Key takeaways
- YouTube publishes no daily upload number for a channel; higher daily upload limits are an advanced feature.
- Advanced features need phone verification, then channel history or ID or video verification (YouTube Help).
- Through the Data API a default project gets 100 videos.insert calls a day, in their own bucket, reset at midnight Pacific Time.
- Every upload can run 15 minutes until the account is verified, then up to 12 hours or 256 GB.
On this page
Is there a daily upload limit on YouTube?
Yes, per channel, but YouTube does not publish the number. Its help centre lists “higher daily upload limits” among the advanced features a channel unlocks, which tells you the limit exists and varies by channel. When an app hits it, the YouTube Data API returns uploadLimitExceeded, meaning the account has uploaded as many videos as it may for now.
| Limit | What applies |
|---|---|
| Videos a day per channel | Not published; higher on channels with advanced features |
| Videos a day through the Data API | 100 videos.insert calls per project, reset at midnight Pacific Time |
| Other API calls | 10,000 units a day per project; 100 search calls |
| Video length | 15 minutes until the account is verified, then up to 12 hours |
| File size | Up to 256 GB |
How do you raise your YouTube daily upload limit?
By unlocking advanced features, per YouTube’s feature eligibility page:
Verify your phone
In YouTube Studio, complete phone verification; this unlocks intermediate features, including uploads longer than 15 minutes.
Build channel history
Advanced features follow once the channel has enough history in good standing.
Or verify your identity
Verify with a valid ID or a video instead, where YouTube offers it.
Check eligibility
The Feature eligibility page in YouTube Studio shows which features the channel has.
How many videos can you upload a day through the YouTube API?
100 on a default Google project. Since Google’s 1 June 2026 change, uploads have their own bucket of 100 videos.insert calls a day, apart from the 10,000-unit pool every other call draws from, and quotas reset at midnight Pacific Time. The quota belongs to the project, not the channel, and a channel can still reach its own limit first. More quota needs Google’s quota extension request and audit. The YouTube Data API upload quota calculator works out your own ceiling.
Do you need your own API quota to schedule YouTube videos?
No. A scheduler publishes through its own Google project, so you connect your channel and schedule without a project of your own; each video still counts toward your channel’s daily limit. In SkedCast, upload the video, set the title, description, privacy, thumbnail and playlist, and pick a time; see the YouTube scheduler and the YouTube thumbnail size checker.
Sources
FAQ
- What is YouTube’s daily upload limit?
- YouTube does not publish a number for channels; it varies, and channels with advanced features get higher daily limits. Through the Data API, a default project gets 100 uploads a day.
- How do I increase my YouTube upload limit?
- Complete phone verification in YouTube Studio, then build channel history or verify your identity with an ID or video to unlock advanced features, which include higher daily upload limits.
- How many videos can you upload to YouTube through the API per day?
- 100 videos.insert calls a day on a default project, reset at midnight Pacific Time, in their own quota bucket.
- How long can a YouTube video be?
- 15 minutes until your account is verified; after that, up to 12 hours or 256 GB, whichever comes first.
- When does the YouTube upload limit reset?
- The Data API quota resets at midnight Pacific Time. YouTube does not publish when a channel’s own daily limit resets.