Best Time to Post on YouTube Shorts (By Hour, Day & Region)

After hours of content preparation and editing, you’ve finally dropped a fire Short at midnight. The hook was tight. 😳 Everything felt ready to pop.

But… hardly any views. Not a single engagement even after a day!

What went wrong? Well, you could have posted it at the wrong time.

Unlike long-form YouTube videos, which have evergreen traffic from search engines and recommendations, Shorts reach mainly comes from the Feed. And guess what? The Feed is always updated with newer content. That means timing is everything🤞✅

If your Shorts go live on the Feed while your audience is sleeping, you’ve already missed the wave. Let’s check out what’s the best time to post YouTube Shorts in 2025, what factors you must consider, and how to find your own best time.

In this article, we’ll cover…

• Why Posting Time Matters So Much for YouTube Shorts
• Best Times to Post YouTube Shorts (Backed by Real Viewer Habits!)
• What’s the Best Day to Post YouTube Shorts? (You Might Be Surprised!)
• Best Time to Post YouTube Shorts by Country (USA, UK, India + More)
• Best Posting Times for Every Niche (Gaming, Beauty, Finance & More)
• How to Find Your Perfect Posting Time for YouTube Shorts
• YouTube Shorts Timing: Common Questions Answered!
• Final Thoughts: Post at the Right Time, Get More Views!

Why Posting Time Is So Important On YouTube Shorts?

You might think, “If my content is good, people will watch it eventually.” That works for long-form videos but not for Shorts. Check out some reasons why posting time matters a lot in YT Shorts:

1. Time-Sensitive Shorts Feed

Search and suggested videos are not the main sources of content for YouTube Shorts. The Shorts Feed, which functions similarly to TikTok’s For You Page, a never-ending scroll of fresh videos, is where they are displayed.

If you publish when you’re audience isn’t online, more recent ones may obscure your Short before anyone notices it. 

In short, the first few hours after posting are essentially your only chance. 🤞 At that point, YouTube makes the decision to either spread the word or move on.

2. Initial Engagement Factor

YouTube determines whether your short is worth displaying to a larger audience based on early performance signals like:

• Impressions, that is, the frequency of its appearance in the Shorts feed
• How much time do your short people spend watching?
• Viewer interaction during the first few hours: likes, shares, and comments

You won’t receive strong signals early if your audience isn’t engaged when you post, which could limit the potential of your short.

3. Audience Habits

Each audience is unique. Late at night, gamers may be active. After class, students may scroll. Professionals may only check in the evenings or during lunch breaks.

Therefore, merely adhering to the “best global times” is insufficient. You are losing the attention window of your target audience if your shorts don’t appear when they are online. That’s why it’s important to figure out the best time to post Shorts on YouTube scientifically through calculators and by understanding your own audience. ▶️

4. Momentum Matters

YouTube’s algorithm is based on momentum. Compared to a great short that receives only 10 views in the first hour, a short that receives 100 views in the first hour has a better chance of receiving 10,000 views later.

And that first push? Depends largely on your timing.

Audience can engage initially only if you post when they’re active. If not, YouTube might assume your video just isn’t interesting (even if that’s not true).

Lenos Tip: You can also create that initial push by buying real YouTube views or launching a YouTube ads campaign. 📢

Best Times to Post YouTube Shorts (Based on Viewer Behavior)

Let’s chop the day into pieces and observe what actually occurs when you upload your Shorts at various times.

1. Early Morning (6 AM – 9 AM)

In the early morning, people are just starting their lives. Some will be at the gym while others will be travelling. Yet, there are many who scroll through bed indefinitely. In short, you will have:

• Fresh audience with high attention spans
• Less competition from other creators (most are still sleeping!)
• Mobile usage peaks as people start their day

This time works well, especially for inspirational and humorous content. 😄 But there’s a catch: your content must be attention-grabbing in an instant since commuters don’t have time to spare for watching anything too long.

