YouTube Shorts safe zone template
A transparent 1080 × 1920 overlay of the YouTube Shorts safe zone, from Google's own margins for vertical video. Lay it over your edit and keep titles inside the blue box, then check a finished frame below.
- Free, no sign-up
- Your file stays on your device
- Specs checked October 10, 2026
Free YouTube Shorts safe zone overlay
A 1080 × 1920 PNG with a transparent background, so your footage shows through while you edit.
- Google's margins: 288 top, 672 bottom, 48 left, 192 right
- Top bar, buttons, title area and progress bar in red
- Safe area for text outlined in blue
Other apps: TikTok · Instagram Reels · Instagram Story · Facebook Reels · all four in one
Check a frame from your edit against it: drop a still or the finished video and the overlay is drawn on top.
Drop a 9:16 frame or video
Or paste an image with Ctrl+V or ⌘V. PNG, JPG, WebP, MP4, MOV or WebM. Your file stays on your device.
No file yet? Download the transparent YouTube Shorts template (1080×1920 PNG).
Example: a Short Mark Studios edited. This is the 540-pixel still from our site, so it is smaller than a real 1080 × 1920 export.
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The PNG is drawn in your browser at your file's size. Overlay only is a 1080 × 1920 transparent template you can drop on an editing timeline.
YouTube Shorts safe zone dimensions
| Platform | Top | Bottom | Left | Right | Safe area | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | 288 px | 672 px | 48 px | 192 px | 840 × 960 px | Google Ads Help: safe zones for vertical video ads on YouTube · Google Ads Help: YouTube Shorts ads |
Google's guide to vertical video ads on YouTube, which run in Shorts, keeps important elements 288 pixels from the top, 672 from the bottom, 48 from the left and 192 from the right of a 1080 × 1920 frame. That leaves an 840 × 960 pixel safe area, the blue box on this template. YouTube publishes no separate safe zone for ordinary Shorts; ads play in the same Shorts player under the same buttons, channel name and title.
The player changed in June 2026: YouTube replaced the Shorts thumbs-up with a heart and removed the dislike button. The buttons still run down the right side, which is why the right margin is four times the left. The progress bar, which we measured from YouTube's own video of the new player, takes the bottom 8 pixels.
Cross-posting to TikTok and Reels? TikTok's button column takes 300 pixels on the right from 840 pixels down, and Instagram's buttons reach 970 pixels down. The safe zone checker draws the area that is safe on all four apps, and the YouTube Shorts checker tests the file's length and shape.
What we measured ourselves
| Platform | Element | Measured position | Screenshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube Shorts | Progress bar | The bottom 8 pixels | YouTube Blog: How we’re updating the YouTube Shorts experience (June 25, 2026) |
How to use the template in your editor
The PNG is a guide, not part of your video: put it on the top track, place text and faces inside the blue box, then switch it off before you export.
- CapCut: on the desktop app, import the PNG, drag it onto a track above your video and stretch it to fill the 9:16 canvas. On the phone, tap Overlay, then Add overlay, pick the PNG and pinch it to fill the frame. Delete it before you export.
- Premiere Pro: drag it to the top video track, right-click it and choose Set to Frame Size. Turn off that track's eye icon before you export.
- DaVinci Resolve: drop it on a track above your footage; on a 1080 × 1920 timeline it already fits. Disable the track before you render.
- Final Cut Pro: connect it above the primary storyline, then select it and press V to disable it before you share.
- Canva: upload it to a 1080 × 1920 design, stretch it over the page and lock it while you work. Delete it before you download.
Editing at 720 × 1280 or in 4K? Scale the PNG to fill the frame and the margins stay in proportion.
Sources: Google Ads Help: safe zones for vertical video ads on YouTube · Google Ads Help: YouTube Shorts ads · screenshots measured: YouTube Blog: How we’re updating the YouTube Shorts experience (June 25, 2026). Read on October 10, 2026.
Embed this template
Teachers, bloggers and course creators can put this YouTube Shorts safe zone template on their own page for free. Paste the code below into your page's HTML. It loads from markstudios.com, so it stays current when we update the numbers.
Questions, answered.
Anything else? Message Mark and you'll get a written reply within one business day.
What are the YouTube Shorts safe zone dimensions?
On a 1080 × 1920 Short: 288 pixels at the top, 672 at the bottom, 48 on the left and 192 on the right, leaving an 840 × 960 pixel safe area. The margins come from Google’s guidance for vertical video ads on YouTube, which run in the Shorts feed.
Why is the right margin bigger than the left?
The buttons run down the right side of the Shorts player, so Google keeps 192 pixels clear there and only 48 on the left.
Do Shorts and TikTok use the same safe zone?
No. TikTok keeps 240 pixels clear at the top and 660 at the bottom, and its button column takes 300 pixels on the right from 840 pixels down; Shorts keeps 288 and 672, with 192 on the right. For one export that suits both, keep text between 120 and 888 pixels across and 288 and 1,248 pixels down, and left of 780 pixels below 840 pixels down: the area that is safe on all four apps.
How do I use the template in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve?
Drag the PNG onto a video track above your footage. In Premiere Pro, right-click it and choose Set to Frame Size; on a 1080 × 1920 timeline in DaVinci Resolve it already fits. Place titles inside the blue box, then turn the overlay track off before you render.
Is my video uploaded when I check a frame?
No. The checker opens your image or video in your browser and draws the overlay on top. Nothing leaves your device.
Rather have your Shorts edited to fit?
Mark Studios edits Shorts, Reels and TikToks with captions placed inside each app’s safe zone, and you work directly with Mark.
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