YouTube Shorts: connect a short episode to the rest of the story

Choose the release format

For standard channels, YouTube categorises square or vertical uploads of up to three minutes as Shorts when uploaded from 15 October 2024 onward. Its own AI-creation guidance also makes clear that generated clips remain subject to the Community Guidelines. A supported format is a technical route to publication, not a promise that an AI series will earn revenue.

Give viewers a next step

YouTube’s related-video feature can connect a Short to another Video, Short or Live from the same channel. It requires advanced-feature access; the destination must be public or unlisted and comply with the rules. The link appears below the channel handle, giving a series a defined place to point viewers onward.

Plan the sequence before uploading

Our production suggestion is to make one episode understandable on its own, then decide whether its next step is the next episode, a season introduction or a longer compilation. Use consistent episode numbers and a title that describes that episode’s actual conflict. Test the link from a viewer’s device after publication. If the destination changes, maintain a simple map of incoming links so an older trailer does not send audiences to the wrong cut.

For AI drama, also check character naming, captions and the continuity of voice between linked cuts. These are editorial recommendations, not ranking claims. Music claims need an upload-specific review: the English and British-English help versions gave different descriptions during this check, so this article does not assert a universal outcome for claimed Shorts longer than one minute. Resolve that point in the account’s current checks before planning a paid campaign.

Original sources

Understand three-minute YouTube Shorts ↗

Add a related video to your YouTube Shorts ↗

Create content for Shorts using AI-generated features ↗