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A YouTube end screen template is a 1920x1080 (16:9) background for the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video, with empty spots where YouTube Studio places up to 4 clickable elements: videos, a playlist, a subscribe button, a channel or a link. Free templates are in Canva and YouTube Studio. Animated ones come from Envato Elements and MotionArray.
The most common mistake is a template with fake thumbnails and buttons baked into the image. Those do nothing when clicked, and YouTube's real elements land on top of them and clutter the frame. A good template is mostly empty space: it marks where the real elements go and keeps your text and face out of those zones.
What size is a YouTube end screen template?
Make the template the same size as your video: 1920x1080 for a 1080p upload, or 3840x2160 if you export in 4K. The end screen is part of your video file. You edit the template into the final seconds in your editor, then add the clickable elements on top in YouTube Studio.
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Canvas size (end card dimensions) | 1920x1080, or 3840x2160 for 4K |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 |
| End screen duration | 5 to 20 seconds, at the end of the video |
| Elements on screen | Up to 4 |
| Required element | At least one video or playlist |
| Minimum video length | 25 seconds |
| File format | Part of your exported video (MP4 or MOV), not a separate upload |
Design for 20 seconds even if you plan to use less. Your outro music, voice-over and background then cover the full window, and you can shorten the elements' timing in YouTube Studio without re-editing.
Which elements can you put on a YouTube end screen?
YouTube Studio offers five element types. You can use up to 4 at once, and at least one must be a video or a playlist.
| Element | What it shows | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Video | A clickable thumbnail: your most recent upload, "Best for viewer" (YouTube picks), or a specific video | Almost always; it is the element that keeps people watching |
| Playlist | A playlist thumbnail | Series, tutorials, anything with a logical next part |
| Subscribe | Your channel icon with a subscribe prompt | On every end screen |
| Channel | Another channel you want to promote | Collabs, a second channel |
| Link | An approved external site, merch or crowdfunding page | Only for channels in the YouTube Partner Program |
If you are unsure which video to feature, "Best for viewer" is a safe default. Pick a specific video when this one is part of a sequence and the next step is obvious.
Prompt to try
Create a 20-second kinetic typography outro background in a clean dark navy and orange palette. Open with the words "Watch next" sliding in at the top, then keep two soft outlined boxes on the right and a circle below them empty for end screen elements. Smooth, minimal motion, no fake buttons or thumbnails, with an upbeat outro music bed.
YouTube end screen layouts that work
A layout is just the arrangement of element zones on your 16:9 background. YouTube Studio has built-in layout presets (one video plus subscribe, two videos plus subscribe, and similar), so build your template around one of them.
Four layouts cover almost every channel:
- Two videos plus subscribe. The default for most channels. One slot is "Best for viewer", the other a specific video. Subscribe sits below or between them.
- One large video plus subscribe. Best when the next video is the obvious continuation. Enlarge the video element and say its title out loud.
- Playlist plus latest video plus subscribe. For tutorial and series channels. The playlist does the binge work.
- Host on one side, elements on the other. You stay on camera (or keep a shrunk clip of your footage) on the left and point at the elements on the right. This works because viewers follow your gaze and gesture to the next click.
Design rules that make any layout work:
- Keep everything important (logo, text, your face) outside the element zones, because YouTube draws its thumbnails on top.
- Use one short line of text at most, such as "Watch next" over the video slot. Viewers have seconds, not a paragraph's worth of time.
- Use your channel's colors and fonts so the end screen looks like the rest of the video, not a stock ad.
- Leave margin around the frame edges so elements do not crowd the corners.
YouTube end screen examples you can copy
The visual is half the job. The other half is what you say during those seconds, because a spoken reason to click beats a silent screen. Write the outro line into your script before you film, the same way you plan the hook (this YouTube video script template has a slot for it).
| Video type | Layout | Sample outro line |
|---|---|---|
| Tutorial | Playlist plus video plus subscribe | "That covers setup. The next video in this playlist shows the three settings people get wrong." |
| Review | Two videos plus subscribe | "If you're deciding between these two, I compared them head to head right here." |
| Story or vlog | One large video plus subscribe | "This is where it went wrong. Part two picks up the next morning." |
| Faceless explainer | Two videos plus subscribe | "Want the version of this story nobody talks about? It's on screen now." |
| Podcast clip | Video plus channel plus subscribe | "The full conversation is linked here, and we post a new episode every week." |
Notice the pattern: every line names a specific next video and gives a reason, instead of "thanks for watching, subscribe". Start the outro line a second or two before the end screen appears, so the elements pop up as you mention them. Faceless channels can do the same with a voice-over over animated text; the faceless video generator handles the narration and visuals for the main video.
7 places to get YouTube end screen templates
1. YouTube Studio (free, built in)
YouTube Studio's end screen editor includes layout presets for the elements, and an "Import from video" option that copies the end screen of another upload. It does not give you a designed background, but pairing a preset with a plain branded outro is the fastest free setup.
2. Canva (free plan, browser)
Canva has a large library of YouTube outro and end screen templates sized for 16:9, edited with drag and drop. Its free plan includes over 1.6 million templates; premium templates and some AI features need Canva Pro. Export the end screen as an MP4 (or a still image) and drop it into the last seconds of your video. If you are weighing Canva against an AI video tool for the rest of your channel, see the Revid vs Canva comparison.
