YouTube has quietly released a new feature called “End Screens” that are meant to keep viewers engaged after a video ends. The feature is still in beta and only available to select channels, but will soon be available to all channels. This will be a powerful tool that every channel should put to use to increase engagement and watch time, so read on for more information on exactly how it works.

How End Screens Work

End screens are similar to YouTube Cards except they are more visible and can be customized more extensively than cards can. End screens will display during the last 5-20 seconds of a video and will include up to 4 "elements" (which are just pieces of content that are added to the end screen) and can be applied to customize the viewer’s end of video experience. The elements created in the end screen can be expanded or hovered over for links and more details. Just like YouTube Cards, end screens will show on both mobile and desktop devices.

What End Screens Display

The end screens can include content to direct viewers to other videos or playlists that the channel wants to promote, or another separate channel on YouTube. End Screens can also be used to point viewers towards external sites or direct viewers to subscribe to a channel. The user will be able to add custom images, titles, and messages to the elements of the end screens.

Best Practices

When using end screens, make sure to include content that is relevant to your video. Setting different timings for individual end screen elements can help them appear in sequence, instead of having them all pop up at the same time. The end screens are best utilized when you include calls to action for viewers to click on the actual content in an end screen. To determine how end screens will work best for your channel, you will be able to access end screen metrics in YouTube Analytics, similar to the metrics available for annotations and cards.