A short clip can answer one question perfectly and leave the viewer without a clear continuation. For example, a person heard the difference between two microphones but didn't learn the price, the recording conditions, or compatibility. The "Related video" feature helps build a route to the full breakdown. It's worth preparing before shooting the next Short.
What Related video allows
After uploading a Short, you can select another video from your channel: a regular video, a Short, or a live stream. The feature requires access to advanced YouTube capabilities. The selected video must be public or accessible via link and must comply with community guidelines. The link appears under the channel handle. Official YouTube instructions.
Regular URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments are not clickable. So the phrase "link in the description" by itself doesn't create a convenient transition. YouTube help on links.
How to set up and verify the transition
Open YouTube Studio, the "Content" section, the Short you need, and the "Related video" field. Select a continuation on your channel and save the change. Then open the published Short as a regular viewer and go through the route to the end.
If the feature isn't there, check the access status in your channel settings, in the available features section. YouTube separately describes obtaining advanced access through channel history or available identity verification methods; phone confirmation should not be considered the completion of all requirements. Access check.
How to choose a continuation people want to open
Next is a practical editorial scheme, not a promise of algorithmic promotion. The short and long videos should share a common question but differ in the depth of the answer.
- In the Short, show one complete result. For a microphone, that's a comparison of the sound in silence and next to a keyboard. The video is useful to the viewer even without a transition.
- In the continuation, break down the selection conditions. Show the connection, the limitations, and identical test phrases. Compare equipment under comparable conditions.
- Give a specific reason to click through: "The full test with settings is in the related video." A generic call to check out the channel requires the person to search further.
- Start the long video with the promised test. A long introduction about the company after a short demonstration breaks the viewer's expectation.
- At a suitable point in the full breakdown, offer one next step: view the package contents or ask a question about compatibility. Several competing offers make it harder to evaluate the result.
Create three standalone Shorts for one detailed piece. The first answers about noise, the second about connection, the third about the distance to the microphone. This is an editorial experiment with different queries. Don't publish three identical cuts where only the caption changes.
Where the route usually breaks
Check the title and thumbnail of the continuation: it should be clear to the person that this is that very breakdown. Check the sound on a phone, the readability of the comparisons, and the relevance of the offer. If the product is out of stock, update the information and explain the available option; an outdated card makes good views useless for the buyer.
To compare conditions, you can open the YouTube section and the views card. A service from the catalog doesn't replace a clear scenario and doesn't promise transitions, buyers, or organic recommendations. If it's unclear which link is suitable for an order, first use support. Below you can view the offer's parameters.
✦ Choose a quantity and place an order →
Frequently asked questions
Can you link Shorts to someone else's review?
The built-in selection is intended for content on your channel. For the route, prepare your own material that you have the rights to, and check that it's accessible to the viewer.
What should you do if the short video gets views but the continuation doesn't?
Check whether the topic and the promise match. Perhaps the short answer fully satisfies the need. Offer a genuinely useful deeper dive and compare several episodes.
Should you delete old Shorts for the sake of the new scheme?
There's no reason to delete useful material just because it lacks a route. Start with suitable existing publications and check the new continuation.
Measurement plan
Record the date the link was changed and the long video's baseline traffic. After seven and 28 days, compare the available traffic sources, the continuation's retention, and actions on the site. If the report doesn't allow you to connect a purchase to a specific Short, note that limitation. Overall channel growth still doesn't prove the effect of a single link.