TimeToPost

Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2026

The best times to post on YouTube are 6 PM, 7 PM and 12 PM UTC, based on our editorial baseline (built from published industry research), shown until this slice of our first-party dataset reaches a reliable sample size. The chart below shows the full 24-hour engagement curve: a relative score where 100 marks the strongest hour, so you can pick a window that fits your own publishing schedule rather than chasing a single magic minute.

Best window
6 PM
UTC · score 100
2nd best window
7 PM
UTC · score 96
3rd best window
12 PM
UTC · score 92

YouTube engagement by hour (all days, UTC)

Relative engagement score by hour (UTC)025507510012 AM UTC: score 3012 AM1 AM UTC: score 242 AM UTC: score 183 AM UTC: score 143 AM4 AM UTC: score 125 AM UTC: score 146 AM UTC: score 226 AM7 AM UTC: score 348 AM UTC: score 489 AM UTC: score 629 AM10 AM UTC: score 7811 AM UTC: score 8812 PM UTC: score 9212 PM1 PM UTC: score 862 PM UTC: score 783 PM UTC: score 743 PM4 PM UTC: score 805 PM UTC: score 906 PM UTC: score 1006 PM7 PM UTC: score 968 PM UTC: score 849 PM UTC: score 669 PM10 PM UTC: score 5011 PM UTC: score 38
Relative engagement score by hour (100 = strongest hour). Times shown in UTC. Curve: editorial baseline. Switches to live TimeToPost data once this slice reaches our sample threshold.
Hourly engagement scores
Time (UTC)UTC hourEngagement scorePosts analyzed
12 AM00:00 UTC30N/A
1 AM01:00 UTC24N/A
2 AM02:00 UTC18N/A
3 AM03:00 UTC14N/A
4 AM04:00 UTC12N/A
5 AM05:00 UTC14N/A
6 AM06:00 UTC22N/A
7 AM07:00 UTC34N/A
8 AM08:00 UTC48N/A
9 AM09:00 UTC62N/A
10 AM10:00 UTC78N/A
11 AM11:00 UTC88N/A
12 PM12:00 UTC92N/A
1 PM13:00 UTC86N/A
2 PM14:00 UTC78N/A
3 PM15:00 UTC74N/A
4 PM16:00 UTC80N/A
5 PM17:00 UTC90N/A
6 PM18:00 UTC100N/A
7 PM19:00 UTC96N/A
8 PM20:00 UTC84N/A
9 PM21:00 UTC66N/A
10 PM22:00 UTC50N/A
11 PM23:00 UTC38N/A

How YouTube timing actually works

YouTube timing splits between subscription behavior and search behavior. Long-form videos benefit from being live before viewers settle into a planned session, while Shorts need enough active viewers for the first test batch to produce watch-time signals. Tutorials and product demos can peak during work or problem-solving hours; entertainment Shorts skew later, when viewers are in a low-commitment scroll mode.

Use the chart and schedule generator to turn these YouTube windows into a weekly plan. TimeToPost's public everyday scheduler currently supports X, with more platforms coming soon, so this YouTube page is timing guidance rather than a claim that TimeToPost can publish to YouTube.

Turn these windows into a weekly plan

Use the free generator to plan YouTube timing without implying that TimeToPost currently publishes to this platform.

Generate a weekly schedule

Free best-time tool

Check the source-labeled timing curve for YouTube, then build the schedule in your own timezone.

Open the free best-time tool

Methodology

This slice of our first-party dataset doesn’t yet meet our minimum sample threshold, so the curve shown is our clearly-labeled editorial baseline, compiled from published industry research. As more posts flow through TimeToPost, this page automatically switches to live aggregate data. It regenerates every 24 hours. Times on this page are stated in UTC: convert to your audience’s timezone, or use one of the country pages linked below, which do the conversion for you.

By day of the week

    Frequently asked questions

    What is the best time to post on YouTube?

    6 PM UTC is the strongest hour in our current dataset, with 6 PM, 7 PM and 12 PM (all UTC) forming the top three windows. Use the country pages linked on this page for local-time recommendations.

    Does posting time still matter on YouTube in 2026?

    Yes, less than it did in the follower-feed era, but the first-hour engagement velocity that algorithms reward is still heavily influenced by when your audience is online. Timing won't rescue weak content, but it reliably compounds good content.

    Where does this data come from?

    Currently from our editorial baseline, compiled from published industry research, because this specific slice of our first-party dataset has not yet reached the minimum sample size we require. The page automatically switches to live TimeToPost aggregate data as the sample grows, and is regenerated every 24 hours.

    Keep exploring