YouTube Cards: What They Are & How to Use Them (2026)

YouTube cards are small, interactive notifications that pop up during your video. They’re one of the most underused features for driving viewers to other content. Here’s how to use them effectively.

What Are YouTube Cards?

Cards are clickable elements that appear as a small “i” icon in the top right of your video. When a viewer clicks the icon (or taps on mobile), the card expands to show a link — to another video, playlist, channel, or external website.

You can add up to 5 cards per video, and each card appears at a specific timestamp you choose.

Types of YouTube Cards

Video Card

Links to another video on YouTube. Shows the video thumbnail, title, and channel name. Best for:

• Linking to related content
• Promoting your best videos
• Redirecting viewers when you mention another video

Playlist Card

Links to a YouTube playlist. Best for:

• Guiding viewers to a series
• Promoting curated playlists
• Increasing session watch time

Channel Card

Links to another YouTube channel. Best for:

• Crediting collaborators
• Promoting a second channel
• Shoutouts to other creators

Link Card (YPP Only)

Links to an external website. Only available to YouTube Partner Program members. Best for:

• Promoting merchandise
• Linking to your website
• Driving traffic to products or services

How to Add Cards to Your Videos

1. Open YouTube Studio
2. Click Content in the left sidebar
3. Select the video you want to edit
4. Click Editor in the left sidebar
5. Click the Cards icon (playing card with “i”)
6. Click + Card at the timestamp where you want it
7. Choose the card type and select the target
8. Adjust the timestamp if needed
9. Click Save

Best Practices for YouTube Cards

1. Time Cards to Verbal Cues

The most effective card strategy is to mention the linked content verbally and add the card at that exact moment:

“I made a full tutorial on this — check it out” → card appears at this timestamp

Cards with verbal cues get 3–5x more clicks than cards placed randomly.

2. Place Cards at Drop-Off Points

Check your audience retention graph in YouTube Analytics. Where viewers typically drop off, add a card to redirect them to another video instead of losing them entirely.

3. Don’t Overuse Cards

Just because you can add 5 cards doesn’t mean you should. Too many cards feel spammy. For most videos:

• Short videos (under 5 min): 1–2 cards
• Medium videos (5–15 min): 2–3 cards
• Long videos (15+ min): 3–5 cards

4. Link to Relevant Content

Cards work best when the linked content is directly relevant to what the viewer is currently watching. A cooking video should link to other recipes, not your unrelated vlog.

5. Use Cards for Mid-Video Links, End Screens for Outros

Cards are best for moments during the video when you naturally reference other content. End screens are better for the final call-to-action at the end.

6. Front-Load Important Cards

Your most important card should appear early in the video — before the biggest drop-off in viewer retention. If 40% of viewers leave by the halfway point, don’t put your most important card at the end.

Cards vs End Screens

Feature	Cards	End Screens
When they appear	Anytime during video	Last 5–20 seconds
Max per video	5	4 elements
Size	Small notification	Large overlay
Subscribe option	No	Yes
External links	Yes (YPP)	Yes (YPP)
Best for	Mid-video references	Final call-to-action

Use both together for maximum impact. Cards catch viewers during the video, and end screens capture them at the end.

How to Check Card Performance

1. Go to YouTube Studio > Analytics
2. Click Content tab
3. Select a specific video
4. Look for Card clicks and Card click rate

Average card click rate is around 1–3%. If yours is below 1%, your cards may not be well-timed or the linked content isn’t relevant enough.

Common Card Mistakes

1. Adding cards with no verbal mention — viewers ignore the small “i” icon unless prompted
2. Linking to irrelevant content — low relevance = low clicks
3. Cards at the very start — viewers haven’t built interest yet, too early for links
4. Overlapping with important visuals — cards appear in the top right, avoid placing key content there

Cards on Mobile

On mobile devices, cards appear as a small notification at the top of the video. Viewers tap to expand. Mobile cards have lower click rates than desktop, but since mobile makes up 70%+ of YouTube views, they’re still important.

For more ways to optimize your videos and grow your channel, check out our free YouTube tools including our Tag Generator, Title Generator, and Engagement Rate Calculator.