YouTube announced a new feature allowing creators to link their Shorts videos to other videos on their channel.
With this update, Shorts creators can drive viewers to long-form content, additional Shorts, livestreams, and more.
Previously, links could be added in Shorts descriptions and comments. However, YouTube is removing this capability, citing a desire to reduce spam and scams.
How To Use The New Linking Tool
Creators can now insert a single “related video” link when editing a Short video in YouTube Studio on desktop. This link can point to any other video on the same YouTube channel.
The “related video” section can be found in the Details tab on the right sidebar of YouTube Studio. Any old or new Shorts video can be edited to add a link.
Screenshot from YouTube.com/YouTubeCreators, September 2023.YouTube suggests using the tool to connect Shorts to long-form videos, link multiple Shorts in a series, promote livestreams, and more.
Metrics Coming Soon
YouTube confirmed that analytics measuring clicks on related videos in Shorts will be added in a future update. This will allow creators to track the effectiveness of links.
The new linking capability comes as YouTube clamps down on links in Shorts descriptions and comments. As of August 31, these links are becoming unclickable to reduce spam.
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