How to Add YouTube Shorts to a Playlist

Got a collection of brilliant YouTube Shorts and not sure how to organize them? Adding them to a playlist is one of the smartest things you can do to boost your channel's watch time, keep viewers engaged, and make your content easier to find. This guide walks you through exactly how to add Shorts to a playlist on any device and covers the key strategies to make your playlists a powerful tool for channel growth.

Why You Should Bother with Playlists for Your Shorts

You might be wondering if adding another task to your content workflow is even worth it. The answer is a resounding yes. Unlike regular videos that viewers often watch one at a time, Shorts are built for quick, consecutive consumption. Playlists lean into this behavior and amplify its benefits for your channel.

1. Skyrocket Your Watch Time with Autoplay

This is the most significant benefit. When a viewer watches a Short from a playlist, YouTube automatically plays the next Short in that sequence. This turns a single 15-second view into a much longer viewing session. Increased session duration sends a strong positive signal to the YouTube algorithm, telling it that viewers are enjoying your content. Better signals can lead to more impressions for your channel across the board.

2. Create a Seamless Binge-Watching Experience

Playlists allow you to organize your Shorts by topic, series, or theme. Imagine being a fitness creator, you could have separate playlists for "Sub-60 Second Workouts," "Quick & Healthy Recipes," and "Mindful Morning Stretches." When a new visitor lands on your channel and is interested in workouts, they don't have to scroll through your entire feed to find what they want. They can click on one playlist and dive right into a curated collection of relevant content. This makes your channel less of a random assortment of videos and more of a valuable, organized resource.

3. Showcase Your Best Content Pillars on Your Homepage

Your channel homepage is your storefront. It's your one chance to show visitors what your brand is all about. You can feature specific Shorts playlists directly on your homepage. This lets you guide the visitor experience. You can create a "Start Here!" playlist with your best introductory Shorts, a series showcasing a particular product, or a collection of your most viral hits. It turns scattered content into a purposeful introduction to your value.

4. Improve Your Channel's YouTube SEO

Every playlist you create on YouTube gets its own unique title, description, and URL. This is another opportunity to rank in YouTube search. A well-optimized playlist titled "Easy DIY Home Decor Ideas Under 5 Minutes" with a keyword-rich description is far more likely to be discovered than a single, unorganized Short. You're effectively creating new, searchable assets for your channel every time you build a thoughtful playlist.

The Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Shorts to Playlists

Now for the practical part. The process is simple and only takes a few clicks, but it varies slightly depending on whether you're on a computer or using your phone. We'll break down both methods so you're covered no matter where you're managing your channel.

Adding Shorts to Playlists on Desktop

The desktop version of YouTube offers the most control, including a fantastic bulk-add feature inside YouTube Studio that can save you a ton of time.

Method 1: From the YouTube Shorts Player

This is the quick and easy way to add Shorts you find while browsing, or to add one of your own videos without logging into your YouTube Studio.

• Step 1: Navigate to the YouTube Short you want to add to a playlist.
• Step 2: Look to the right-hand panel with the Like, Dislike, and Comment buttons. At the top of that panel, click the three vertical dots (the "More" menu).
• Step 3: In the dropdown menu that appears, click Save to playlist.
• Step 4: A box will pop up showing all your existing playlists. You can check the box next to one (or more!) of them to add the Short. If you want to create a new one, click + Create a new playlist at the top of the box.
• Step 5: If creating a new playlist, give it a name, set its privacy (Public, Unlisted, or Private), and click "Create." The Short will now be added.

Method 2: Bulk Adding From YouTube Studio

This is the real game-changer for creators wanting to organize their back catalog. If you have dozens of Shorts about a specific topic, you can add them all to a playlist in a few seconds.

