How to Add a Related Video to YouTube Shorts
To add a related video to a YouTube Short, open the uploaded Short in YouTube Studio, choose Related Video, select content from your channel and save. Viewers then get a clickable link beneath your channel handle. The useful part is deciding what they should watch next.
For a business or creator, a well-matched next video can answer the question a Short introduces. A quick product demonstration can lead into a complete setup tutorial. A short answer can point to a detailed comparison. This guide covers the setup and a practical worksheet for planning those connections.
How to add a related video to YouTube Shorts
- Upload your Short, then sign in to YouTube Studio.
- Open Content from the left menu.
- Select the Short you want to edit.
- Choose Related Video and select the destination from your channel.
- Save the change.
You can feature a video, another Short or Live content. The destination must be public or unlisted and follow YouTube’s Community Guidelines. YouTube’s dedicated Related Video instructions list advanced feature access as a requirement.
If the control is unavailable, check Settings → Channel → Feature eligibility in desktop Studio and follow the access requirements displayed for your channel. YouTube’s feature access guide explains where to see enabled features and available verification options.
Why a description link is different
Pasting a URL into a Short’s description or comments does not create this feature. YouTube says those URLs are not clickable, while a Related Video link is clickable. Its guide to sharing links distinguishes the available link locations.
Build the viewer’s next step around the actual control. A spoken invitation such as “Watch the full setup tutorial in the related video” is more specific than asking someone to search your channel. Name the benefit of continuing so the invitation feels like a natural conclusion to the Short.
Choose the next video by the viewer’s question
Start with this sentence: “After watching this Short, the viewer will probably want to know…” Finish it before selecting a destination. Your newest upload may be a good match, but the question should drive the choice.
| What your Short delivers | A useful next video |
|---|---|
| One practical technique | A complete tutorial showing the technique in context |
| A close-up of a product feature | A demonstration explaining setup and everyday use |
| An answer to a buyer’s question | A detailed explanation or comparison covering that decision |
| A moment from a longer event | The relevant discussion or full recording |
| One step in a connected series | The next installment needed to complete the task |
Give the Short a complete, useful point of its own. Then use the destination for the deeper explanation. For example, show the adjustment that solves a simple problem in the Short and offer the full troubleshooting process in the longer video. That makes the next watch purposeful.
Example: connect a product tip to a full demonstration
Imagine a coffee equipment business planning a Short about adjusting a hand grinder. This is a hypothetical content example, not a report of campaign results.
The Short shows how to find the adjustment dial and make one change. The destination is a full demonstration titled “Set Up Your Hand Grinder for a Pour-Over.” Its opening shows the same grinder and explains the process the Short introduced. The subject, equipment and promise all match.
A suitable spoken invitation would be: “For the full pour-over setup, watch the related grinder tutorial.” Sending this viewer to an unrelated brand announcement would leave their immediate question unanswered. The useful choice is the demonstration that helps them continue the task.
Use this Shorts-to-video planning worksheet
Copy these fields into your content planner. Complete one row or card for each pairing, so an editor can set up the link without guessing what the strategy was.
- Short: working title, published URL and the single point it teaches.
- Next question: what an interested viewer would need explained in more detail.
- Destination: exact video title and URL, checked against the next question.
- Connection: one sentence explaining why these two pieces belong together.
- Invitation: the spoken or on-screen wording that introduces the next video.
- Owner and check date: who saves the link and who verifies the viewer experience.
- Next review: what you will inspect and which decision the observations should inform.
Keep the connection sentence concrete. “Both videos are about coffee” is too broad. “The Short introduces grind adjustment; the tutorial walks through choosing and testing a setting” gives your team a clear reason for the pairing.
Check the full viewing journey before promotion
After saving, open the Short as a viewer and follow the related link. Confirm that the destination is the intended video and that its opening delivers the promised subject. Review on a phone as well, especially when a team member configured the pairing on desktop.
Check the destination’s title and thumbnail together. They should help someone recognize the content you just invited them to watch. If you are comparing alternative packaging for a suitable long-form upload, our YouTube title and thumbnail A/B testing guide explains a structured way to prepare the experiment.
For a wider publishing routine, use our seven-day YouTube channel preparation plan to organize your content and next actions. Keep each Short’s destination in the same planner so the connection stays visible when you schedule new uploads.
Review the pairing and choose the next improvement
Record when the link was added, the destination and any later changes. At your next review, inspect the Short and destination in your available YouTube Analytics reports, alongside relevant viewer questions. Treat these as observations to investigate; a rise in total video views alone does not identify where every viewer came from.
Choose one practical next action: clarify the invitation, select a closer topic match or create the missing tutorial viewers keep asking for. If you change a pairing, update the planner so the next review reflects the correct destination.
Planning a broader channel campaign? Explore Famix’s YouTube services and choose an option that fits your content plan. Prepare your Short and its related video together so every promotion has a clear next viewing step.
Author Profile
- Basit Ali is a digital entrepreneur and SEO specialist dedicated to helping brands and creators scale their online presence. Based in Lahore, he brings hands-on expertise in technical SEO, organic reach, and social media marketing. At Famix, Basit shares actionable insights and proven strategies for hacking platform algorithms, building authentic engagement, and turning casual scrollers into a dedicated, monetized audience across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
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