Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2026 (Videos and Shorts)
September 29, 2026 · 8 min read · By Wavnil
Key takeaways
- Long-form videos do best in the morning: in Buffer's study of 1.8 million videos, Sunday at 10 a.m. is the top slot, ahead of Sunday at 9 a.m. and Friday at noon.
- Shorts peak in the evening: the top three slots are all on Friday (4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.), and 6 to 11 p.m. is generally the strongest window.
- Best days: Sunday, Tuesday and Monday for long-form videos; Friday, Saturday and Thursday for Shorts. Wednesday and Thursday are the weakest for long-form.
- Publish long videos one to two hours before your viewers' peak, which the 'When your viewers are on YouTube' report in YouTube Studio shows.
The best time to post long-form videos on YouTube in 2026 is Sunday at 10 a.m., and the best time to post Shorts is Friday at 4 p.m. That's the conclusion of Buffer's analysis of 1.8 million videos, which found that the two formats peak at almost opposite times: mornings for long-form videos, evenings for Shorts.
Unlike Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn, YouTube isn't covered by Sprout Social's 2026 study of best posting times, so this guide relies on Buffer's data, cross-checked with YouTube's own audience report. Treat the times below as starting points, in your viewers' local time, then refine them with your channel's analytics.
Best times to post on YouTube by day (2026)
| Day | Long-form videos: top 3 slots | Shorts: top 3 slots |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9 a.m., 10 p.m., 7 a.m. | 8 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 8 a.m. | 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 7 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 7 a.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. | 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. |
| Thursday | 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 a.m. | 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m. |
| Friday | Noon, 11 a.m., 3 p.m. | 4 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. |
| Saturday | Noon, 10 a.m., 3 p.m. | 7 p.m., 11 a.m., 6 p.m. |
| Sunday | 10 a.m., 9 a.m., noon | 7 p.m., 8 p.m., 5 p.m. |
Source: Buffer, median engagement of 1.8 million long-form videos and Shorts, 2026. Checked on September 29, 2026.
Long-form videos: post in the morning
Long-form videos published between about 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. got the highest engagement in Buffer's data, and Sunday at 10 a.m. led the whole week by a wide margin, followed by Sunday at 9 a.m. and Friday at noon.
The weak spots are early-to-mid afternoons in the middle of the week: Thursday at 2 p.m. had one of the lowest scores of the week. If you usually publish on Thursday, move to Thursday at 5 p.m. or to Friday around noon.
Buffer also advises publishing one to two hours before your audience's peak. That gives YouTube time to process and index the video, so it's ready to be recommended when your viewers come online.
Shorts: post in the evening
Shorts follow the opposite rhythm. Their engagement peaks in the evening, generally between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the three best slots of the week are all on Friday: 4 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Afternoons from noon to 5 p.m. are the weakest time, except on Friday, when the late afternoon is the top window.
Timing matters a little less for Shorts: Buffer points out that YouTube keeps resurfacing them through recommendations for days or even weeks, so the publishing time is less decisive than for a long video.
Best and worst days to post on YouTube
| Format | Best days | Weakest days |
|---|---|---|
| Long-form videos | Sunday, then Tuesday and Monday | Wednesday and Thursday (Thursday lowest) |
| Shorts | Friday, then Saturday and Thursday | Tuesday and Monday |
If you publish both formats, the two schedules fit together: long videos on Sunday or Tuesday mornings, Shorts on Thursday to Saturday evenings.
Find your channel's best time in YouTube Studio
General studies give you a starting point; your own audience settles the question. In YouTube Studio, open Analytics, then the Audience tab, and find the report When your viewers are on YouTube. It shows when your viewers were on YouTube over the last 28 days, by day and hour.
Use it in three steps:
- Find the darkest blocks: that's when most of your viewers are online.
- Schedule long videos one to two hours before those blocks, and Shorts during them.
- Compare the first days of views for videos published at different times, and keep the slot that performs best.
YouTube adds that the same report helps you decide when to schedule a Premiere or a live stream.
Schedule your uploads
Upload in advance and choose Schedule in the visibility step of YouTube Studio, or plan YouTube alongside your other networks: in Wavnil, videos and Shorts sit on the same calendar as your Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn posts, with the title, tags and thumbnail ready. Get the specs right first with our guides to YouTube video size and YouTube thumbnail size, and compare networks in our overview of the best time to post on social media.
Where to start this week
Publish your next long video on Sunday at 9 or 10 a.m., and your Shorts on Friday between 4 and 7 p.m. After a month, compare each video's first days with your YouTube Studio audience report, and move your slots toward your viewers' real peak. Try Wavnil free for 7 days to schedule both formats in advance.
Sources
- Buffer, Best time to post on YouTube: data from 1.8M videos, 2026.
- YouTube Help, Understand your YouTube audience, checked on September 29, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to post on YouTube?
For long-form videos, Sunday at 10 a.m., and weekday mornings between about 8 and 11 a.m. more generally. For Shorts, Friday at 4 p.m., with evenings from 6 to 11 p.m. performing best overall. These results come from Buffer's analysis of 1.8 million videos and are in your viewers' local time.
What is the best day to upload on YouTube?
Sunday for long-form videos, followed by Tuesday and Monday; Wednesday and Thursday are the weakest days. For Shorts, Friday is the best day, followed by Saturday and Thursday, while Tuesday and Monday are the weakest, according to Buffer's 2026 data.
Should I post long videos and Shorts at the same time?
No. In Buffer's data, the two formats peak at almost opposite times: long-form videos in the morning (8 to 11 a.m.) and Shorts in the evening (6 to 9 p.m.). Schedule them separately, for example long videos on Sunday morning and Shorts on Friday evening.
How do I find the best time to post for my channel?
In YouTube Studio, open Analytics, go to the Audience tab and find the report 'When your viewers are on YouTube'. It shows when your viewers were on YouTube over the last 28 days. Publish long videos one to two hours before the darkest blocks, then compare results.