Use case
YouTube Shorts ads: vertical, under 60 seconds, with sound
YouTube Shorts ads are vertical video ads that play between Shorts. Google recommends 9:16 video under 60 seconds, with sound, and Cutroom makes that from one phone video of you talking.
In short
- YouTube Shorts ads are vertical video ads that play in the Shorts feed, between Shorts.
- Google recommends 9:16 video under 60 seconds, and 10 to 30 seconds for ads that ask people to act.
- An ad can be up to 3 minutes long, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed.
- Google says ads with sound, from music, a voiceover or both, have increased conversions by over 20%.
- Cutroom turns one phone video of you talking into a 9:16 Shorts ad for 110 credits. Your first video is free.
- Google's best shape for Shorts ads
- 9:16
- Google's advice for ads that ask people to act
- 10–30 s
- The part of an ad that plays in the Shorts feed
- 60 s
YouTube Shorts ad specs
These are Google's own specs and advice for Shorts ads, from Google Ads Help, read on 21 September 2026.
- Cutroom exports a 9:16 MP4 of up to 3 minutes, so it fits. Keep it under 60 seconds if you want all of it to play in the feed.
YouTube Shorts ads at a glance
Source: Google Ads Help, YouTube Shorts ads: asset specs and best practices.
| Spec | What Google says |
|---|---|
| Shape | Vertical 9:16 is best suited to Shorts |
| Recommended length | Under 60 seconds |
| Ads that ask people to act | 10 to 30 seconds |
| Longest ad | 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed |
| After 50 seconds | An overlay lets people watch the rest on the YouTube watch page |
| Sound | Music, a voiceover or both; Google reports over 20% more conversions |
Spec: Shape
- What Google says
- Vertical 9:16 is best suited to Shorts
Spec: Recommended length
- What Google says
- Under 60 seconds
Spec: Ads that ask people to act
- What Google says
- 10 to 30 seconds
Spec: Longest ad
- What Google says
- 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed
Spec: After 50 seconds
- What Google says
- An overlay lets people watch the rest on the YouTube watch page
Spec: Sound
- What Google says
- Music, a voiceover or both; Google reports over 20% more conversions
What makes a Shorts ad work
Google's advice comes down to a vertical video, a short length and sound. A few more things help a video of a person talking.
- Use sound. In a video of you talking, your own voice is the voiceover, and you can add music under it.
- Say your offer early. The button appears after 3 seconds in Performance Max, App and Demand Gen campaigns.
- In Video View and Video Reach campaigns, the button appears after 10 seconds.
- Say who you are near the start, for example how long you have run your shop. People trust a named person more easily.
- Put captions in the picture as well, for people who watch without sound.
- Make several versions. On Meta, Motion's analysis of 550,000+ ads found that only 5 to 8% become winners.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
How to make a Shorts ad with Cutroom
You change the video by changing its words. There is no timeline to learn.
- Cutroom adds captions timed to your voice and drafts a headline for the opening seconds. On Punch and Native it also shortens the long pauses.
- Cutroom keeps the lines you say, so to shorten the ad, film it again with fewer lines.
- To add a clip, you highlight a phrase and the clip plays over exactly those words.
- The style you pick before you upload sets the pace. B-roll covers at most 40, 45 or 52 percent of the video, from the calmest style to the fastest.
- Music is off at first. You can turn a track on and set how loud it sits. On Basic and up, you can also make your own track for 50 credits, up to 60 seconds.
From a phone video to a Shorts ad
Film
One video of you talking, up to 3 minutes
Upload
Cutroom writes out every word and makes the first edit
Check the length
Film it again shorter if it runs past 60 seconds
Export
A 9:16 MP4 to upload to YouTube
What it costs
A 30-second ad costs 110 credits: 100 for the edit and 10 for the export. Exporting costs 20 credits per minute of video.
Cutroom plans and 30-second ads per month
| Plan | Price | Credits | 30-second ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0, no card | Your first video, made within 7 days | 1, with a Cutroom mark |
| Lite | $19.99 a month | 1,250 | About 11, no mark |
| Basic | $39.99 a month | 2,500 | About 22, plus avatars and generated music |
| Premium | $79.99 a month | 5,000 | About 45 |
| Top-up | $39.99 once | 2,500 | About 22 more |
Plan: Free
- Price
- $0, no card
- Credits
- Your first video, made within 7 days
- 30-second ads
- 1, with a Cutroom mark
Plan: Lite
- Price
- $19.99 a month
- Credits
- 1,250
- 30-second ads
- About 11, no mark
Plan: Basic
- Price
- $39.99 a month
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22, plus avatars and generated music
Plan: Premium
- Price
- $79.99 a month
- Credits
- 5,000
- 30-second ads
- About 45
Plan: Top-up
- Price
- $39.99 once
- Credits
- 2,500
- 30-second ads
- About 22 more
What Cutroom does not do
Cutroom makes vertical ads where a person talks to the camera. Some YouTube ads need something else.
- Cutroom only exports 9:16. For a 16:9 ad that plays before or during YouTube videos, you need another editor.
- Cutroom does not run your ads. You upload the video to YouTube and use it in a Google Ads campaign.
- The Cutroom editor does not record your screen. Record it with any screen recorder, then upload the clip to your library.
- If nobody will go on camera, the avatar add-on makes a presenter from a photo and a voice-over, for 350 credits a minute on Basic and up.
Questions people ask
- How long should a YouTube Shorts ad be?
- Under 60 seconds. Google recommends that, and 10 to 30 seconds for ads that ask people to act. Ads can run up to 3 minutes, but only the first 60 seconds play in the Shorts feed.
- What size is a YouTube Shorts ad?
- Vertical 9:16. Google says vertical video is best suited to Shorts. Cutroom exports a 9:16 MP4.
- Do YouTube Shorts ads need sound?
- Yes, ideally. Google says ads with music, a voiceover or both have increased conversions by over 20%. In a Cutroom ad your own voice carries the message, and you can turn music on under it.
- How do I run a YouTube Shorts ad?
- In Google Ads. You upload the video to YouTube, then use it in a campaign such as Demand Gen or Performance Max, where Shorts is one of the places it can show.
- Can Cutroom make widescreen YouTube ads?
- No. Every export is a 9:16 MP4, which fits Shorts. For a 16:9 ad before or during YouTube videos, use another editor.
- How much does a Shorts ad cost to make with Cutroom?
- 110 credits for a 30-second ad: 100 for the edit and 10 for the export. Basic is $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits, about 22 ads. Your first video is free.
Film one video, cut it under 60 seconds and upload it as a Shorts ad. Your first video is free.