Checklist before your first upload

Everything worth checking before you hit Publish, in order.

A first upload has a lot of settings. Go through them in this order.

The video

• Is it clear within 10 seconds what the video is about?
• Is the audio clear all the way through?
• Is it free of other people's music or footage?

Title and description

• Does the title include the key words people search for?
• Do the first two lines of the description summarize the video? (They show in search.)
• Timestamps (chapters) make long videos easier to watch

Thumbnail

• Did you upload a custom thumbnail? (Available after phone verification.)
• Is the text readable at phone size?

Settings

• Did you set made for kids correctly? (This matters legally.)
• If there is paid promotion or sponsorship, did you tick "includes paid promotion"?
• Visibility: upload as Unlisted first, check it, then make it Public
• Look at the Checks step for copyright issues

In the first 48 hours after posting

• Pin a comment with a summary or a question
• Reply to early comments; conversations bring viewers back
• Check how many viewers left in the first 30 seconds in YouTube Studio → Analytics
• Add end screens and cards pointing to your next video

Next guide: Channel setup: name, handle, description and banner