YouTube interactive video features: how to use each one to grow your channel

YouTube's interactive features at a glance

YouTube's interactive features, from YouTube's help pages, checked October 2026

Feature	Where it works	What the viewer does	Limit to know
Related video link	Shorts	Taps through to a long video, live stream, or another Short on your channel	The target must be on your own channel
Stickers	Shorts	Votes in a poll, answers a quiz, or replies to a Q&A prompt	Polls and quizzes offer 2 options
Cards	Videos	Opens a video, playlist, channel, or website from a teaser	Up to 5 cards per video; Link cards need the YouTube Partner Program
End screens	Videos at least 25 seconds long	Picks the next video, a playlist, a channel, a website, or Subscribe	Last 5 to 20 seconds only, up to 4 elements on a 16:9 video, not on mobile web
Chapters	Videos	Jumps to a named section of the same video	At least 3 chapters, each at least 10 seconds long
Quizzes	Videos, added in YouTube Studio	Answers a multiple-choice question at a set time	Up to 10 quizzes per video; a saved quiz can't be edited
Post polls and quizzes	Your channel's Posts tab and viewers' feeds	Votes or answers between uploads	Up to 4 options; not on made-for-kids channels
Playlists	Any video	Watches your videos in the order you set	Cards can only link to a public playlist

Plan the path from a Short to your longer videos

Each feature fits a different point in a viewer's visit:

1. A Short reaches a new viewer and links to a long video with the Related video link.
2. Chapters let that viewer skip to the part the Short promised.
3. Cards point to related videos at the moment you mention them.
4. The end screen offers the next video or a playlist, plus a subscribe button.
5. Polls and quizzes in Posts give subscribers a reason to come back between uploads.

You don't need every step on every video. Start with a Related video link on each Short and an end screen on each long video, because those are the two moments when a viewer decides what to watch next.

Shorts: send viewers to the full video

YouTube says Shorts average more than 200 billion daily views (YouTube press page, checked October 2026), and a Short can be up to 3 minutes long. For more figures on the Shorts audience, see Global Media Insight's 2026 roundup of YouTube user statistics.

Add a Related video link

YouTube's July 2026 guide to growing long-form views with Shorts calls the Related video link the most effective tool for this. It adds a tappable link to the Short that opens a long video, a live stream, or another Short on your channel.

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Select Content from the left menu and click the Short.
3. In the right-side menu, click Related video and choose the target video.

Match the target to the Short. A quick tip should lead to the full tutorial, and a product clip should lead to the full review. Don't rely on links typed into the description or comments: YouTube made links in Shorts descriptions and comments unclickable in August 2023 to cut down on spam (TechCrunch, 2023).

Driving Traffic to Your Main Channel

Think of your Shorts as movie trailers for your main content. One of the smartest ways to use them is to create a compelling, 15-second teaser that poses a question or presents a choice, then points viewers to a longer video to see the full story unfold. You don't need anything fancy to pull this off. Even a beginner-friendly editor like Movavi Video Editor can trim your clip down and auto-crop your footage into a vertical format made for Shorts.

Build the ask into the end of the Short. YouTube's guide suggests saying the call to action out loud in the final 5 seconds and pointing on screen toward the Related video link. It also says the long video should deliver what the Short promised within its first 5 to 10 seconds, with no slow intro graphics. A DIY channel, for example, could show two finished tables for 10 seconds, ask which finish looks better, and link the full build video, with chapters for each finish.

Use poll, quiz, and Q&A stickers

After you record or upload a Short in the YouTube app, tap Sticker to add one of these, as described in YouTube's Shorts editing help:

• A poll sticker with 2 options. The poll stays open while the Short is published, and viewers can change their vote. It doesn't work on unlisted or private Shorts.
• A quiz sticker with a question and 2 answer options. The first option is the correct answer unless you change it. Viewers see whether they were right, and individual answers stay anonymous.
• A Q&A sticker with your question. Each reply becomes a public comment on the Short.

Ask something your next long video answers. When that video is live, set it as the Related video on the Short, so voters can tap straight to the result.

Cards: point to related videos mid-video

A card shows a short teaser at the time you set. Viewers tap the teaser, or the card icon, to open it. On mobile, the card icon shows whenever the player controls are on screen. To add a card, follow YouTube's info cards help:

1. In YouTube Studio, select Content and click the video.
2. Select Editor, then Info cards, and choose a card type: Video, Playlist, Channel, or Link. Link cards open an external website and require the YouTube Partner Program.
3. Set the start time below the video.
4. Add an optional message and teaser text. Channel cards require both.
5. Click Save.

You can add up to 5 cards to one video. Video and playlist cards must point to public videos and playlists. Cards don't show on videos set as made for kids, or on a video claimed through Content ID when the content owner runs a campaign. Time each card to the moment you mention the other video, and write the teaser as the reason to click, such as "Full lens test here".

