YTmate — YouTube Creator Upload Checklist by Nexus Orb

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🎬Pre-Production — Before You Hit Record

Video concept finalised — clearly defined in one sentenceKnow exactly what you are delivering before recording starts.

Hook written — the first 15 seconds planned and compellingMost viewers decide within 5-15 seconds whether to keep watching.

Script or detailed outline writtenEven bullet points reduce rambling and keep the video tight.Long-form

Shorts script prepared — single focused point, under 60 wordsShorts must deliver value immediately. No slow starts.Shorts

Thumbnail concept sketched or planned before recordingPlan the expression and framing you need before you press record.

3 potential title options written downHaving options during upload removes creative block at crunch time.

Primary keyword researched (VidIQ / TubeBuddy) before filmingKnowing the keyword shapes how you title, script, and describe the video.

Song or piece fully rehearsed and performance-readyMultiple imperfect takes waste recording time.Music

Location scouted — shooting plan and B-roll shots identifiedIdentify angles and cutaway opportunities beforehand.Travel

🎙️Recording — During the Shoot

Audio check done — no clipping, echo, or background noiseBad audio kills retention faster than anything else. Record a test clip first.

Lighting adequate — face clearly lit, no harsh shadowsNatural light from a window or a ring light makes a significant difference.

Frame and composition checked on camera before shootingRule of thirds, headroom, background — review before committing to a full take.Long-form

Recording in vertical 9:16 format confirmedShoot vertical natively — cropping landscape loses quality.Shorts

Thumbnail expression captured — still with emotion or energyPause at a compelling moment during recording and screenshot it.

B-roll footage captured — cutaway shots, scenery, context visualsAim for 3x more B-roll than you think you need.Travel

Multiple takes recorded — best performance selected before editing3-5 takes minimum to capture the best emotional delivery.Music

✂️Post-Production — Editing & Export

Video edited — cuts are clean, pacing is tight, no dead airRemove hesitations and slow sections. Viewers will not wait.Long-form

Short trimmed to maximum impact — every second earns its placeCompletion rate is the most important metric for Shorts.Shorts

Intro/branding sequence added — max 5 secondsIntros longer than 5 seconds hurt early retention. Keep it brief.Long-form

Outro / end screen placeholder — last 20 seconds left clear in editYouTube's end screen elements overlay the last 20 seconds.Long-form

Background music balanced — at least 10-15 dB below voiceMusic competing with voice is the most common audio mistake.

Colour correction applied for visual consistencyConsistent colour across your channel builds a recognisable visual brand.

Exported correctly: 1080p minimum, H.264, MP41080p or 4K, H.264 codec, AAC audio. Max file size 256GB.

Captions / text overlays added for silent viewingOver 85% of Shorts are watched without sound.Shorts

Thumbnail created: 1280×720px, JPG or PNG, under 2MBFace visible, bold text (max 5 words), high contrast. Test at small size.

Second thumbnail variation made for A/B testingDifferent crop, colour, or expression can shift CTR significantly.Long-form

Captions / SRT file prepared (if available)Custom SRT files are more accurate than auto-captions and help SEO.Long-form

📝YouTube Studio — Video Details

Title written — primary keyword in first 5 words, max 60 visible charsYouTube truncates at ~60 characters in search results. Front-load the key words.

Title tested — does it create curiosity or deliver clear value?Ask: would someone unfamiliar with my channel click this?

Description written — first 2-3 lines contain primary keyword naturallyOnly the first 2-3 sentences show before the "Show more" cutoff. Make them count.

Timestamps added (min 3, starting at 00:00) to create chaptersCreates chapter markers on the progress bar and massively improves SEO.Long-form

Subscribe link added to descriptionFormat: https://www.youtube.com/@YourHandle?sub_confirmation=1

Social media and website links added to description

Exactly 3 hashtags placed at the END of the descriptionOnly the first 3 hashtags display above the title. Make them count.

Tags added: 15-20 tags covering exact title, broad topic, and variations500 character limit. First tag = exact match to title keywords.

Custom thumbnail uploaded — not the auto-generated YouTube frameCustom thumbnails consistently outperform auto-generated ones in CTR.

Correct video category selectedMusic, Travel & Events, Education, Howto & Style, Science & Technology, etc.

Language set correctly

"Made for Kids" set to No (unless explicitly children's content)Setting this incorrectly removes comments, cards, and monetisation.

Age restriction confirmed off (unless content requires it)Age-restricted videos cannot be recommended to logged-out users.

Lyrics included in descriptionPeople search by lyrics. Including them drives significant organic search traffic.Music

Resource links and references added to descriptionLink to referenced materials, downloads, or course pages.Education

Recording location tagged in video detailsLocation tagging helps local search discovery.Travel

Health disclaimer added to description"Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise programme."Yoga

Software and tools version mentioned in title or descriptionVersion numbers help viewers find relevant tutorials via search.Design

⚙️YouTube Studio — Features & Settings

End screen applied — subscribe button + recommended video or playlistAlways include the subscribe button. Point to the most relevant next video.Long-form

Cards added at relevant moments (max 5, not before 15% of video time)Add at natural "handoff" moments when you reference another video or resource.Long-form

Video assigned to a thematic playlist (or new playlist created)Playlists drive session time. Assign immediately — not just to "All Videos".Long-form

Monetisation settings reviewed (on/off per video if YPP eligible)

Captions uploaded or auto-captions reviewed for accuracyAccurate captions improve accessibility and search indexing.Long-form

#Shorts added to title or first line of descriptionFlags the video for the Shorts feed. Without it, Shorts may be treated as long-form.Shorts

Premiere or Scheduled publishing time set correctlyPublish 2-3 hours before your audience's peak viewing time for maximum algorithmic push.Long-form

🚀Post-Upload — The First 60 Minutes

Pin a comment immediately — ask a specific question to prompt repliesSeeds early engagement and signals to the algorithm the video is active.

A/B thumbnail test set up in YouTube Studio (if 2nd thumbnail made)Studio → Videos → Edit → Custom Thumbnail → Test & Compare.Long-form

WhatsApp Status updated with video thumbnail and link

Facebook post published — put the link in the first comment, not the captionFacebook reduces reach of posts where the caption contains an external link.

Shared to relevant Facebook groups — spaced 5-10 mins apartPosting to all groups simultaneously triggers Facebook's spam filter.

Instagram Story posted with link stickerUpdate your bio link to this video before posting the Story.

Instagram Reel posted (30-60 sec clip from video)

Twitter / X post with short clip and 2-3 hashtagsAttach a 30-second clip directly — Twitter auto-plays video in the feed.

Replied to all comments within the first hourEach reply signals to the algorithm the video is generating interaction.

Personal messages sent to close contacts who would genuinely enjoy this5 genuine messages beat 50 bulk ones. Personal outreach converts better.

Community post created on YouTube channel (if 500+ subscribers)

📊24-48 Hours After Upload — Review & Follow-up

Check CTR in YouTube Studio → Analytics → Reach tabUnder 3% = thumbnail or title issue. 4-6% = good. Above 6% = excellent.

Check average view duration — any major drop-off point identified?A steep drop at a specific moment means something there is losing viewers.

VPH (views per hour) checked — is the video gaining or stalling?

All comments replied to

A/B test progress checked — do not end early (run for 14+ days)Ending early produces unreliable data due to early-audience skew.Long-form

Reminder post on Instagram Stories (screenshot of a positive comment or stat)Social proof posts create FOMO and drive second-wave clicks.

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