How to Copy a YouTube Shorts Link

Copying a YouTube Shorts link seems simple, but depending on your device, the process can look a little different. A Short shared from the mobile app might open in a completely different player than one clicked from a desktop website, and that can change the viewer's experience. This guide will walk you through every method for grabbing a Shorts link on any device and will give you a few pro tips for sharing that link effectively.

Why You Need the Right YouTube Shorts Link

Before we get into the step-by-step instructions, it helps to understand why grabbing the correct link is so important for marketers, creators, and social media managers. A simple link is a powerful tool for:

• Repurposing Content: Sharing your vertical video across other platforms like Instagram Stories, a LinkedIn post, or X (formerly Twitter) is a smart way to maximize its reach. Having the direct link makes this process seamless.
• Collaboration and Approvals: If you're working with a team or clients, you'll need to share direct links for feedback and approval before a video goes public or is used in a wider campaign.
• Email Newsletters and Blog Posts: Embedding a Short or linking to it in a newsletter can add dynamic, engaging content that breaks up long blocks of text and captures your audience's attention.
• Building a Content Library: Many brands keep a master spreadsheet or document of their best-performing content. Saving the direct links allows you to quickly find and reference successful videos later on.
• Scheduling with Social Media Tools: When using a social media management platform, you often need the direct URL to schedule a post for a later date, helping you maintain a consistent content calendar.

Getting the right link ensures the content is presented exactly as you intended - as quick, immersive, vertical video - no matter where you share it.

How to Copy a YouTube Shorts Link on Mobile (iPhone & Android)

The YouTube mobile app is where most people watch and engage with Shorts. Luckily, the process for copying a link is identical for both iPhone and Android users. Here’s how to do it.

From the Shorts Feed

This is the most common scenario. You're scrolling through the endless stream of vertical videos in the main Shorts feed and find one you want to save or share. The process only takes three quick taps.

1. Navigate to the Shorts tab in the YouTube app and find the video you want to share.
2. On the right side of the screen, look for the menu of icons (Like, Dislike, Comments). Tap the Share icon, which looks like a curved arrow pointing to the right.
3. A menu will slide up from the bottom of the screen with various sharing options. Tap the Copy link icon. The URL is now copied to your device's clipboard, ready to be pasted anywhere you need it.

From a Creator’s Channel Page

If you're looking for a specific Short from a particular creator, you might navigate directly to their channel. The process is just as simple.

1. Go to the creator's YouTube channel page.
2. Tap the Shorts tab in the channel's menu to see all of their uploaded Shorts.
3. When you find the one you need, tap on it. It will open up full-screen in the Shorts player.
4. Just like in the main feed, tap the Share icon (the curved arrow) on the right-hand side.
5. From the pop-up menu, select Copy link.

That's it! In both cases, the link will be in the format youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID, which is the perfect format for mobile viewing.

How to Copy a YouTube Shorts Link on Desktop

Watching YouTube Shorts on a desktop or laptop computer is a slightly different experience, and so is getting the link. There are two main ways a Short can appear, and each has its own method for copying the URL.

Method 1: When the Video is in the Shorts Player

Often, when you click a Short thumbnail from the YouTube homepage or search results, it will open in a dedicated, dark-themed vertical 'Shorts player.' This interface mimics the mobile experience.

1. Once the Short is playing in the dedicated vertical player, look at the right-hand panel where you see the video's details.
2. Find and click the Share button, which has the same curved arrow icon as the mobile app.
3. A "Share" window will pop up, displaying the video link. Click the blue COPY button right next to the link.

This method gives you the preferred /shorts/ URL format, which is ideal if you plan to share it with an audience that's likely on mobile.

Method 2: When the Video is in the Standard Player

Sometimes, particularly if you find a Short through a direct link or from an external website, it might open in the classic, horizontal YouTube video player. When this happens, you have a couple of options.

• Copy from the Address Bar: The easiest way is to simply click on your browser’s address bar at the top of the page. The full URL will be highlighted, you can then right-click and select "Copy" or use the keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+C on Windows, Cmd+C on Mac).
• Copy from the Video Player: You can also right-click anywhere on the video player itself. A menu will appear. Select Copy video URL to save the link to your clipboard.

It's important to note that these methods will give you a standard youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID URL. While this link works perfectly fine, it won't always direct users to the immersive Shorts player. And that brings up a really important distinction.

The “shorts/” URL vs. the “watch?v=” URL: What's the Big Deal?

So, you've noticed there are two types of links for the exact same video. Does it really matter which one you use? For marketers and creators looking to provide the best user experience, the answer is yes.

• https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID This is the native Shorts link. When a user on a mobile device clicks this link, it opens the video directly in the vertical, full-screen Shorts player. This is the intended experience: fast, immersive, and built for swiping. This is the link you almost always want when sharing to other social platforms.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID This is the standard YouTube link format used for all long-form videos. If a user clicks this link, the Short may open in the classic horizontal player, complete with visible comments, a sidebar of recommended videos, and the channel's subscribe button. This can be distracting and pulls the viewer out of the quick, bite-sized experience.

The Pro-Tip for Fixing Links

What if you only have the /watch?v= link but want the superior Shorts experience? You can manually convert it yourself. It's incredibly easy.

Just take the standard link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABC123XYZ

And change it to the Shorts format by replacing /watch?v= with /shorts/:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ABC123XYZ

By making this quick edit, you ensure that anyone clicking your link gets the best possible viewing experience, especially on mobile devices.

Pro Tips for Sharing Your YouTube Shorts Links

Now that you can grab the perfect link every time, here’s how social media pros use those links to maximize engagement and traffic.

• Add a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA): Don't just paste a link and hope for the best. Tell people why they should click it. Phrases like, "See our latest project in action," "Learn this simple trick in 30 seconds," or "You won't believe what happened next" give your audience a compelling reason to engage.
• Provide Context Creatively: Instead of just writing "New Short," set the scene. If you're a real estate agent sharing a property Short on LinkedIn, you might write, "Take a quick tour of our new listing in under 60 seconds. The kitchen is stunning." This context makes the link more appealing and professional.
• Use Custom Thumbnails When Possible: Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn will often generate a preview when you paste a YouTube link. While you can't always control it, making sure your Short has an eye-catching first frame will help make the link preview more clickable.
• Group Links for a Bigger Story: You can use multiple Shorts links to create a mini-series or a collection. For example, in an email newsletter, you could feature three links under a headline like, "Catch Up On Our Top 3 Tips This Week." This gets more mileage out of your content from a single share.

Final Thoughts

Grabbing a link to a YouTube Short is straightforward on any device once you learn where to look and understand the subtle differences between link formats. Whether you're on the app or a desktop, a few clicks are all it takes to get the ideal URL for sharing, saving, or scheduling your video content.

Having your Shorts links ready is important, but successfully managing a full calendar of video content is often the real challenge. At Postbase, we built our social media scheduling tool from the ground up for the videos that drive engagement today, like Shorts, Reels, and TikToks. Our visual calendar makes planning effortless, and you can trust that your scheduled videos will publish reliably every single time - no mysterious post failures or constant account disconnects. By simplifying the workflow for today's most engaging formats, we focus on helping you reclaim time and manage your social media without the usual headaches.