Updated June 2026
Best time to post on YouTube
Wednesday 1 PM
Source: Sprout Social 2026 (2.7B engagements)
Best Days
Best Time Windows
Where studies disagree
SocialPilot's data splits by format: for long-form video, Sunday morning showed the single highest-performing slot in their 27,000+ channel sample; for Shorts, Friday showed stronger results. If you publish both formats, consider scheduling them separately rather than using one blanket time.
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Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2026
Posting at the right time is one of the factors that can affect reach and engagement on YouTube. The recommendations below come from Sprout Social 2026 (2.7B engagements), a real published study rather than recycled folk wisdom.
Top single best time
Wednesday 1 PM
Best days & time windows
- Wednesday — 12 PM - 3 PM
- Thursday — 7 PM - 9 PM
Notes
Sprout Social's analysis of 2.7 billion engagements found Wednesday as the most consistent strong day, with peaks at both 10 AM and 1 PM. Long-form and Shorts often perform best at different times — Shorts tend to peak slightly later in the day.
Where studies disagree
SocialPilot's data splits by format: for long-form video, Sunday morning showed the single highest-performing slot in their 27,000+ channel sample; for Shorts, Friday showed stronger results. If you publish both formats, consider scheduling them separately rather than using one blanket time.
Methodology
Sprout Social's research draws on roughly 2.7 billion engagements across approximately 307,000 profiles. SocialPilot's separate study of 301,000+ videos also confirms Wednesday as the most consistent top performer.
Frequently asked questions about posting on YouTube
What is the best time to post on YouTube in 2026?
Based on Sprout Social 2026 (2.7B engagements), the strongest single window is Wednesday 1 PM. This is where engagement was highest across the dataset, but your own audience's behavior may differ — it's a strong starting point, not a guarantee.
Where does this YouTube posting time data come from?
Sprout Social's research draws on roughly 2.7 billion engagements across approximately 307,000 profiles. SocialPilot's separate study of 301,000+ videos also confirms Wednesday as the most consistent top performer. Other 2026 studies show some variation in the exact hours — see the note above for details.
Do the best times to post on YouTube change by industry or audience?
Yes. B2B and professional content tends to perform better during business hours, while lifestyle and entertainment content often sees stronger engagement in evenings and on weekends. These published studies report averages across many accounts — your specific audience may skew earlier or later.
Should I post at exactly the recommended time?
It's a reasonable starting point. Try posting within the recommended windows for 2-3 weeks, then check your own platform analytics to see when your specific followers are actually engaging, and adjust from there.
Does posting at the best time guarantee more reach?
No. Posting time affects how quickly a post gets its first engagement signals, which can influence algorithmic distribution — but content quality, relevance, and consistency matter more overall. Good timing on weak content won't outperform strong content posted at an average time.
Can I schedule posts automatically at these times?
Yes. With SonicPost you can schedule posts in advance across all 9 platforms it supports, so you don't have to be online at the exact recommended time to publish.
Want to automatically schedule your posts at these times?
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