When Is the Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2025?

Why Posting Time Matters More Than Ever in 2025

Timing is no longer just a detail—it’s a competitive edge. With over 2.7 billion logged-in monthly users, YouTube remains the second-most visited website globally after Google (Statista, 2025). But despite the platform’s immense reach, only a fraction of videos actually go viral or consistently perform well. One critical factor? When you post.

In 2025, YouTube’s algorithm has grown smarter with the introduction of real-time viewer intent prediction, which prioritizes content that aligns with a user’s active session behavior. According to YouTube Creator Insider updates, videos published when subscribers are most likely online see up to 30% higher click-through rates (CTR) and 20% longer watch times.

🎤 Creator Insight:
“I used to post whenever my video was ready. But after switching to a schedule aligned with my audience’s activity, my views doubled in 3 months,” says Marlene B., a DIY YouTube creator with 380K subscribers.

Global Trends Influencing YouTube Viewing Times

As of 2025, the global viewer landscape is more mobile and fragmented than ever. Viewers in different regions have different habits:

• Asia-Pacific: Peak YouTube activity starts earlier (around 6 AM local time), driven by mobile-first consumption and short-form content preferences.

• North America: Engagement spikes in the evening (6 PM to 9 PM), especially on weekdays after work hours.

• Europe: Lunchtime (12 PM–2 PM) and late evenings (8 PM–10 PM) perform best, aligning with routine social media breaks.

📊 Table 1: Average YouTube Watch Times by Region (Q1 2025)

Region	Morning (6–10 AM)	Midday (12–2 PM)	Evening (6–10 PM)	Late Night (10 PM–1 AM)
North America	17%	22%	41%	20%
Europe	20%	36%	39%	18%
Asia-Pacific	44%	29%	22%	12%

Understanding your target audience’s region and routine is essential. YouTube Analytics now provides timezone-specific viewer data, helping creators post smarter based on actual audience behavior.

The Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2025: General Guidelines

According to a comprehensive 2025 study by SocialPilot analyzing over 1 million videos, the top-performing global time block for YouTube uploads is:

⏰ Tuesdays through Fridays, between 2 PM and 4 PM (local time)

This window maximizes content exposure by allowing the YouTube indexing algorithm to process the video before prime-time user activity peaks between 6 PM and 9 PM. Here’s how average engagement rates compare:

📊 Table 2: Average Engagement by Posting Time (Global Aggregate)

Time Posted (Local Time)	Avg. CTR (%)	Avg. Watch Time (mins)	Avg. Comment Rate
8 AM – 10 AM	3.1%	4:21	Low
12 PM – 2 PM	5.6%	6:05	Medium
2 PM – 4 PM	7.8%	8:33	High
6 PM – 9 PM	6.1%	7:00	Medium
After 10 PM	2.7%	3:40	Low

💬 Community Feedback:
“Ever since I shifted to posting on Friday afternoons, my Shorts reach almost tripled. It’s like the YouTube gods finally noticed me,” quips @FitnessFlix, a fitness Shorts creator with 115K followers.

The Best Time to Post YouTube Shorts in 2025

YouTube Shorts have a slightly different rhythm. They’re consumed impulsively and more frequently throughout the day. Unlike long-form content, Shorts thrive in scroll-heavy micro-moments—think morning commutes, lunch breaks, or late-night doomscrolling.

Google’s internal report (2025) on Shorts behavior highlights that 60% of Shorts views occur on mobile devices, with top performance during:

• Weekdays: 12 PM–1 PM and 6 PM–8 PM

• Weekends: 10 AM–12 PM and 8 PM–11 PM

👩💼 Case Study:
“We tested uploading Shorts at 9 AM vs. 8 PM. The evening ones performed 55% better in reach and shares,” reports an agency working with lifestyle influencers.

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Day-by-Day Posting Recommendations

Timing your uploads by the day of the week is one of the most underrated strategies for maximizing reach. Viewer behavior shifts throughout the week depending on work schedules, school routines, and social plans. Here’s how to optimize your posting time for each day in 2025.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Monday

Audience Behavior: Mondays are all about getting back into routine. People tend to check YouTube during short breaks or after wrapping up their first workday.

