YouTube Kids app

Optimizing family-friendly videos is especially important for creating a great viewing experience on the YouTube Kids app. Since sticking to general best practices is a given, consider these extra tips that can help drive views and engagement from audiences using the app.

Target your audience

• Create family-friendly content

  While there’s no guarantee that a channel or video will be included in the YouTube Kids app at this time, creating family-friendly content is the very first step. Here are a few tips to help you out:

  • Avoid elements that may exclude your videos from the app such as adult language, nudity, sexual situations, violence, drug use, etc. Note: this is not a full list.
  • Consider taking advantage of YouTube’s two-step login authentication to help keep your account safe from hackers that can undermine all you do to make your channel a great place for families.

• Make videos easier to find with titles

  Just like YouTube, the Kids app uses rich metadata to properly index and surface videos. But, because titles are the only type of metadata that’s visible to mobile viewers, it is a valuable piece of real estate, so try to craft titles with these ideas in mind:

  • Length: Videos appearing in the app’s ‘Search Results’ and on the ‘Channel Page’ accommodate up to 65 characters of title text. Concise titles that fit into this character limit can help ensure they are easily readable wherever they’re seen in the app.
  • Keywords: Videos that display recognizable and frequently searched-for keywords at the beginning of their titles can capture audience attention quickly and effectively. Try to avoid adding misleading metadata because it is a violation of YouTube’s community guidelines.
  • Episodes: Creators often include episode numbers in their titles to let audiences know that there are additional videos for them to enjoy if they liked what they just watched.

  See it in action

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    Metadata is key
    VEVO includes the most pertinent keywords up-front and center - helping their videos surface prominently in YouTube Kids search results.
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    Tell a story with your title and thumbnail
    Pocoyo’s titles always reinforce its thumbnails. They also include episode numbers to let people know there are more videos to enjoy if they liked the one they just watched.

• Make videos easier to find with thumbnails

  YouTube Kids is a highly visual app that’s designed to be experienced by families of all ages and reading abilities. Creating attention-grabbing graphics can help videos stand out and attract viewers:

  • Branding: Some creators include branding, such as a channel logo or icon, directly on the thumbnail to help audiences recognize their channels when browsing for videos.
  • Topics: Young viewers (and their parents) frequently enjoy seeing visual indicators of a video’s content right in the thumbnail (e.g. sports, games, songs, etc) to help them decide what to watch.
  • Characters: Because kids are often drawn to their favorite characters, many channels feature those characters directly on the thumbnail to capture audience attention.
  • Supplementary information: Some creators display additional details in their thumbnails (e.g. video length, target age group, etc) to help families find the right videos and playlists for them.

  See it in action

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    Watermarks can attract viewers
    Sesame Street includes logos based on video themes in its thumbnails (e.g. songs, parodies, celebs, etc), which help their viewers decide what to watch.
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    Time stamps set the stage
    TuTiTuTV frequently shows a video’s length in its thumbnails to help audiences find clips long or short enough to enjoy during a given session.

• Make videos easier to find with descriptions and tags

  While descriptions and tags are not publicly visible within the app, they are both important sources of metadata that help power written and voice search. Optimize both just as you would for YouTube.

  See it in action

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    Encourage discovery
    Descriptions and tags are both rich sources of metadata that help audiences find the content they want while using any discovery mechanism in the app.
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    Consider your video description
    Sesame Street creates custom video descriptions that help audiences and YouTube’s discovery systems alike, quickly and easily understand what each video is about.

• Make channels memorable with an icon and banner

  Branding can go a long way in helping families recognize channels and know what to expect from them. Because the channel icon and banner are pulled directly from YouTube, and appear in many areas of the app, you may want to keep these strategies in mind:

  • Specs: Uploading banners at 100% of the allowable file specs (2560x1440) helps ensure the graphics display properly across the app - otherwise, you may see white stripes above and below the banner which can make the channel name hard to read.
  • Text: Because mobile screens are smaller than computer screens, text in the icon and banner can become hard to read if the font is too small. Check to make sure these elements are clear on all devices.
  • Colors: Aside from uploading eye-catching colorful visuals, it’s important to consider how your channel title appears on top of the banner. Channel names are oftentimes displayed in a light color, so vibrant and high-contrast banners can really help the title pop.

  See it in action

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    Branding helps your channel look distinct
    Channels with well optimized icons and banners typically stand out and capture audience’s interest better than default options.
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    Choose colorful images
    HISHE Kids features a bold and colorful icon (A) and banner (B) which work together to help the channel stand out to fans as they search for what to watch.

• Make channels memorable with branding bumpers

  Families frequently fall in love with specific channels and watch them any time they can. Many successful creators utilize branding strategies, like theme music or a bumper that help families remember channels and ask for them by name.

  See it in action

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    Branding bumpers can be creative
    Pocoyo uses a brief branding introduction to reinforce its channel name across all videos and sometimes uses it to get audiences in the holiday spirit.
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    A musical introduction can help kids recall your channel
    Storybots starts and ends each video with a quick, fun bumper animation. It includes a voice calling out “Storybots” to help kids remember the brand.

