Schedule YouTube videos and Shorts
Scheduling YouTube videos with SocialPatra means you upload a video once, fill in the title and details, pick a date and time, and SocialPatra publishes it to your channel at that moment.
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A YouTube post is always a video, so every scheduled post needs one video file attached. You connect your Google account once and choose the channel to post to.
This page covers the connection, the options you can set on each video and what SocialPatra sends to YouTube.
Connect your YouTube channel
- Start the connection. In your workspace, choose to connect YouTube. You are sent to Google to sign in.
- Allow access. SocialPatra asks for permission to upload videos to your channel, manage them and read channel analytics. You never give SocialPatra your Google password.
- Pick the channel. Choose the channel to add. It becomes a place you can schedule to.
How to schedule a YouTube video
- Open the composer and attach the video. Choose your YouTube channel and attach the video file.
- Add a title. YouTube videos need a title, so the composer asks for one. It can be up to 100 characters.
- Write the description and set the options. Add the description, then choose the tags, category, privacy and audience setting, and optionally a custom thumbnail and a playlist.
- Pick the date and time. Choose when the video should go live and save it.
SocialPatra keeps the post and publishes the video to your channel when the time arrives.
What SocialPatra sends to YouTube
| Detail | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Title | Required, up to 100 characters. |
| Description | Up to 5,000 characters. |
| Tags | Up to 30 tags. Hashtags in your text and tags you add are combined. |
| Category | You can choose one. If you do not, the video goes in People and Blogs. |
| Privacy | Public, unlisted or private. Public is the default. |
| Made for kids | A toggle in the composer. It is off by default. |
| Thumbnail | A custom JPEG or PNG thumbnail. It is set after the upload, and if YouTube refuses it the video still goes out. |
| Video file | Common video formats, up to 256 GB. |
Shorts
To post a Short, choose the reel post type for YouTube and attach a vertical video of up to three minutes. YouTube decides what counts as a Short from the video itself, so there is no separate Shorts setting.
Before you schedule a video
- Set the privacy you want before you save. A public video is visible the moment it goes live.
- Answer the made-for-kids question correctly. It is your legal declaration to YouTube.
- Put the main keyword near the start of the title and in the first lines of the description.
- Check the thumbnail at small size, since most viewers see it as a small card.
Frequently asked questions
Can I schedule videos on YouTube?
Yes. Attach the video in SocialPatra, fill in the title and details, pick a date and time, and it is published to your channel at that time.
Can I schedule YouTube Shorts?
Yes. Use the reel post type with a vertical video of up to three minutes. YouTube treats it as a Short.
Can I add a custom thumbnail?
Yes, a JPEG or PNG. It is applied after the upload, and the video is published even if YouTube refuses the thumbnail.
Can I schedule a video as private or unlisted?
Yes. Pick public, unlisted or private in the composer. Public is the default.
Does SocialPatra ask for my Google password?
No. You sign in on Google and allow access there. You can remove the access from your Google account at any time.
Try it on your own accounts
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