End screens: offer the next video

An end screen appears in the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video, with up to 4 clickable elements on a standard 16:9 video. The video must be at least 25 seconds long. To add one, follow YouTube's end screen help:

1. In YouTube Studio, select Content and click the video.
2. Select Editor, then End screen.
3. Apply a template or add elements one at a time: a Video, a Playlist, Subscribe, a Channel, or a Link (Partner Program only).
4. Drag each element into place and set its start and end times.
5. Click Save.

A Video element can show your most recent upload, a specific video, or a video YouTube picks as best for each viewer. A specific video or playlist can be public or unlisted. Leave the last 20 seconds of your edit clear for the elements, and give each one a spoken reason to click. End screens don't show on mobile web (iPad excepted), in the YouTube Music or YouTube Kids apps, or on made-for-kids videos, and viewers can hide them.

Chapters: let viewers jump to what they came for

Chapters split a long video into named sections, each with its own preview in the progress bar. A viewer who arrives from a Short can skip straight to the part the Short promised instead of scrubbing through the whole video. To add chapters, open the video in YouTube Studio and list timestamps and titles in the description, following YouTube's chapters help:

• The first timestamp must be 00:00.
• List at least 3 timestamps in ascending order.
• Make each chapter at least 10 seconds long.

Your own timestamps override automatic chapters. If chapters don't work on your channel, YouTube says to apply for access to advanced features.

Quizzes in YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio can now add multiple-choice quizzes to a video at the times you pick: up to 10 quizzes per video, up to 4 answers each, one correct answer, and an optional explanation. Add them from the Details or Editor pane, or from the Video elements step during upload, as described in YouTube's help page on posts and quizzes. A saved quiz can't be edited, so proofread it first. If Quiz doesn't appear in Video elements, your channel may not have it yet. Try a quiz just before a reveal, so viewers commit to a guess and keep watching to check it.

Polls and quizzes in Posts

Posts reach subscribers between uploads. A post shows on your channel's Posts tab and may also appear in viewers' Home and Subscriptions feeds, and subscribers may get a notification. To create one, sign in to YouTube, select Create, then Create post, and choose a poll or a quiz:

• A text poll takes up to 4 answers of 65 characters each. An image poll takes up to 4 images with 36-character captions.
• A quiz takes up to 4 answers and one correct answer, plus an optional explanation of up to 500 characters.

Posts aren't available on channels set as made for kids or on supervised accounts, and YouTube limits how many posts a channel can make in 24 hours (YouTube posts help). For example, let subscribers vote on your next topic, make the winning video, then share it in a video post so the voters see the result.

Playlists: keep viewers watching in your order

A playlist plays your videos in the order you set, so the next video is your choice instead of a recommendation. Point end screens and cards at a playlist when a video is part of a series, and put series videos in one playlist before you promote any of them. You can also share a playlist in a post by pasting its link.

Measure what's working

• End screens: in YouTube Studio, open the video's Analytics, select Engagement, and find End screen element click rate. At channel level, Top end screen element types compares elements.
• Shorts: since March 31, 2025, YouTube counts a Shorts view every time a Short starts or replays. The older measure is now called Engaged views, and YouTube suggests it for comparing your Shorts (YouTube Shorts help).
• The path as a whole: note a long video's daily views before you link it from a Short, then compare the same number of days after.

YouTube Analytics reports totals. It shows how often viewers clicked, not which viewer clicked or what each one answered.

When YouTube's tools aren't enough

YouTube's features link viewers onward and ask simple questions. None of them can hold a video until the viewer answers, branch on an answer, or collect an email inside the player. If you need those for training, sales, or lead generation, read our guide to making an interactive YouTube video with questions and branching. Mindstamp can use a YouTube link as a test source, and you publish with the original file.

Common questions

What is an interactive video?

An interactive video lets the viewer act inside it: click, choose a path, or answer a question. On YouTube, the main examples are cards, end screens, and quizzes. Our explainer on what interactive video is covers the wider definition, and these interactive video examples show finished videos.

How many cards can I add to one video?

Up to 5. Place each one at the moment you mention the video it links to.

What is the difference between a card and an end screen?

A card appears during the video as a small teaser and opens one video, playlist, channel, or website. An end screen fills the last 5 to 20 seconds with up to 4 elements, including a subscribe button.

Can I still add a poll card?

No. Cards now come in four types: video, playlist, channel, and link. For a poll, use a Shorts poll sticker or a poll in Posts. For a question inside a long video, use a Studio quiz.

Do cards and end screens work on mobile?

Cards do. In the app, the card icon shows whenever the player controls are on screen. End screens show in the YouTube app but not on mobile web, except on iPad.

Do interactive features help a video rank?

YouTube doesn't publish a ranking effect for cards or end screens. They send viewers to more of your videos, and you can measure that with the end screen element click rate.