Is this preview built specifically for YouTube?

No — it is the same multi-platform post-preview tool as our general preview, arranged so YouTube’s default view and questions are easy to find from a YouTube-specific search.

Does the preview upload or store my caption or image?

No, the preview renders entirely in your browser from the text and image URL you provide; nothing is uploaded, saved, or sent to a server.

Does this preview match YouTube exactly, pixel for pixel?

YouTube does not publish its own truncation rules, so the cutoff shown here is a third-party measurement rather than an official figure, and can shift with app version, screen width and device. Treat it as a close estimate, not a pixel-perfect render.

Can I preview the same caption on other platforms too?

Yes, use the platform tabs above the preview to see the identical caption rendered against every other platform this tool supports, without retyping it.

Why does my caption look different in the real YouTube app?

Font rendering, line-wrapping and the exact truncation point can vary by device and app version; this preview approximates the layout closely but is not pixel-identical to every device.

Free tool

YouTube post preview

This YouTube post preview shows how your caption and image will actually render in YouTube’s own feed, including the point where YouTube cuts the caption off behind "Show more" and a reader has to tap to read the rest. It is the exact same preview engine as our general social media post preview tool — this page just defaults to YouTube and answers YouTube-specific questions below it. Third-party measurement (YouTube does not publish this), checked September 2026.

Platform

Your caption

Image URL (optional)

The watch-page description shows roughly the first 157 characters (about 3 lines) before "Show more". A Shorts description is displayed differently and is not modeled by this tool — only the standard watch-page description is.

YouTube preview

Your accountYouTube · just now

No image URL entered

We just shipped a big update to how bulk imports work. Here's a quick look at what changed and why it makes scheduling a month of content faster than before. Show more

Truncated after 157 characters — 28 more characters are hidden behind "Show more".

How to use the YouTube post preview

Paste your YouTube caption. Type or paste your draft YouTube caption into the box; nothing you type is uploaded anywhere.
Add an image URL (optional). Paste a public image URL to see it in the mockup frame, or leave it blank to preview the caption alone.
Confirm YouTube is selected. This page opens with YouTube selected; switch platforms in the tabs above the preview to compare.
Read the truncation point. The preview greys out the part of the caption that falls past YouTube’s real "more" cutoff, so you can see what a scrolling reader sees before they tap through.
Move your hook earlier if it is cut off. If your key message or call to action falls in the greyed-out part, move it earlier in the caption so it survives the cutoff.

Worked examples

YouTube’s real truncation point

YouTube’s watch-page description shows roughly the first 157 characters before "Show more" appears. The watch-page description shows roughly the first 157 characters (about 3 lines) before "Show more". A Shorts description is displayed differently and is not modeled by this tool — only the standard watch-page description is.

A caption that survives the cutoff

A 320-character caption with its hook in the first 80 characters reads completely for a scrolling YouTube viewer even though the rest is hidden behind "Show more".