About the shorts mockup
Shorts overlays cover a surprising amount of the screen. A mockup shows exactly where your on-screen text will collide with the action rail or the caption, so you can move it into the clear area before you edit the video. It also works as a ready-made visual for pitch decks and social posts about short-form content.
Who it’s for
Short-form creators planning on-screen text, social media managers pitching Shorts to brands, and editors checking safe zones.
What makes it different
- Safe-zone guides show where the action buttons and caption cover your video.
- Drop a video file and pick the frame — no screenshots needed.
- Optional phone frame for decks and social posts.
- Free PNG export with no watermark.
How to make a YouTube Shorts mockup
- 1Upload a vertical frame (9:16, such as 1080×1920).
- 2Type the channel handle, caption and sound name.
- 3Set the like and comment counts.
- 4Turn on “Safe-zone guides” to see which parts of the frame the interface covers.
- 5Download the mockup as a PNG, with or without a phone frame.
Features
- 9:16 player with the right-hand action rail
- Channel, Subscribe button, caption and sound line
- Like and comment counts formatted like YouTube
- Safe-zone guides for on-screen text
- Grab the frame from your video file
- Optional phone frame
- PNG export
Common use cases
- Planning on-screen text
- Check that captions and titles in your edit won’t sit under the buttons.
- Short-form pitches
- Show a brand how a sponsored Short will look in the feed.
- Social posts
- Share a polished preview of a new Short on other platforms.
Tips
- Keep on-screen text in the middle of the frame — the bottom fifth and the right edge are covered by the interface.
- Short captions read better; the feed shows only the first line or two.
- Use a frame from the first second of the Short; that’s what people see when it starts.
Use it responsibly. Mockups are for design, planning, teaching and fiction. Don’t present them as real screenshots, don’t impersonate real creators, and never use invented numbers to mislead sponsors, buyers or viewers. Read our acceptable use policy.
Related tools
Shorts Mockup FAQ
What size should a Short be?
Vertical 9:16, typically 1080×1920 pixels. Square videos also play as Shorts but show black or blurred bars.
Which areas of a Short are covered by buttons?
Roughly the right-hand strip (action buttons) and the bottom area (channel, caption, sound). The safe-zone guides in the mockup show both.
Is this affiliated with YouTube?
No. It’s an independent mockup of the general Shorts layout, without official logos.