YouTube End Screen Best Practices: How to Write a 10-Second Outro
The best YouTube end screen strategy starts before the end screen appears. Look at the retention graph on your last five videos and you will likely see a drop that starts well before the final seconds. It usually begins when the video starts to sound like it is wrapping up.
The one rule: hide the ending. Keep the outro to 10 seconds, 15 at most, with two calls to action and the end card up the second you signal the end.
How a YouTube End Screen Works With Your Outro
The end screen is the card set that appears over the last seconds of your video, pointing to another video or playlist. It only works if the viewer is still watching, so the outro has to keep them there and the card has to be up the moment you signal the end. The end screen itself is set when you upload, but the spoken pointer is what sends viewers to it.
The 10-Second Outro Timeline
- 0 to 6 seconds: say your main call to action, like “the link is in the description”. The end card appears the moment you signal the end.
- 6 to 10 seconds: point to the next video and add a curiosity gap. Show one video card, and a playlist if you like.
- 15 seconds at most: the outro stops here. End the video abruptly and hold the end card until the end.
YouTube Outro Script You Can Reuse
- Main call to action: If you want [benefit], [action]. The link is in the description below.
- Next video: And if you liked this video, check out this one right here, while pointing at the card, with a curiosity gap like “that one will change how you think about this”.
- Close: See you over there.
Words to Cut From Every Outro
Phrases like “in conclusion”, “to summarise”, “that's it for this video”, “in the end” and “to recap” all signal that the video is over, and viewers take the hint. Cut the recap and any finalising words too.
YouTube End Screen Best Practices: Do and Don't
- Length: do 10 seconds, 15 at most. Don't do 30, 40 or 100 second outros.
- Screen: do keep end cards live while you talk. Don't use a static outro screen or an animated logo.
- Calls to action: do ask for two, your main one and then the next video. Don't give a long list of asks.
- End card: do usually show one related video on the same topic as the video they just watched. Viewers who are given many options may choose none. Without an end card, YouTube may promote other channels instead.
Choose the Right Video for Your End Card
Someone who finishes a video wants a similar one. Match the end card to what the viewer just watched, and keep it to one related video on the same topic.
If Your Video Exists to Convert
Put your main call to action in the top line of the description and in a pinned comment, and keep the outro to one short line. Then compare two outro styles across similar videos and keep the one with the higher average percentage viewed.
Your Outro Checklist
- Open the retention graph on your last five videos and find where the end drop begins.
- Cut the recap, the finalising words and any static outro screen.
- Keep the whole outro to 10 seconds.
- Say two calls to action, ending with the next video and a curiosity gap.
- Put the end card up the second you signal the end.
Track average percentage viewed and the retention graph over the last 15 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a YouTube outro be?
10 seconds, and 15 at most.
What should I say at the end of a YouTube video?
Two things: your main call to action first, then the next video with a curiosity gap, pointing at the end card.
Should I use a static outro screen or logo animation?
No. Keep the end card live while you talk and end the video abruptly.
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