Recommended Posting Window: 2 PM – 4 PM (local time)

🧠 “My Monday videos flopped until I started posting in the late afternoon. Now, engagement is consistently higher,” shares Daniel T., a tech reviewer with over 60K subs.

Why it works: Viewers need time to settle into the week. Early afternoon gives the algorithm time to crawl your content before post-work peaks.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Tuesday

Audience Behavior: Tuesdays see higher overall activity as people are fully engaged in their routines. There’s a noted spike in YouTube traffic between 12 PM and 6 PM.

Recommended Posting Window: 2 PM – 5 PM (local time)

Industry Insight: According to TubeBuddy, Tuesday uploads perform 12% better on average than Monday ones—especially in tech, how-to, and finance niches.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Wednesday

Audience Behavior: Midweek viewers are multitasking—watching during lunch or background-viewing while working from home.

Recommended Posting Window: 12 PM – 3 PM (local time)

UGC Highlight:

“Wednesday uploads are gold for me. My parenting vlog gets 2x the comments and shares if I post just after noon,” says family creator JulieLovesKids.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Thursday

Audience Behavior: The anticipation of the weekend starts to rise. People start winding down and seeking entertainment or inspiration.

Recommended Posting Window: 3 PM – 5 PM (local time)

Data Insight: SocialBlade data shows Thursday videos in lifestyle and entertainment categories see the highest average click-through rates of any weekday.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Friday

Audience Behavior: Friday evenings are primetime. Viewers are more relaxed and more likely to binge content heading into the weekend.

Recommended Posting Window: 2 PM – 4 PM for long-form, 6 PM – 9 PM for Shorts.

📌 Pro Tip: Many YouTubers pre-release Friday content via Premiere mode to build buzz and early interaction.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Saturday

Audience Behavior: Saturdays are ideal for “catch-up content.” Morning routines and afternoon downtime are common viewing periods.

Recommended Posting Window: 9 AM – 11 AM (local time)

📈 “Weekend views are my bread and butter. I post by 10 AM and watch the traffic spike through lunch,” explains @BudgetNBackpacks, a travel vlogger.

Best Time to Post on YouTube on Sunday

Audience Behavior: Sundays are reflective and productive. Viewers often tune in during meal prep, planning, or before winding down for Monday.

Recommended Posting Window: 11 AM – 1 PM or 6 PM – 8 PM

Content Suggestions: Educational, wellness, or weekly planning content performs well.

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The Worst Times to Post YouTube Videos and Shorts in 2025

Even great content can get buried if posted at the wrong time. Avoiding low-traffic hours is essential to ensure your video lands in users' feeds when they’re actually watching.

📉 Times to Avoid (Global Averages)

Time of Day	Reason to Avoid
12 AM – 7 AM	Low active users, poor initial impressions
Weekday 9 AM – 11 AM	Competes with school/work productivity
Saturday after 9 PM	Late-night fatigue, low engagement
Sunday after 9 PM	Competes with prepping for Monday

⚠️ Expert Tip: The first 2 hours after upload are critical for algorithmic indexing. Posting during viewer downtimes dramatically reduces the chance of discovery.

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How to Find the Best Posting Time for Your Channel

YouTube's built-in analytics tools give you the most accurate data—tailored to your audience.

📊 How to Access This in YouTube Studio:

1. Go to YouTube Studio

2. Navigate to Analytics > Audience

3. Check the chart titled “When your viewers are on YouTube”

This graph shows peak activity blocks (by day and time), color-coded to indicate density. Focus on the dark purple bars—these are your golden hours.

🗣️ Creator Story:
“I noticed my audience is most active at 1 PM, not 6 PM like I assumed. Tweaking my schedule improved views by 38%,” says Maya L., who runs a mental health awareness channel.

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How to Schedule YouTube Posts for Maximum Reach

Consistency + Timing = Visibility.

🛠️ Use YouTube’s Native Scheduler:

• Upload your video

• Click the “Schedule” option

• Select the date and time (in local time)

• Optional: Set as a Premiere to build hype

🤖 Third-Party Scheduling Tools:

• TubeBuddy

• Hootsuite

• SocialBee

• These platforms allow bulk uploads, time zone adjustments, and smart reminders.

📅 Best Practice:

Maintain a content calendar and cross-reference it with your analytics. Planning a month ahead prevents missed opportunities and ensures timely content delivery.