2. Mid-Morning (9 AM – 12 PM)

It’s a timeframe where individuals are supposed to be working or studying. But let’s be realistic: who can resist that urge to scroll?

Now, competition begins to intensify as more content creators start uploading. That means you have a responsibility to make your content more unique. But guess what? You will have a wider audience base with global viewers from various time zones tuning in. 

Mid-morning is a good time for those who are creating how-to tutorials, educational content, behind-the-scenes, and anything that you’d want to call a productive pause.

3. Lunch Break (12 PM – 2 PM)

This is often considered the best time to post YouTube Shorts in 2025. Lunch break is the perfect scroll time for everyone. After all, who doesn’t want a little relaxation from long work hours? At this time window, you can see:

• The highest smartphone use occurs as individuals consume and unwind
• Highest rates of engagement on most forms of content
• Individuals have time to view, like, comment, and share
• Overlapping global audiences create enormous potential reach

Since this is the prime time, everybody will try to post now. Your content has to be flat-out amazing to cut through the noise.

The best part is that anyone can experiment with posting on these hours, particularly entertainment, food content, lifestyle, and viral-worthy stuff.

4. Afternoon Slump (2 PM – 5 PM)

Most of the population is in work or school mode, but there is an opportunity here that goes unseen.

• Less competition from creators
• Students leaving school (particularly after 3 PM)
• People stepping out for coffee breaks in the afternoon
• Some overseas markets are experiencing peak lunch break hours

Yes, there are less eyes in total. But less competition means your content is more likely to be viewed by those who are online. It’s quality over quantity time. Niche content and educational material can focus on this time.

5. Prime Time (6 PM – 9 PM)

This is when everyone is back home, getting settled, and opening up YouTube. But remember: it is also the same hours when every creator is planning to post. 📲

In short, you’re competing for eyeballs with millions of other Shorts. Unless your video is incredibly strong or you have a built-in audience, you may be lost in the sea. Veteran creators with loyal followings and trending material can pursue these peak hours.

6. Late Evening (9 PM – 11 PM)

Late evening is when casual scrolling takes over. People are just winding down to feel relaxed. You will have:

• Relaxing viewers with longer attention spans
• Audience who are more likely to watch several Shorts in one sitting
• Stronger completion rates since people are not hurrying

It’s a perfect time window for storytelling material, relaxing videos, vlogs, and anything that builds an emotional connection. You will get a smaller but more interactive audience. People are likely to subscribe and return for more content during these hours.

7. Late Night/Early Morning (11 PM – 6 AM)

Unless your audience is in a completely different time zone, this is usually the worst time to post. StAwPYou can only target the night owls, shift workers, and international audience. There will be:

• Extremely low competition
• Dedicated niche audiences
• Content has more time to pick up steam before the next day’s posting starts

Although the Shorts feed still updates, there’s not enough traffic to trigger the kind of performance signals the algorithm is looking for. Even if your video is amazing, it might get buried by the time your audience wakes up. It’s not recommended unless you’re sure that your target audience is active now. 

What Time Actually Works Best?

12 PM – 2 PM (lunch break) always performs best for most creators. Here’s why:

• Maximum audience availability: People actually actively choose to scroll during lunch, as opposed to when they may be distracted.
• High engagement mindset: They’re relaxed and just looking to engage with content.
• Global overlap: Several time zones reach their peak hours at the same time.

Even though this is the sweet spot, don’t just blindly post at 1 PM and be done with it. The lunch window is best when paired with an understanding of your specific audience and content type.

Just try it out once a week and analyze the results. Go for it only if the metrics are completely satisfactory. 😌

Best Day to Post YouTube Shorts

Now, let’s move to something equally important. Which day of the week gives your Shorts the best shot at going viral? 

