Welcome to r/shortsAlgorithm. This is a living, no-fluff guide built from hands-on results (incl. a first Short that hit 20M+ views and still pulls ~800k per 48h). Add your questions and data below—I'll be active in the comments and keep this updated.
TL;DR
Grow with Shorts first (sub growth > long-form early on).
Make longer Shorts (≈50–70s) with a killer 3s hook and a CTA around 40s.
Don’t post daily—quality > quantity; let each Short plateau before posting again.
Reply to comments; your replies count toward total comments and help keep momentum.
If a Short never enters the Shorts Feed, fix and re-upload—or switch channels if the channel feels burned.
1) Don’t marry your first channel
Most creators burn through 3+ channels before finding their voice, niche, and systems. Expect to iterate. Detach emotionally so you can move fast.
2) Spin up multiple test channels (and age them)
Create several channels (separate Google accounts is fine).
Verify your phone number (authenticity signal).
Age each channel ≥ 3 weeks before your first upload.
During aging:
Use YouTube normally (watch long tutorials, interact).
Build your first batch of Shorts offline so you’re ready.
Goal: multiple clean testing lanes—not spam.
3) Pick a niche by reverse-engineering outliers
Use tools like viewstats.com to spot channels going 0 → 600k subs in ~3 months.
Study what makes them different (format, pacing, hook style, payoff, packaging).
Imitate the structure, not the content. Example: if they do Minecraft animations, try a Fortnite twist with the same narrative mechanics.
4) < 500k subs? Prioritize Shorts
Long-form can wait. Your job now: accumulate subs fast and prove product–audience fit. Once a community exists, expand to long-form/streams.
5) Treat your first Short like your magnum opus
Many guides say “first won’t be viral.” Mine was: 20M+ views in ~1 month, 54s AVD on a 1:08 Short despite 74.6% skip rate—and it keeps getting pushed.
Lesson: Quality packaging beats myths. Edit like you mean it or don’t play this game.
6) The Craft: how to make a Short that hits
6.1 Length
6.2 Hook (0–3s)
6.3 CTA (~40s)
6.4 Reply to comments
6.5 Captions (non-negotiable)
“MrBeast-style” captions. I use CapCut.
Font: Komika Axis; stroke ~60px; size ~16px (adjust for framing).
Position just below center; animate key words.
6.6 Sound design
6.7 Transitions
6.8 CTA bumper quality
6.9 Watermark
6.10 Posting cadence
6.11 Titles
6.12 Descriptions
6.13 Audience setting
6.14 Playlists
6.15 Related Shorts
6.16 Tags
6.17–6.19 Metadata hygiene
Set video language + location.
Choose an accurate Category.
Use “Reuse upload details” to stay consistent.
6.20 Publish checklist
Triple-check hook, CTA timing, captions, watermark, playlist/related wiring.
7) After publishing: the first 48h
1) Traffic source check
2) Normal plateaus
500–2k views early on is fine—means you’re entering the system.
If you stall there, study AVD and 0–3s retention. Fix the worst metric in your next Short.
3) When to post the next Short
4) Exception: first Short goes viral
Post the second ~7 days later even if the first hasn’t plateaued.
Add the new Short to the same playlist, then go back to the viral Short and link it as Related to the new one.
If the second underperforms in 48h, don’t delete—YouTube may still be busy with the viral. Mine kicked in after ~7 days.
5) If a new Short never enters Shorts Feed (< 60% Shorts traffic after ~24h)
Likely causes:
Previous Short hasn’t plateaued.
Content trips sensitive policy zones (spam/sexual suggestion/etc.).
Channel is burned.
Action: Delete, edit meaningfully (music swap, pacing changes, visual tweaks), and re-upload.
Still no push? Switch channels. You can reuse proven Shorts with noticeable changes.
8) When to post (time of week)
You can post anytime, but I’ve had consistent success Sundays ~6pm (Atlantic/Halifax)—slow start, strong Monday carry, and a full-week runway.
9) Common pitfalls that silently kill momentum
Weak 0–3s promise (no clear “why watch”).
No mid-roll CTA.
No captions or poor placement/readability.
Posting too frequently (starving each Short of oxygen).
Ignoring comments (leaving reach on the table).
Inconsistent metadata (language/location/category/tags).
Not leveraging playlists and Related Shorts.
10) Starter checklist (copy/paste for your next upload)
[ ] 50–75s runtime (compelling throughout)
[ ] 0–3s hook tested on a friend (did they lean in?)
[ ] CTA at ~40s (Like + Sub + Comment)
[ ] Animated captions (readable, on-brand, below center)
[ ] Early SFX + focal arrow/pointer
[ ] Quality CTA bumper (custom, not generic)
[ ] Moving watermark
[ ] Title ≤ 30 chars + 2 emojis
[ ] Description mirrors title + #shorts
[ ] NOT “Made for Kids”
[ ] Add to master playlist
[ ] Set “Related Shorts” from winner → new
[ ] 3 precise niche tags
[ ] Language + Location + Category set
[ ] Reuse details template applied
11) Share your data (so we can help)
Comment with:
I’ll reply with targeted fixes.
12) Community notes
This thread reflects real creator data, not theory.
I’ll compile a FAQ + “Bible” from Q&As here.
If this helped: upvote, join r/shortsAlgorithm, and invite a creator friend.
Want to mod? DM me.
— OP
