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How to Add Links to Your YouTube Channel (and Videos)

Add up to 14 links to your YouTube channel, make links clickable in descriptions, Shorts, end screens and cards, and fix links that won't work.

· 6 min read

A potter throws a pot for a camera while his partner checks it, beside a giant phone showing Kiln & Co

To add links to your YouTube channel, open YouTube Studio, go to Customization > Profile, click Add link under Links, enter a title and URL, then click Publish. You can add up to 14 links, and the first one shows in your profile section above the Subscribe button. Links inside videos (descriptions, Shorts, end screens and cards) each have their own rules, covered below.

Channel links are the ones that sit on your channel's Home tab. They are clickable for everyone and need no special access.

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, select Customization, then Profile.
  3. Under Links, click Add link.
  4. Enter a title (the text people see) and the URL of your site.
  5. Repeat for each link, up to 14.
  6. Click Publish.

Order matters. Your first link is displayed prominently in the profile section, and the rest appear when someone clicks to see more links. Put the one you most want clicked at the top: your shop, your newest release, or a single page that holds everything.

A note on banners: older tutorials show links laid over the channel banner. YouTube's current help pages describe links only in the profile section, and the banner settings now cover just the image (at least 2048 x 1152 px, 16:9, 6 MB or smaller, with text and logos inside the central 1235 x 338 px safe area).

The steps are the same on Android, iPhone and iPad, inside the YouTube Studio app (not the main YouTube app).

  1. Open the YouTube Studio app.
  2. In the top right, tap your profile picture.
  3. Next to your channel description, tap Edit.
  4. Under Links, tap Edit.
  5. Tap Add, then enter the title and URL of your site.
  6. Tap Done, then Save.

Every link has to follow YouTube's external links policy. Links to malware, phishing pages, pornography or anything else that breaks the Community Guidelines get removed, and YouTube may also remove a link it can't verify as safe.

Paste the full URL into the description of a long-form video and it becomes a clickable link, as long as your channel has advanced features turned on. Without them, the link text shows but can't be clicked.

To edit a description on a computer:

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Content from the left menu.
  2. Click the video's title or thumbnail.
  3. Paste your link into the description (up to 5,000 characters in total).
  4. Select Save.

To check or unlock advanced features, go to Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility in YouTube Studio. The path has two steps:

  1. Verify your phone number. This unlocks intermediate features, such as videos longer than 15 minutes.
  2. Build enough channel history, or verify with an ID or a short video. Either one unlocks advanced features, including clickable description links, pinned comments and related videos on Shorts.

This is where most people get stuck. YouTube's link rules differ by placement:

WhereClickable?What you need
Channel profile linksYesNothing extra
Long-form video descriptionsYesAdvanced features
PostsYesAdvanced features
Shorts descriptions and Shorts commentsNoNot possible, to cut spam
Related video on a ShortYesAdvanced features
End screensYesExternal sites need YouTube Partner Program
Info cardsYes, on computersLink cards need YouTube Partner Program

So a URL typed into a Shorts description will never be clickable, however your account is set up. The ways to send Shorts viewers somewhere are the related video link and your channel links.

A related video adds a clickable link below your channel handle in the Shorts player, pointing to one of your own videos, Shorts or live streams. It can't point to another channel or to an outside website.

  1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. In the left menu, select Content.
  3. Click the Short you want to edit.
  4. Select a Related Video from your channel.
  5. Click Save.

You need advanced feature access, and the video you pick must be public or unlisted.

Add end screens and cards

End screens and cards are links inside the video itself. Both can point to your videos, playlists or other channels for anyone. Linking to an outside website is reserved for channels in the YouTube Partner Program.

End screens appear in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video.

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Content, then open the video.
  2. Select Editor, then End screen.
  3. Add up to four elements: a video, playlist, subscribe button, channel or link.
  4. Click Save.

The video must be at least 25 seconds long, and end screens aren't available on videos set as made for kids.

Cards are small prompts that pop up during the video. You can add up to 5 per video, choosing from Video, Playlist, Channel and Link.

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Content, then the video.
  2. Select Editor, then Info cards, and pick a card type.
  3. Set the start time, add an optional message and teaser text, and save.

Cards show to viewers on computers, and never on made for kids videos.

To join the YouTube Partner Program, you need 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours in the last 12 months or 10 million public Shorts views in the last 90 days. In some countries, including the US and UK, the program opens earlier at 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours or 3 million Shorts views.

Use one link page for everything

Fourteen channel links is a lot, but only the first one gets real attention. Many creators make that first link a single page that holds everything: music, merch, socials, booking, a newsletter. If the term is new to you, our explainer on what link in bio means covers the idea, and these link in bio examples show how others set theirs up.

Olaa is one way to build that page. You get one short link, olaa.im/yourname, to put first in your YouTube links and in your other bios. The free plan includes unlimited links and music and video players that play on the page, including YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music, plus a QR code and 7 days of analytics. Olaa Pro ($8 a month or $72 a year) adds products from Stripe, Etsy, Shopify or Gumroad, email signups sent to Mailchimp, scheduled links and up to 10 pages. Setup takes a few minutes and no code; see all features.

The same link works across platforms. Our guide to adding a link to your Instagram bio covers Instagram's steps, and there is a matching one for TikTok.

FAQ

How many links can I add to my YouTube channel?

Up to 14. The first appears in your profile section above the Subscribe button, and the rest show when a viewer clicks to see more links. You add them in YouTube Studio under Customization > Profile, or in the YouTube Studio app.

Why aren't the links in my YouTube description clickable?

Clickable description links need advanced features. Check YouTube Studio under Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility, verify your phone, then qualify through channel history or ID or video verification. If it's a Short, description links are never clickable.

Can I add links to the YouTube channel banner?

YouTube's current help pages don't offer links on the banner. Channel links now show in the profile section at the top of your channel, with the first link shown most prominently.

Do I need to be monetized to add links on YouTube?

No for channel links, description links and Shorts related videos; those need advanced features at most. Yes for end screen elements and cards that point to an outside website, which require the YouTube Partner Program.

Can I put a link in a YouTube Short?

Not as a clickable URL in the description or comments. You can add a related video, which shows as a clickable link under your handle and points to one of your own videos. Brand deal links are a separate exception for sponsored Shorts.