Spoiler alert: it’s not Sunday as most people think. Check out a detailed breakdown of each day:

1. Monday

Mondays are tricky. People are just getting back into their work or school routine. They’re catching up on emails, meetings, and all. Something not exactly the most scroll-happy mood. But:

• Fresh motivation and energy levels are high
• Fewer weekend distractions mean your Monday posts get noticed more
• Back-to-work scroll sessions during breaks are intense

Here, your audience is psychologically switching from weekend mode to work mode. They seek content that inspires them or induces them to procrastinate effectively.

Inspirational content, productivity hacks, and anything that admits the Monday struggle and offers entertainment could work well. Save the heavy tutorials for another weekday.

2. Tuesday

Tuesday is a bounce-back day. People have settled into the week and are a little more relaxed. Yes, they are focused, but is still likely to take a break and scroll. 

It’s one of the better weekdays for YouTube Shorts. The algorithm seems more responsive as user engagement levels are higher. 📈

In fact, this is when your viewer has the mental capacity to actually watch your stuff. They’re not worried about Monday or hyped about the weekend. They’re sitting and ready to view. 

Learning content rocks on Tuesdays. And the best part is that there’s only moderate competition. 

3. Wednesday

Wednesday is all about requiring that midweek pick-me-up. People are mentally exhausted and need encouragement to push through. On Wednesdays, you can witness:

• High social media use as individuals search for midweek entertainment
• Better balance of interaction without too much competition
• Global audiences tend to mesh better on Wednesdays

Your audience is seeking either something that energizes them or provides a mental respite from the grind of the week. Viewers are in the mood for quick hits of entertainment. So, you can push humorous and light mood content as Shorts.

4. Thursday

Thursdays perform similarly to Wednesdays except the fact that people are starting to prepare their minds for weekend mode, especially in the afternoon. Thursdays offer:

• Greater completion rates since people are in a good mood as Friday is coming
• Good testing ground for weekend-worthy content
• Strong engagement from people planning their weekends

It’s indeed a solid day to post. If your Short gets engagement here, it can carry momentum into the weekend (the prime time). So, attempt something viral-worthy on Thursdays.

5. Friday

Friday is when YouTube Shorts really can fly high. ⬆️ But it’s also when competition turns intense. Here’s what to expect on Fridays:

• Greater sharing rates as folks want to share Friday vibes
• Peak engagement times run longer into the evening
• Weekend anticipation creates a positive viewer sentiment

The weekend mentality is gradually developing. So, viewers want funny and entertaining content. But as everyone is posting to capitalize on the high engagement opportunity, your post must be really great to cut through in the Friday rush.

6. Saturday

Saturday is scroll central. People have time. They’re on their phones more and are not rushing anymore. That means longer watch times and engagements— something that the algorithm really loves. 

Competition is lower in the morning but increases to a peak level in the evening as every creator knows, weekends are powerful.

You could go for personal stories, entertainment, lifestyle, and any other relatable content. Just stay out of serious work stuff, as people are normally in an enjoyable mood. 

7. Sunday

Sunday is similar to Saturday but a bit slower. People are more relaxed or prepping for the week ahead. Mornings perform well. But, engagement tends to dip in the late evening as people log off to reset and prepare for Monday. 

Emotional, motivational, and reflective videos may perform well. 👍

Which Day Is Actually The Best To Post YouTube Shorts?

After analyzing audience behavior across all seven days, Tuesday and Thursday consistently deliver the best results for most creators. 💡 Check out some reasons for that:

• Perfect balance of audience availability and low competition
• Engagement rates are pretty high
• Higher completion rates
• Pre-weekend energy creates a positive viewer mindset
• Really great for testing material that could blow up over the weekend

You can post tutorial content on Tuesdays, as individuals are more open to learning, and schedule funny videos for Thursdays for viewers starting to show a weekend mentality.

At the same time, don’t completely abandon other days. Fridays and Saturdays work best if you’re established or are confident about the content quality. However, if you’re just starting out and are posting only two times a week, scheduling on Tuesdays and Thursdays could offer sustainable growth.