• Step 1: Go to YouTube and click on your profile icon in the top right. Select YouTube Studio from the menu.
• Step 2: In the left-hand navigation bar, click on Content.
• Step 3: By default, this shows your long-form videos. Near the top of the page, click on the Shorts tab to see only your Shorts library.
• Step 4: Hover over a video's thumbnail and a checkbox will appear. Click the checkbox for every Short you want to add to the playlist. You can select up to 50 at a time.
• Step 5: Once you've selected your videos, a new black bar will appear at the top of the video list. Click on Add to playlist in this bar.
• Step 6: A pop-up will appear with your existing playlists. Select the one you want, and all your selected Shorts will be added instantly. This is incredibly efficient for organizing a new content series.

Adding Shorts to Playlists on Mobile (iOS & Android)

The mobile process is just as straightforward and mirrors adding a video from the desktop player. It’s perfect for when you're on the go and have an idea for a new collection.

• Step 1: Open the YouTube app and find the Short you wish to add.
• Step 2: Tap the three-dot menu (...) on the right side of the screen, typically located just above the "Remix" button.
• Step 3: A menu will slide up from the bottom of the screen. Tap Save to playlist.
• Step 4: You'll see a list of your recent playlists. You can tap one to add it there immediately. If the playlist you want isn't shown, or you want to create a new one, tap the blue + NEW PLAYLIST button at the top.
• Step 5: Give your new playlist a name and set its privacy settings. Tap CREATE, and your Short is now part of that list.

Best Practices for Creating Shorts Playlists That Actually Work

Just creating playlists isn’t enough. To truly make them an asset for your channel, they need to be strategic. Avoid the common mistake of just lumping all your videos into a single playlist called "My Shorts." Here's how to do it right.

1. Create Themed Collections, Not a Dumping Ground

Think like a librarian for your own content. Group your Shorts logically based on what a viewer would want to see next. If you're a travel vlogger, you could create playlists for "Paris Travel Tips," "Budget-Friendly Packing Hacks," or "Beautiful Landscapes." Each one serves a specific purpose and a different viewer interest, making your channel infinitely more valuable to newcomers.

2. Write SEO-Friendly Titles and Descriptions

Don't call your cooking playlist "Food." Be specific! A title like "Quick Vegan Dinner Recipes (Ready in 15 Mins)" is full of terms that people actually search for. Use the playlist description to expand on this. Briefly explain what the collection is about, who it's for, and include additional relevant keywords. Remember, YouTube is the world's second-largest search engine.

3. Put Your Best Short First

The first video in a playlist heavily influences whether a viewer will stick around for the second one. Always start your playlist with your strongest, most engaging, or highest-performing Short on that topic. This hooks the viewer and increases the chance they'll let the rest of the playlist autoplay. You can easily reorder videos inside a playlist by dragging and dropping them.

4. Feature Playlists on Your Channel Homepage

This is prime digital real estate! Use the "Customize Channel" option in YouTube Studio to add sections to your homepage. Dedicate several of these sections to your most important Shorts playlists. Position them "above the fold" (visible without scrolling) so new visitors immediately understand the value you offer and can jump right into a curated experience. This is one of the most underutilized tools for channel growth.

5. Update and Curate Regularly

Your playlists should be living things. Every time you upload a new Short, make it part of your workflow to add it to the correct playlist(s). Periodically review your playlists to remove outdated content or reorder videos for better flow. An up-to-date playlist signals to both viewers and the algorithm that your channel is active and well-maintained.

Final Thoughts

Organizing your YouTube Shorts into well-crafted playlists is a simple but powerful strategy to boost viewer engagement, increase watch time, and make your channel more attractive to both new visitors and the algorithm. By going beyond just posting and taking the extra step to curate your videos, you transform your channel from a simple feed into a structured library of valuable content.

Managing a consistent calendar across YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram can quickly become overwhelming, especially with the amount of short-form video required to stay relevant. We built our social media management tool, Postbase, because we grew tired of using platforms that were still stuck in the age of text posts. It’s designed from the ground up for today's video-first reality, so you can plan, schedule, and analyze your Shorts and Reels in one visual calendar without the constant glitches and connection errors of older tools.