3. Placeit (subscription, browser)
Placeit, part of Envato, offers static and animated end screen and outro templates you customize in the browser with your colors, logo and text. Full access requires a subscription; check its site for current plans. It suits creators who want an animated outro without opening an editor.
4. Renderforest (free plan with limits, browser)
Renderforest is a browser-based maker with themed outro and end screen templates, a brand kit for your logo and colors, and server-side rendering. The free plan limits exports and quality; paid plans remove those limits. Check its pricing page for current plans.
5. Envato Elements (subscription, editor templates)
Envato Elements is a subscription with unlimited downloads of stock assets, including many YouTube end screen templates for Premiere Pro, After Effects and Final Cut Pro, with a commercial license. You need one of those editors to customize them, so it fits creators who already edit their own videos.
6. MotionArray (subscription, editor templates)
MotionArray is a marketplace of video templates, presets, music and stock with a subscription model. Its end screen and outro templates come in versions for the major editors, and you can preview each one before downloading. Pick the version made for your editor to avoid conversion problems.
7. Your editor's own templates
If you already edit in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can start from a Motion Graphics Template and adjust keyframes, colors and timing to your brand. After Effects gives you full motion design control for animated outros. Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve both accept third-party outro templates and let you save your own as a reusable title or project. Build it once, then reuse it on every upload.
Which template source fits you?
| Source | Free option | Format | Skill needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Studio | Yes | Element presets only | None | A fast free setup |
| Canva | Yes, with premium extras | Browser, MP4 or image export | Low | Beginners, static or lightly animated |
| Placeit | Limited | Browser | Low | Animated outros without an editor |
| Renderforest | Yes, limited exports | Browser | Low | Animated outros, brand kit |
| Envato Elements | No | Editor templates | Medium | Editors who want variety |
| MotionArray | No | Editor templates | Medium | Editors on Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut or Resolve |
| Editor's own templates | Depends on editor | Native project | Medium to high | Full control, one reusable design |
Decision rule: if you do not edit in a timeline editor, use Canva or a browser maker. If you do, buy or build one animated template and reuse it on every video so your outro becomes recognizable.
How to add an end screen in YouTube Studio
- Edit your template into the final 5 to 20 seconds of the video and export the full video.
- Upload it. On the "Video elements" step, choose "Add end screen". For a video already live, go to YouTube Studio, open Content, select the video, then Editor, then End screen.
- Pick a layout preset, or use "Import from video" to copy the end screen of an earlier upload.
- Drag each element onto the zone your template marks, and resize the video elements to fit your boxes.
- Adjust each element's start and end time in the timeline under the preview so they appear together with your outro line.
- Preview, then save.
If the end screen option is unavailable, check two things: the video must be at least 25 seconds long, and end screens are disabled on videos set as made for kids.
How do you make a full-screen end screen?
You cannot stretch YouTube's clickable elements to fill the frame, but you can make the whole frame your end screen. Design the template as a full 16:9 background for the last 20 seconds, then enlarge the video element by dragging its corner in the end screen editor (YouTube caps how big it gets). For the large single-video layout, use one video element plus subscribe and leave the rest of the background clean so the thumbnail dominates.
Another option keeps you on screen: shrink your final footage into one side of the frame in your editor and place the elements on the other side. The video keeps playing while viewers choose what to click.
YouTube end cards, end slates and 2017-era templates
"End card" and "end slate" are older names for the same thing. Before end screens, creators built end cards with annotations, the pop-up boxes YouTube has since removed. A youtube end card template from 2017 can still work as a background, but any clickable areas it was designed around no longer exist. Use the artwork, then rebuild the clickable parts with end screen elements in YouTube Studio.
Send Shorts viewers to the videos with your end screens
Shorts cannot carry end screens, but you can attach a related video link to a Short that points to a long video, which is where your end screen does its work. Revid's YouTube clip maker turns a long YouTube video into short vertical clips from its link, with captions; post the clips as Shorts and link each one back to the full video. If you want an animated background for the outro itself, the motion graphics generator makes kinetic typography clips, and the resize video tool converts a clip to landscape 16:9 to fit your end screen. For more reusable formats beyond outros, see these social media video templates.
FAQ
Can you add an end screen to a YouTube Short?
No. End screens only work on regular videos. On a Short, use the related video link to send viewers to a long video that has an end screen.
Can I use the same end screen on every video?
Yes. Keep one template in your editor, and in YouTube Studio use "Import from video" to copy the elements from an earlier upload, then swap the featured video if needed.
Why can't I add an end screen to my video?
The most common reasons are a video shorter than 25 seconds or a video set as made for kids, where end screens are disabled. Link elements also need YouTube Partner Program membership.
Are Canva YouTube end screen templates free?
Many are. Canva's free plan includes a large template library, while premium templates and some elements need Canva Pro.
Should my end screen promote my channel or another video?
Promote a video first. At least one video or playlist element is required anyway, and a specific next video keeps viewers watching; add the subscribe element alongside it, and point repeat visitors to the playlists you also feature in your YouTube channel description.
