What is the quick answer?
After uploading a Short, creators with advanced feature access can add a public or unlisted related video from their channel. Choose a video that complements the Short's viewer promise, then review the result with comparable uploads and YouTube Studio audience data. YouTube does not publish an AVPV metric, a fixed topic-matching rule, or a guarantee that a related video will improve retention,...
Key takeaways
- A creator with advanced feature access can add a related video from the same channel after uploading a Short.
- The related video must be public or unlisted and follow YouTube's Community Guidelines.
- Choose a video that genuinely complements the Short; YouTube does not publish a universal topic-matching rule or outcome guarantee.
- New, casual, and regular viewers describe watch behavior over time, not the number of videos watched in one session or a ranking score.
- Use comparable uploads and Studio audience context to decide whether to keep, replace, or remove a related-video selection.
Choose a Follow-Up That Complements the Short
Start with the viewer promise. A Short that demonstrates a quick editing step could link to the full tutorial, a closely related example, or a next-step video that answers the natural follow-up question.
Avoid presenting a loosely connected upload as a guaranteed retention or watch-time lever. YouTube does not publish a fixed topical-similarity rule, a best-performing-video rule, or a ranking benefit for a related-video link.
The interview that inspired this guide describes one operator's matching preference. Treat it as an idea to test against your own audience, not a platform rule.
Use Audience Segments as Context, Not a Conversion Score
YouTube's Audience tab separates monthly viewers by watch behavior. New viewers watched your channel for the first time in the selected period. Casual viewers watched at least once per month for one to five months in the past year, while regular viewers watched at least once per month for more than six months.
These segments can help you understand whether an audience is returning, but they are not a one-session video count, a subscriber requirement, a channel-authority score, or proof that a related video caused a change.
YouTube's own audience guidance recommends looking at consistent topics or formats, series, and community-building actions when you want to build loyalty. Use a related video as one potential content path within that broader viewer experience.
Set Up a Small, Comparable Test
Choose a small group of Shorts with a similar audience promise. For each, record the linked video and why it is a useful next step. Keep other major creative variables stable where possible.
Use YouTube Studio's Content and Audience reports to compare the uploads in context. Review the Shorts' own performance, traffic sources, unique or returning audience patterns, and the published content around the comparison period.
If the result is mixed, change one selection rule or stop using the link for that format. Do not add links to every Short, repeatedly change historical links, or claim a feature caused a recommendation outcome without supporting evidence.
- Confirm advanced feature access before planning the link.
- Choose a public or unlisted video from your channel that complements the Short.
- Record the viewer question the linked video is meant to answer.
- Compare the result with genuinely similar uploads in Studio.
- Keep, change, or remove the pattern based on audience context rather than a universal target.
What are the common questions?
How do you use related videos on YouTube Shorts?
After uploading a Short, creators with advanced feature access can select a public or unlisted video from their channel in YouTube Studio. Choose a video that complements the Short and review the outcome with comparable uploads rather than expecting a fixed result.
Do YouTube related videos hurt retention?
YouTube does not publish a universal retention effect for related videos. The feature is designed to complement a Short and encourage viewers to watch more of your content, but review your own comparable uploads before deciding how to use it.
What is AVPV on YouTube?
AVPV is not a published YouTube Studio metric or a documented recommendation target. Use the channel's Content and Audience reports to understand views, unique audience, returning behavior, and viewer segments in their proper context.
What video should you link as a related video?
Choose a public or unlisted video from your channel that gives the intended viewer a useful next step after the Short. YouTube does not publish a fixed topic-matching formula or name a universally best choice, so compare results with similar uploads.
Action checklist
Apply this to your channel today.
- 1Confirm that advanced feature access is available for the channel.
- 2Choose one public or unlisted video from your channel that answers the most natural follow-up to a Short.
- 3Add the related video in YouTube Studio after upload and record why you selected it.
- 4Compare the Short with similar uploads in the Content and Audience reports.
- 5Review new, casual, regular, and returning audience patterns as context rather than as a direct result of the link.
- 6Use Satura TrustScore as a secondary diagnostic, then verify the underlying video and audience context in YouTube Studio.
Sources & methodology
- YouTube's related-video guide documents the setup, advanced-feature access, eligible video status, and purpose of a related video on a Short.
- YouTube's audience-segment guide defines new, casual, and regular viewers by watch behavior over time and explains their limits.
- YouTube's Content tab analytics guide documents the reports creators can use to compare content and audience performance.
- YouTube's recommendation-system overview explains that recommendations are personalized and rely on different signals across surfaces.
- The source interview inspired the operator matching heuristic; it is presented here as one idea to test, not as a published YouTube rule.