Best Time to Post on YouTube in 2026 (Data Guide)

YouTube videos take a lot of time and effort to make. And every content creator knows how bad it feels when a video they put their heart and soul into making doesn’t perform well. However, there are a few ways to ensure a video’s success, and one of the most overlooked methods is posting videos on YouTube at the right time.

So, when is the best time to post on YouTube? And how do you find out the optimal time to upload video content?

The thing is, there is no “one-size-fits-all” time slot. But, we can help you find out the best timings for your YouYube channel.

But first, let’s learn why it is important to post content at the right time.

Importance of posting YouTube videos at the optimal time

There is no doubt that the usefulness and impact of the content determine whether or not the YouTube algorithm will recommend your videos to more people. However, the time at which you post videos on YouTube is also very, very important. And that’s mostly because, ultimately, it determines how many people will come across and watch your videos.

(Note: The same rule applies to all other social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.)

Optimal time refers to the times when users are the most active on a platform. It’s a time when the traffic is higher than usual. Posting times vary depending on the age group, demographics, geographic location, habits, and other traits of the target audience, which can be analyzed on YouTube Studio Analytics. If you post a video when everyone who may be interested in the content is online, there’s a good chance that they will see your video.

So, if you want the most number of people in your target audience to watch your videos with minimal effort, post your content at the right time. If you don’t, you’ll have to rely solely on the quality, content, and active promotions to get views. Even then, these methods may not be as effective as uploading the videos within a particular window.

So, when is the right time to upload your YouTube videos?

To make your videos perform well on YouTube, you should aim to post the content when the majority of your target audience is online and active on the platform. When you upload videos when most of the people are active, your content reach and engagement will increase.

Although there is no consensus on the best time for posting YouTube videos, most estimates are around what we have mentioned below.

Best days to post on YouTube

According to Pew Research Center data on social media usage patterns, the best time of the week to upload videos on YouTube is during the weekend – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It’s the time when most people are free and want some entertainment to help them relax. Technically, people start winding down from the afternoon onwards on Friday, so the best time to post content would be after 12PM. Most people spend the whole of Saturday on rest and relaxation. It is, by far, the best day to post videos for the most engagement and views. On Sundays, people are still relaxing, but they are also gearing up for the workweek. Moreover, many people spend Saturdays and Sundays with family and friends, and they might be occupied for most of the day. So, you should consider posting in the mornings on these days.

The weekdays are generally considered to not have much traffic on YouTube, but days like Wednesday and Thursday seem to be good days to post YouTube videos. Mondays and Tuesdays are considered to be some of the worst days on which to upload YouTube videos.

While the days we have mentioned above are generally accepted as good days to post on YouTube, it may not be accurate for all channels. That is why many YouTubers post 3 to 4 times a week to get the best results.

Best times to post on YouTube

According to Sprout Social data published, engagement trends vary by industry, but late afternoons and weekends are often considered the best times to post videos. However, it is generally agreed that, on Saturdays and Sundays, most of the posting should be in the morning and afternoon. Looking at those estimations, we can provide you with a general idea of when you can post your videos.

Please note that the time slots we’ve mentioned are all in the Eastern Time Zone (EST), so you need to adjust it according to your viewers’ time zones. Also, there are plenty of factors on which these timings depend (which we will see soon), so the best place to get accurate information would be from your channel analytics.

Pro tip: Post your video 1 to 2 hours before the peak time to get the most visibility through YouTube’s search and recommendation algorithm.

How to find out the best time to post YouTube videos?

There are plenty of different opinions out there about what is the best time to post videos on YouTube. Some of the estimates can be around the same time and others can give conflicting opinions, so all this information can be overwhelming and confusing. So, if you would rather try and figure out for yourself the optimal posting time for your channel, you can use these various ways.

YouTube analytics and audience report

You can find the channel analytics in the YouTube Studio section. To get information on user behavior, click on the “Audience” tab and go over the data and graphs shown.

You’ll find plenty of data here about your audience demographics and when they are watching your videos. Since we are talking about the optimal video posting time, you should head to the second graph, named “When your viewers are on YouTube.” It’s where you’ll get information on when your audience is active and engaging with your videos.

As you can see in the image above, some colors are dark and some are much lighter. The darker colors are an indication of when your viewers are most present on the platform to watch your videos. The lighter shades are when they are the least active.

You can keep a track of this graph to spot trends in the time slots and plan your posting schedule accordingly. You should have no trouble figuring out when to post your videos if you are uploading content more than once a week. However, if you are posting only once a week, then upload your video one day before the peak day (the day when there are the most dark shades). Videos get the most viewership in the first two days after they are posted, so make the best of the time slots.

Real time data

Sometimes, if your channel is new or you don’t have enough viewers, the “Audience” tab might just show you a blank page. If that’s the case, there’s no reason to worry. Simply go to the “Overview” tab and look at the “Realtime” box on the right side. Here, you’ll get information on the number of subscribers and views per hour (for the last 48 hours). For more details, you can click on “See more” and get a pop-up window.

Getting the proper time slot here can be a little complicated because you need to manually populate the real-time information for a long time. Once you have the data, mark the highs and lows to identify when your audience is the most active. It is quite a tedious process, but it’s worth it because you can still get information on user activity on your channel. If you find this method too troublesome and time-consuming, the next option might just be for you.

Using other sources to find the optimal time to post on YouTube

Apart from YouTube, there are various third-party tools that can help you figure out which time slots are the best for your content. Some examples of such marketing tools include SocialPilot, TubeBuddy, and Buffer.

Best times suggested by the experts

Goals and objectives

If your objective is purely to entertain your viewers, you should be posting just before they are ready to relax. It could be during the evenings or on the weekend. If your goal is to sell or market your products (for B2B), you may want to consider posting during the weekdays when the target audience will be at the office.

Time zones

When choosing the best time to upload your YouTube videos, you must consider the time zones of your viewers. If you are making a video for viewers in a particular time zone (different from yours), you can use YouTube’s scheduling feature to schedule it for the right time. You can also restrict the viewership if it’s not meant for other time zones.

User behavior

YouTube provides different tools and insight to creators so they can increase their visibility. One such tool is Analytics where you can see the times at which your viewers are most active and where they are located. You can use this information to decide when to upload your YouTube videos.

Trending topics

When it comes to trending topics and other trends, sometimes what matters most is how quickly you post the video. Some trends fade away quickly and some topics remain in the people’s minds only for a short time. So, if you want to join the trend or use a hot topic for viral marketing, you can post your video at any time of the day.

Types of Content

The type of content also matters when deciding when to post your content. Certain types of content do well during certain parts of the day. For example, a podcast might work well in the mornings when the viewer is commuting to work. Or a recipe video might do well in the evening before people start making dinner. Instructional videos, on the other hand, may work well during the day when someone looks it up at work.

Over to you now

Making YouTube videos is tough. You have to plan the content and film and edit the videos to make them look good for your viewers. Since you are investing your time and money into your channel, you want it to grow and your videos to reach the most number of people. Apart from ensuring usefulness, quality, and channel optimization, the best thing you can do is post at the right time.

In practice, publishing 1–2 hours before peak audience activity often results in stronger early engagement metrics. Now that you know the best time to post videos on YouTube or, at the very least, how to figure out the optimal time, you should be able to make the best out of your video content. Make the best use of the knowledge you have got here and watch your YouTube channel and business grow.