· 3 min read
How to Clip a YouTube Video Into Shorts (Your Own or With Permission)
There are two different things people mean by "clip a YouTube video." YouTube's built-in Clip button creates a 5 to 60 second shareable link that plays inside the original video; it doesn't create a new video you can post. To turn a long YouTube video into Shorts, you need to cut the segment, reformat it to vertical 9:16, add captions, and upload it as its own video.
Here's how to do both, plus the rules on whose videos you can clip.
Using YouTube's Clip button (for sharing)
Under a video that allows clipping, click the scissors (Clip) icon, drag the selection to the section you want, add a title, and share the link. It's good for pointing a friend at a moment. It's not a Short: it lives on the original video and isn't a file you own or can post elsewhere.
Turning your own YouTube video into Shorts
1. Pick the moments. Look for self-contained answers, stories or strong opinions, ideally 20 to 60 seconds.
2. Cut them. Use an editor or paste the video's link into an AI clipping tool. OptimaClip accepts a YouTube link directly and returns captioned vertical clips.
3. Reframe to 9:16 and add captions. See how to convert horizontal video to vertical.
4. Upload as a Short with a clear title and a link to the full video. See how to schedule YouTube Shorts.
Our longer guide, repurpose long-form YouTube into Shorts, covers picking moments in more depth.
Can you clip someone else's YouTube video?
Only with permission, or where the creator runs a clipping program that explicitly allows it. Reuploading someone else's video can lead to copyright claims and to being treated as unoriginal content by the platforms. Commentary and transformation can change the picture, but it isn't a blanket pass. See can I legally clip and repost someone else's stream.
What makes a good Short from a long YouTube video
It stands alone. Someone who has never seen the full video should understand it in the first two seconds.
It has one idea. A single tip, story, reaction or answer. If you need to explain two things, make two Shorts.
It ends on a payoff, or on a loop that makes people want the full video.
It's captioned and vertical. See burned-in captions vs platform auto-captions.
How many Shorts can you get from one video?
A 10-minute tutorial might give you three or four. A 60-minute podcast can give you 10 to 20. The denser the conversation, the more standalone moments it contains. Post them over the following week rather than all at once.
Frequently asked questions
How long can a YouTube clip be?
YouTube's Clip feature allows 5 to 60 seconds. YouTube Shorts themselves can be up to 3 minutes.
Can I download a YouTube clip made with the Clip button?
No. It's a link that plays part of the original video. To get a file, cut the segment from your own copy of the video.
Do Shorts made from my long videos help the channel?
They can bring new viewers to the channel, especially when the Short links to the full video. See do YouTube Shorts help grow a long-form channel.
Turn one long video into a week of clips
OptimaClip finds the best moments in your podcast, stream or webinar, captions and reframes them for vertical, and schedules them to 8 platforms. Free 7-day trial, no card required.