YouTube Shorts has become the core growth channel for creators, but manually editing every video takes far too long. This guide covers everything from the basics of making YouTube Shorts to how AI automatically converts long videos into 9:16 short-form clips — step by step.
Create Shorts for freeNo credit card required · No watermark · Free credits on signup
YouTube Shorts is YouTube's vertical (9:16 ratio) short-form video service. Videos up to 3 minutes long can be published, appearing in a mobile full-screen feed. As of 2024, YouTube Shorts averages over 90 billion daily views, and even brand-new channels with zero subscribers can gain rapid exposure through Shorts.
9:16 vertical ratio
A vertical format that fills the entire smartphone screen. Uploading a horizontal video results in black bars on the sides or improper display.
60 seconds or less recommended
Up to 3 minutes is allowed, but videos under 60 seconds tend to get higher exposure in the Shorts recommendation feed.
Recommended to non-subscribers
The algorithm surfaces videos to users who haven't subscribed based on watch patterns. Great for growing new channels.
Monetization supported
Once subscriber count and watch time thresholds are met, you can earn ad revenue from YouTube Shorts as well.
There are three main ways to make YouTube Shorts. Compare the time and difficulty of each to choose what works best for you.
Film directly in the YouTube app
10–20 min
Record up to 60 seconds directly in the Shorts tab of the YouTube app camera. Captions, music, and filters can be added in-app. You cannot repurpose existing video this way.
Manually edit a long video
2–3 hours
Use editing tools like CapCut or Vrew to manually cut highlight segments from existing videos and re-edit them to 9:16. High output quality, but editing experience required.
AI auto-conversion (ClipIt)
5 min
Paste a URL and AI analyzes the entire video, automatically extracts highlights, and converts them to 9:16. No editing experience needed — ready-to-upload Shorts in minutes.
ClipIt automatically creates Shorts from a single YouTube URL. Follow these 5 steps and even first-time users can have their first Short in 5 minutes.
Create an account at ClipIt.studio. Sign up with email or Google in under 30 seconds. Free credits are issued immediately — no credit card required.
Copy the address of the YouTube video you want to convert. Both youtube.com/watch?v=... and youtu.be/... formats are supported. Bilibili BV code URLs are also supported the same way.
Paste the URL into the ClipIt Studio input field and click the generate button. No file upload or video download required.
Processing completes within 2–10 minutes depending on video length. The AI analyzes the entire video, auto-selects high-engagement segments, and converts them to 9:16. You can do other things while it runs.
Preview the generated clips and download the ones you want. Output files are already in YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels spec (1080p, 9:16, MP4) — upload directly without additional editing.
Simply cutting a video is very different from creating a Short that goes viral. ClipIt's AI is designed to find the exact moments where viewers stop scrolling.
First-3-second hook scoring
Sentence completeness, vocal intensity, and visual energy in the first 3 seconds are scored. Segments that start mid-context or with fading audio are excluded.
Voice intensity peak detection
Speech analysis identifies moments where vocal emphasis or excitement rises. Especially effective for lectures, interviews, and talk-format videos.
Conversational unit boundary preservation
Clip boundaries are set at complete meaning units so videos don't cut off mid-sentence. Viewers naturally watch through to the end.
Visual energy change detection
Scene transitions, camera movement, and on-screen activity levels are analyzed to prioritize visually dynamic segments.
Before uploading the clips AI generated, run through this checklist to maximize your view count.
Keep it under 60 seconds
Clips under 60 seconds that end on a complete story unit have lower drop-off rates. Up to 3 minutes is allowed, but shorter clips get more replays.
Make the first line clear
Clips that open with "Today I'm going to..." or "Hey everyone..." perform poorly. The core message should hit within the first 3 seconds.
Verify captions are included
Many viewers watch on mute. Check that the auto-generated captions from ClipIt are embedded in the clip.
Include keywords in the title
Add search keywords like "how to make YouTube Shorts" or "AI Shorts" to the upload title.
#Shorts tag is essential
The #Shorts hashtag affects feed placement. Add 2–3 more topic-relevant tags as well.
Set a custom thumbnail
Shorts use auto-thumbnails by default, but setting a custom one can improve click-through rates.
ClipIt supports Bilibili URLs in addition to YouTube. Paste a Bilibili link starting with a BV code and the same AI pipeline applies — highlight detection, 9:16 crop, auto caption generation, and download all work identically.
For more details on Bilibili video conversion, see the Bilibili to Shorts guide. If you want to understand how the AI shorts auto-generation technology works, read the AI Shorts Auto-Generation guide.
YouTube Shorts allows uploads up to 3 minutes (180 seconds). However, videos under 60 seconds tend to get significantly higher exposure in the Shorts recommendation feed, so editing to under 60 seconds is recommended where possible.
No. ClipIt is a fully web-based service — just paste a URL in your browser and AI automatically creates the Shorts. No app or editing software installation required. You don't need CapCut or Vrew.
Yes. ClipIt's free plan issues credits immediately on signup — no credit card required. Generated clips have no watermark. If you need more credits, upgrade to the Pro plan ($19/month or $15/month annually, 20% savings).
Yes. ClipIt supports both YouTube and Bilibili URLs. Paste a Bilibili link starting with a BV code and the same AI pipeline applies identically.
Finish a Shorts clip in 5 minutes with just a URL. Free credits included — no credit card required.
No watermark · Clips never expire · YouTube + Bilibili supported