Here’s a summary of the best timings to post Shorts on YouTube:

Best Time to Post YouTube Shorts by Region (USA, UK, India & More)

Your audience isn’t sitting in one country, correct? They are spread across the world under different time zones. Let’s have a look at when individuals in main regions are actually viewing YouTube Shorts.

1. United States

Best Time: 12 PM – 2 PM EST

Americans are heavy mobile users during their lunch break. But the catch over here is that you have a 3-hour time difference from coast to coast. While it’s lunch hour in New York, it’s still morning in California.

So, the sweet spot to post YouTube Shorts is 1 PM EST. This catches lunch hour on the East Coast and late morning scroll time on the West Coast. Or, you can also post a little earlier so your Short is already live when lunchtime hits across different time zones.

2. India

Best Time: 1 PM – 3 PM IST

Lunch breaks are longer in Indian culture, which forms larger windows of engagement. And most people can’t resist the natural urge to scroll after lunch. 

You can also target the evening scrollers by posting between 7 PM – 9 PM IST. This is family time when several generations may watch together. So, your shares and chances of viral growth in India are higher.

3. United Kingdom

Best Time: 12 PM – 2 PM GMT/BST

This time frame hits the lunch crowd dead-on. And your content has time to gain traction before the tea break scroll session. 

It’s also a solid secondary option as afternoon tea culture is popular among Brits and causes a mini-peak situation that often many creators neglect.

4. Australia

Best Time: 11 AM – 1 PM AEST

Australia is yet another country with multiple time zones. But most of the population lives in the AEST zone (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane). So, it’s better to follow AEST and post at around 11AM – 1PM AEST for maximum coverage across the nation.

Posting during early morning hours is also a good idea. You’ll catch the morning coffee scrollers and build early engagement that can make your Short do better overall as other parts of the world wake up.

3. Middle East

Best Time: 12 PM – 2 PM GST

Workplace cultures in many Middle Eastern nations place a strong emphasis on structure and discipline, which may restrict the use of personal phones while at work. Furthermore, many people attend mosque services during the midday Dhuhr prayer, which usually takes place between 12:30 and 12:45 PM. That means, unlike other locations, lunch hours are not so preferable for posting in the Middle East.

The evening hours, particularly around 9 PM local time, are best for posting YouTube Shorts. At this point, most people have come home from a long day at work and are more likely to interact with content.

Niche-Specific Timing Strategies

Even if you follow all the timing schedules as above, your niche changes everything about when your audience is ready to watch. 🤓👇 So, let’s break down the timing secrets for different industries.

1. Fitness And Health

Best Time: Early morning (6 AM – 9 AM) and early evening (5 PM – 7 PM)

You can try to post around actual workout times. People love watching fitness Shorts to plan workouts or simply for a motivation.

2. Food 

Best Time: 11 AM – 1 PM and 5 PM – 7 PM.

Consumers look for food content when they’re really hungry or thinking about meals. Your timing has to coincide with natural eating cycles. 

For instance, plan breakfast hacks at the crack of dawn. Schedule easy lunch ideas before noon and dinner solutions in the late afternoon.

3. Education

Best Time: Mid-morning (9 AM – 12 PM) on weekdays

Learning takes up mental space. Audience are usually focused and prefers to learn when their minds are fresh. Steer clear of lunchtime and probably evenings as individuals prefer entertainment.

4. Entertainment

Best Time: Lunchtime (12 PM – 2 PM) and Evening Hours (7 PM – 9 PM)

Individuals desire entertainment during those times when they want a mood lift or relaxation. That’s why lunchtime and evenings are gold for this niche. Comedy has the broadest posting window because everyone wants to laugh, but posts in the evening are shared most often.

5. Lifestyle

Best Time: 12 PM – 2 PM (lunch) and 7 PM – 9 PM (wind-down time)

Lifestyle content is more about connection and routine. Viewers love watching relatable content when they’re relaxing.

