Thumbnail Tools100% In-Browser ExecutionUpdated Specifications

YouTube Shorts Safe Zone Checker

Check a still frame against adjustable planning margins, mark important content, and export an annotated Shorts guide.

Workbench Controls

INPUT // LOCAL

Upload Shorts Still Frame (9:16)100% In-Browser Execution

Choose an image or drag it here

JPG, PNG, or WebP · Maximum 20 MB

No image handy? Try a creator sample:1-click test

Reserved UI Margin PresetsUI OVERLAY CLEARANCE

Top Margin10%

0%40%

Bottom Margin25%

0%50%

Left Margin5%

0%40%

Right Margin18%

0%40%

Display Safe Zone Overlay Boundary

Target Content Bounding BoxPosition a custom bounding box around key subtitles, logos, or face to audit clearance.

Still image frames only. Client-side canvas overlay calculation.

Output & Inspection

LIVE SPEC

Upload a 9:16 Shorts frame to test YouTube UI overlay clearance.

Demonstration // Sample Inputs

Before and After Inspection

A fictional example processed with this tool. Your image and settings will produce different results.

Drag or scrub slider to compare

◂▸

Before · clean still frame

After · annotated reference

1080 × 1920 px · Demonstration Reference

Download original PNG·Download processed PNG

Starting margins: top 10%, bottom 25%, left 5%, right 18%. The shaded edges are manual planning assumptions, not official YouTube safe zones. Annotations are included in this export.

Execution Playbook

How to use this tool

Standard workflow recommendations for consistent publish quality

STEP // 01
Choose a still frame
Export a representative frame from your video, then select its JPEG, PNG, or WebP image.
STEP // 02
Plan your margins
Adjust reserved edges and optionally place a content box over important text or a subject. Review any overlap.
STEP // 03
Export the guide
Create the annotated PNG for reference. Keep your clean source for publishing and check the actual Shorts player.

Reference & Standards

About YouTube Shorts Safe Zone Checker

Choose a still frame. The tool fits it into a 9:16 canvas, adding black padding when needed. Adjust the reserved margins to approximate the player layout you want to plan around. The defaults are starting assumptions, not official YouTube measurements.

Enable the content box and position it over your important text or subject. The checker reports whether that box overlaps your chosen margins. It does not detect actual content or analyze a video.

Create a PNG guide to download a 1080 × 1920 annotated planning reference. The download always includes the guide, even when the on-screen overlay is hidden. Use your clean source for publishing and inspect it in the actual Shorts player.

Documentation & FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the safe zone for YouTube Shorts?

The Shorts safe zone is the central 9:16 area clear of native platform overlays—including the bottom title, sound icon, channel avatar, and the right-side like/comment buttons.

How to keep text inside the YouTube Shorts safe zone?

Center critical titles and captions in the middle 60% of the screen. Avoid the top 15% (header/search) and bottom 25% (channel info and sound tags) to prevent UI obstruction.

What are the YouTube Shorts safe zone dimensions?

Shorts use a 1080 × 1920 canvas (9:16). While exact UI margins shift across phones, reserving ~280px at the bottom, ~140px at the top, and ~120px on the right keeps key content protected across devices.

Where should captions be placed in YouTube Shorts?

Position captions in the lower-middle section of the screen, just above the video description bar and indented from the right-hand action column so viewers can read without interference.

How to prevent YouTube Shorts buttons from covering text?

Maintain a minimum 120-pixel margin from the right edge of your 1080×1920 canvas. Use Creovly’s interactive overlay tool to test a representative video frame before publishing.

Workflow Continuity

Complementary utilities for your YouTube pre-publish checklist

View all tools