💡 Pro Insight:
“Scheduling changed my life. I batch record on weekends and schedule everything weekly—it keeps my channel consistent and stress-free,” says Paul C., an educational YouTuber with 210K subscribers.

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The Best Times to Post on YouTube at a Glance (Summary Table)

To help you quickly reference the best times for each day, here’s a practical summary table based on current viewer behavior trends and 2025 engagement data:

📋 Table: Best Posting Times by Day (Local Time)

Day	Best Time to Post Videos	Best Time to Post Shorts
Monday	2 PM – 4 PM	12 PM – 1 PM
Tuesday	2 PM – 5 PM	1 PM – 2 PM
Wednesday	12 PM – 3 PM	11 AM – 1 PM
Thursday	3 PM – 5 PM	6 PM – 7 PM
Friday	2 PM – 4 PM	6 PM – 9 PM
Saturday	9 AM – 11 AM	10 AM – 12 PM
Sunday	11 AM – 1 PM, 6 PM – 8 PM	8 PM – 10 PM

Keep in mind that your own audience data may reveal custom preferences—so treat this as a starting framework.

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Expert Tips to Increase YouTube Engagement in 2025

Beyond perfect timing, creators must combine several strategies to keep viewers clicking, watching, and sharing.

✅ Boosting Engagement Strategies:

1. Use Eye-Catching Thumbnails:
   Thumbnails shown during high-traffic times must compete fiercely. Test A/B versions using TubeBuddy or VidIQ.

2. Pin Comments and Ask Questions:
   Engage early viewers with a pinned comment like “What’s your favorite tip from this video?” to boost interaction.

3. Optimize End Screens:
   Guide viewers to binge your content—especially useful if they’re watching during long evening sessions.

4. Collaborate Around Events:
   Leverage trending themes (New Year, back-to-school, product launches) with well-timed releases.

5. Analyze Retention Graphs:
   Post videos when viewers are alert. High drop-off times might signal content fatigue during certain hours.

🎯 Pro Insight:
“We noticed 8 PM Shorts got more likes but fewer full views, while 1 PM ones had longer retention. Now we stagger releases by type,” shares Samir & Maria, co-hosts of a popular travel-food channel.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is 7 PM still the best time to post on YouTube in 2025?

Not necessarily. While 7 PM has historically been strong, 2025 data shows late-afternoon times (2–4 PM) allow better algorithm ramp-up before peak evening hours.

2. Do time zones matter for YouTube uploads?

Absolutely. Always post in the local time zone of your primary audience. If your channel has a global following, use analytics to find your dominant region and schedule accordingly.

3. Should I post Shorts and regular videos at the same time?

No. Stagger them by at least 4–6 hours to avoid splitting viewer attention and to give each post algorithmic space to perform.

4. Can I change my upload time after publishing?

Not really. Once published, the time is locked. However, you can delete and re-upload (not recommended unless absolutely necessary) or unlist and reschedule before the public release.

5. How many times should I post per week in 2025?

2–3 long-form videos + 2–4 Shorts is a healthy average for growing channels. Consistency is more important than quantity.

6. Does posting on holidays impact reach?

Yes. Depending on the holiday and niche, it can be positive (e.g., posting Christmas gift guides) or negative (competing with live events). Test performance over time to fine-tune.

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Final Thoughts: Start Posting Smarter, Not Harder

Finding the best time to post on YouTube in 2025 isn’t about chasing trends—it’s about understanding your audience and leveraging data strategically. With AI-driven recommendation engines and billions of hours of watch time in play, your timing can mean the difference between 100 views and 100,000.

✅ Takeaway Tips:

• Use YouTube Studio’s audience insights

• Post during high-traffic blocks: 2 PM–4 PM is often ideal

• Schedule content in advance using professional tools

• Always test and refine your strategy based on performance

💬 “Once I matched my uploads to my viewers’ schedules, my videos finally reached the audience I knew was out there. The results were immediate—and lasting,” says Jordan R., creator of a niche investing channel.

🎯 Now it’s your turn. Audit your analytics, build a schedule, and hit publish with confidence. Timing is everything—make yours count.

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For a visual walkthrough on it, check out the following tutorial:

source: https://www.youtube.com/@ClaireSara