How to Test and Find Your Own Best Time

Alright, let’s keep it real for a second. All those ‘best times’ we discussed? Good starting points, of course, but your audience may be entirely different from them. Here’s a step-by-step guide to discover YOUR perfect posting time for YouTube Shorts:

1. Analyze Your Audience Data

Most creators don’t know that YouTube offers exact data on when you’re audience is active. That’s it! No more guesswork or research. You can find it exactly through:

• Open YouTube Studio on your phone or laptop
• Tap on Analytics and go to Audience
• Find “When your viewers are on YouTube”

Can’t see the figures? Well, you need to post consistently and build an audience base to view it. 

Don’t worry! At LenosTube, we have a dedicated calculator to help you find the best time to post YouTube. You just need to enter your country and city. Try it out now! 😉

Take a screenshot of that analytics chart and analyze it very carefully day by day. Your Tuesday audience may be entirely different from your Saturday audience. Most creators overlook this and ask why their ‘perfect’ posting schedule performs well on some days but not others.

2. Do a Content Audit

Examine your previous 20 Shorts and discover the patterns everyone else overlooks. You just need a basic Spreadsheet for the process. Put your most recent 20 Shorts in these columns:

• Video title
• Day posted
• Time posted
• First 24-hour views
• First 24-hour comments
• Shares (if available)

You can make use of our free YouTube channel audit tool to streamline the process. ⚡

Your main aim is to find some patterns in your best-performing videos. Maybe your Tuesday 2 PM posts only work well when they’re educational. But those don’t work well on weekends.

3. Test It Out

Choose one of your recent Shorts that performed fine (not best or worst). Make 4 extremely similar versions of it with the same energy and duration.

Now, schedule them on different days at these timings:

• Version 1: Your current best time as per Analytics
• Version 2: Early morning (7 AM)
• Version 3: Lunch break (1 PM)
• Version 4: Evening prime (7 PM)

Never post them back-to-back on the same day. 🗓️ You must space them out over 2 weeks and vary the days as well. Otherwise, the audience will get tired of watching the same type of content.

Now, keep an eye on: 

• How quickly you achieve your first 100 views for each video
• First-hour engagement rate
• How long the Shorts continue to be discovered (some periods build slow burns, others build rapid bursts)

4. Start Posting Consistently

Review your data from the above steps and identify your top 3 performing times as per it.👌Then:

• Post at your best time exclusively for one week
• Next week, post only at your #2 time
• Third week, post only at your #3 time

Well, it’s done to impress the algorithm because YouTube loves that kind of professionalism. But never just stick on to it. 

Your ideal time may shift when vacations are coming or work habits change (like the Covid-19 lockdown). 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ❓

1. Should I delete Shorts that didn’t perform well?

Not right away! YouTube Shorts often catch up days or even weeks later. If a Short hasn’t got any engagement after a few weeks and your channel is full of content, then perhaps unlist it. But otherwise, give it some air.

2. Can I repost the same Short at a better time?

Yes, but do it intelligently. Don’t simply re-upload the same file. Make sure that you:

• Alter the title
• Adjust the caption or thumbnail (if used)
• Wait for at least 7–10 days

3. Do Shorts always do better in the first few hours?

Mostly, yes. The algorithm searches for initial indicators of engagement (views, likes, completions) to determine if it should promote your video further. 

4. Will my post timing change as I grow?

Definitely. As your viewership increases worldwide, their watching patterns may change. What was effective at 1 PM a couple of months ago might not be effective now. That’s why you need to retune your timing every few months.

Conclusion

YouTube Shorts literally live or die within the initial hours of posting. The algorithm tests your video immediately. If people scroll past it during that tiny window? The video stalls. Forever. 

That’s why it’s important to post the Shorts at the right time. 

And, the best time to post YouTube Shorts is the time your audience proves with data. No generic trend report can beat your own analytics data. So, start right from your analytics tab!