, so it never runs into the caption or the buttons.

See it as a real post →
Making Shorts from a podcast, stream or long video?Shorts by Slice finds the moments worth posting and cuts them into captioned vertical clips, with the YouTube Shorts safe zone shown while you edit. Free to try, no card.Try Shorts

How it works

  1. 1Drop in your videoAn image or a vertical video, up to three at once.
  2. 2See the YouTube UI on topButtons, caption and profile, where they really sit.
  3. 3Move what is coveredKeep faces and text inside the clear area.

Questions

Can I download the YouTube Shorts safe zone template?
Yes. The transparent overlay downloads as a 1080x1920 PNG or SVG, with no sign-up. Drop the PNG straight onto a timeline in Premiere, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut or CapCut, upload it to Canva as a layer, or drag the SVG into Figma. A ZIP with every platform is there too. You can also download your own picture or video with the zones drawn on it. Templates and images are free with no sign-up; for video downloads we email you the link.
What is the YouTube Shorts safe zone?
The YouTube Shorts safe zone is the area of your vertical video that won't be covered by YouTube's interface elements. YouTube overlays like/dislike buttons, comments, share button, channel info, and captions on your video. Content in the safe zone remains fully visible to viewers.
What resolution should YouTube Shorts be?
YouTube Shorts should be 1080x1920 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio). This is the same vertical format used by TikTok and Instagram Reels. Videos up to 60 seconds in length qualify as Shorts.
How is YouTube Shorts different from TikTok?
YouTube Shorts has a slightly different UI layout. The buttons are on the right side like TikTok, but YouTube adds a dislike button and has a different comment and subscribe button placement. YouTube also shows the video title more prominently at the bottom.
Where should I put text in YouTube Shorts?
Place important text in the center-left area of the screen. Avoid the right edge where action buttons appear, the bottom 15-20% where channel info and captions show, and leave some margin from all edges for a clean look.
Can I use the same video for Shorts, Reels, and TikTok?
Yes! All three platforms use the same 9:16 aspect ratio and 1080x1920 resolution. However, each has slightly different UI placements. Use our safe zone checkers for each platform to ensure your content looks perfect everywhere.
Why check the Shorts safe zone

Compare Side by Side

Upload up to 3 different videos to compare how they look with the YouTube UI overlay.

Video & Image Support

Test vertical videos and images to see exactly how they’ll appear in the Shorts feed.

Real-time Preview

See your content with the YouTube interface overlay in real-time as you upload.

This tool is looked after by Hardhat.The safety officer. Stern about the rules, kind about everything else.

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Shorts by Slice

From the team behind these free tools

One video. A week of posts.

Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.

  • Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
  • Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
  • Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
Try Shorts by Slice

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