• Organize content using sections

  Content on the YouTube Kids App closely mirrors a channel’s layout on YouTube.com, so think strategically about which channel page sections you display, when, and in what order:

  • Sequencing: Because the first four unique videos within each section are displayed most prominently on the app channel screen, creators can influence which videos audiences see by displaying certain sections above others, and certain videos before others within those sections. Note: featuring a “Recent Uploads” section at the top can help ensure channel visitors always see the newest content first.
  • Sections based on themes: Sections can be used to promote topically relevant and interesting content during specific times of the year (e.g. Halloween, Summertime Recipes, etc.)
  • Names: Keep in mind that section names do not transfer from a YouTube.com channel to the YouTube Kids app.

  See it in action

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    Sesame Street features “Recent Uploads” section
    Sesame Street displays a variety of sections on its YouTube.com channel, but promotes “Recent Uploads” at the top to help viewers easily find their newest videos.
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    Section videos are prominent on channel screen
    Channel pages in the app display the first four unique videos within each section, but do not include the name of the original section.

• Organize videos using playlists

  Some families love to watch multiple videos in a session. Customizing their viewing sessions with playlists makes it easier for them to enjoy your videos.

  See it in action

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    Creating playlists based on video type
    Mother Goose Club groups videos into playlists organized by video topic, songs, popularity, etc. These playlists are then discoverable within the app.
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    Playlists help viewers lean back and enjoy
    By viewing within a playlist, Mother Goose Club audiences enter an auto-play experience that has been shown to increase the number of views per session.

• Reach a global audience

  More than 80% of YouTube’s watch time comes from outside the United States, and for many family channels that percentage is even higher. Adding closed captions and subtitles can help channels effectively reach global audiences.

  See it in action

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    Grow your international audience with captions
    Coilbook uses multilingual captions to reach viewers around the world and make its educational videos understandable for viewers around the world.
  • 
    Language-specific channels can increase your global reach
    TuTiTuTV (originally made in English) created several language-specific channels to reach and provide an even more enjoyable experience for its global fan base.

• Know your audience

  Interests can be wide ranging and changing over time despite age groups. It's helpful to define who your intended audience is, and in as much detail as possible.

  See it in action

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    Super Simple Songs caters to toddlers
    Super Simple Songs has grown its massive audience in large part by creating songs that appeal to families with toddlers.
  • 
    Define your niche
    Geek Gurl Diaries is clear in its approach to reaching an underserved audience of tween and teen girls that love topics related to science and technology.

• Be consistent

  The number one piece of advice from top YouTube creators is usually to be consistent. Whether it’s your upload schedule, characters, or show format, consistency is crucial to building an audience.

  See it in action

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    Regular characters bring families back for more
    Thomas & Friends is consistent in its characters, who appear in every video no matter what the type or category.
  • 
    Busy Beavers gives a similar look and feel to their programming
    Busy Beavers has a wide variety of content, but remains consistent thanks to their bright animated style.

• Feature a central character

  Young viewers (and their parents) respond to bright, charismatic characters who talk to them directly. High energy and peculiar voices can also help. Featuring these types of characters may help increase engagement and fan loyalty.

  See it in action

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    Pocoyo translates to every language
    Worldwide fans of the Pocoyo series have come to love it thanks to the curious toddler and his band of colorful friends.
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    Hosts can be memorable too
    Viewers of Cool School enjoy watching Ms. Booksy, a friendly host who introduces various stories, and appears in corresponding animations.

• Make the most of music and sound

  Families respond strongly to music in general. Consider upbeat themes and sing-alongs as a powerful way to engage viewers and gain repeat views.

  Hear it in action

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    Music videos can help drive views
    Muffin Songs has clearly recognized the power of music, uploading animations of children’s classics and their own original music videos.
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    Music-themed videos are built into the YouTube Kids experience
    YouTube Kids features an entire section within the app for music-themed videos.

• Keep it simple and clear

  Naturally, younger audiences are new learners to the world and can’t understand complex ideas just yet. Consider making videos around singular topics and guide viewers in a clear, straightforward manner.

  See it in action

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    Keeping it simple with truck types
    The TwentyTrucks channel uses a simple and digestible format for their content, often featuring an individual type of vehicle in each video.
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    Simplicity with a single letter
    KidsTV123 frequently uploads videos around singular topics like a specific animal, holiday, or letter in the alphabet.

• Capture attention early on

  Explore creative ways to captivate your audience early in the video to keep them engaged with your content.

  See it in action

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    Hook them with each thumbnail
    Sesame Street is quick to deliver on the promise of their title and thumbnail in every video, especially when they feature celebrity guests.
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    Kickstart your video with imagination
    Mother Goose Club starts each of their videos with a burst of music, color, and motion. Take a look at how much is achieved in just the first ten seconds of this video.

• Experiment with interactivity

  Encourage interaction, whether by singing along, making crafts, or asking parents to submit items to be featured. Interactivity can be the difference between watching content and being thrilled by it.

  See it in action

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    Pocoyo featured viewer drawings in a fun and inventive way
    This not only thrills the people who drew these pictures, but shows others you’re willing to involve and have fun with your audience.
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    Invite your audience to participate
    Channel KidsTV123 has several interactive videos, including “Same or Different”, which encourages families to play along and speak aloud.

• Let kids teach you

  Many of the most successful creators in this category make videos based on what their own kids like, not what the adults think they like. Watch and learn from the kids around you.

  See it in action

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    Research helps classic family programming shine
    Sesame Street was originally developed in the late 1960s with educational advisers, researchers, and producers all collaborating as equal partners.
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    Kids know what kids like
    The Happy Family Show produces content both for families by kids themselves. This has likely been key to their channel reaching nearly 100M views.