YouTube Shorts Analytics: Track Performance And Grow Your Channel

Learn how YouTube Shorts analytics helps you measure performance. Track key metrics, understand viewer behavior, and make better short videos. Moreover, edit your short videos like a pro in CapCut to boost online growth.

CapCut
CapCut
Mar 19, 2025
60 min(s)

Creating short videos on YouTube is a great way to reach a wider audience, but success depends on understanding viewer behavior. Short-form content performs differently from long videos, requiring a focused analysis of key metrics.

Therefore, this article explains how YouTube Shorts analytics work and how creators can use this data to improve their content.

Table of content
  1. What is YouTube Short analytics
  2. 5 key metrics to monitor YouTube Short analytics
  3. How to find YouTube Shorts insights on desktop
  4. How to see YouTube Short analytics on mobile
  5. Tips to boost retention time on YouTube Shorts
  6. Create eye-catching short videos for YouTube: CapCut desktop
  7. Conclusion
  8. FAQs

What is YouTube Short analytics

YouTube Shorts analytics is a data system that shows how short videos perform on YouTube. It tracks views, watch time, audience engagement, and traffic sources in detail. Creators can use this valuable information to understand what works best and refine strategies. Studying these insights helps improve content quality, increase visibility, and grow a successful channel.

What is YouTube Short analytics

5 key metrics to monitor YouTube Short analytics

Monitoring the right data helps creators understand what works best for their short videos. YouTube Shorts analytics tracks important details that show how videos perform. Focusing on key metrics helps improve content and reach more viewers. Here are 5 important metrics that should be monitored:

  • Views and watch time

These numbers show how many people watched the video and how long they stayed. YouTube Shorts analytics helps creators see which videos keep viewers engaged. A high watch time means the content is interesting and holds attention.

  • Shown in feed

This metric shows how often YouTube places a Short in the Shorts feed. A higher number means the video is getting more exposure. By analyzing the YouTube Shorts analytics, creators understand what kind of content YouTube pushes to more users.

  • Subscribers

This shows how many new subscribers a video brings to a channel. A good YouTube Shorts analysis helps creators see which videos attract the most followers. More subscribers mean more chances for future videos to get views.

  • Click-through rate (CTR)

CTR tells how many people clicked on the video after seeing its thumbnail. A high CTR means the title and thumbnail are attractive. With YouTube Shorts analytics, creators can test different thumbnails to improve clicks.

  • Traffic sources

This shows where views come from, such as the Shorts feed, search, or external links. YouTube Shorts analytics enables the creators to find the best ways to reach more viewers. Understanding traffic sources helps improve video promotion.

How to find YouTube Shorts insights on desktop

Checking video performance helps creators improve their content. YouTube Shorts metrics provide views, watch time, and audience engagement data. Creators can track insights for a specific Short or get an overview of their channel's Shorts performance. Follow these steps to access and analyze your Shorts data easily:

    STEP 1
  1. Open YouTube Studio

Log into YouTube Studio on your desktop by clicking your profile picture on YouTube and selecting "YouTube Studio." This is where all video analytics are available.

Opening the YouTube Studio on a desktop
    STEP 2
  1. View analytics for a specific Short

Click the "Content" tab from the left-hand menu to see all uploaded videos. Hover over a Short, click the "Analytics" icon, and view detailed YouTube Shorts analytics for that video.

Viewing the YouTube Short analytics for a specific video
    STEP 3
  1. Check overall Shorts performance

Go to the "Analytics" tab in YouTube Studio for broader YouTube Shorts insights. Click "See More" under Views, then "Traffic Source," and select "YouTube Shorts" to filter Shorts-specific data.

Checking the overall performance through YouTube Shorts analytics

How to see YouTube Short analytics on mobile

Creators who prefer using their phones can track video performance through the YouTube Studio app. YouTube Shorts analytics on mobile helps monitor views, engagement, and audience insights anytime, anywhere. The app provides quick access to key metrics, making it easy to analyze Shorts' performance. Here is how you can check your Shorts data on mobile:

    STEP 1
  1. Open the YouTube Studio app

Download and log into the YouTube Studio app on your phone. This app gives access to all channel analytics, including Shorts performance.

    STEP 2
  1. Access the analytics section

Tap on the "Analytics" tab at the bottom of the screen. Here, you'll find an overview of your YouTube Shorts analytics, including views and audience engagement.

    STEP 3
  1. Explore detailed reports

Tap on different analytics tabs to see in-depth data. Checking metrics like watch time and traffic sources helps improve Short content strategy.

Showing how to see the YouTube Shorts analytics on mobile

Tips to boost retention time on YouTube Shorts

Keeping viewers watching for longer helps boost a Short's performance. YouTube Shorts analytics tracks retention time, showing how long people stay engaged. Improving this metric increases the chances of getting more views and better reach. Here are some tips to keep viewers watching until the end:

  • Strong hook at the start

The first few seconds decide whether viewers stay engaged or scroll away. A surprising fact, interesting question, or eye-catching visual can instantly grab attention. YouTube Shorts metrics show that videos with strong, engaging openings have higher watch time and audience retention. CapCut’s editing features, like dynamic intro templates, can help create attention-grabbing openings for your Shorts.

  • Fast-paced, engaging content

Short videos need quick cuts, smooth transitions, and dynamic visuals to keep interest. Avoid slow introductions, unnecessary pauses, or overly long explanations. YouTube Shorts analytics helps identify drop-off points, showing where most viewers lose interest and stop watching. CapCut’s fast editing tools and transitions can help maintain a smooth flow and keep the energy high throughout your Short.

  • Use captions and text

Many viewers watch Shorts without sound, so on-screen text helps keep them engaged and focused. Captions highlight key points, emphasize important moments, and make content easier to follow. YouTube Shorts metrics show that videos with text elements often have better retention and engagement rates. CapCut makes it easy to add and style captions, ensuring your message is clear even without sound.

  • Clear call to action

Encouraging likes, comments, shares, or follows keeps viewers engaged and interested. A simple CTA at the end can increase overall audience interaction and response. YouTube Shorts analytics tracks engagement, showing how CTAs work and impact retention. CapCut’s text editor and stickers allow you to seamlessly add call-to-action text or animation at the end of your video to boost engagement.

  • Optimal short length

Too long videos may lose viewers, while very short ones may not provide enough value or impact. Testing different lengths helps find the perfect balance for audience engagement. YouTube Shorts metrics show the best-performing durations based on detailed audience behavior and preferences. With CapCut, you can quickly trim longer videos to fit the ideal length for Shorts, ensuring maximum viewer retention.

Create eye-catching short videos for YouTube: CapCut desktop

Creating engaging Shorts requires smooth editing, fast cuts, and eye-catching effects. The CapCut desktop video editor makes this process easy with powerful yet simple tools. It helps add captions, convert text to speech, and generate AI fonts with just a few taps. With CapCut, creators can quickly edit and enhance their videos for better engagement.

Interface of the CapCut desktop video editor - a user-friendly way to edit YouTube videos

Key features

CapCut's desktop video editor provides essential tools for creating engaging YouTube Shorts quickly. Here are some key features that help enhance short-form content:

  • Convert long videos to short clips

Easily convert long videos to short, shareable clips while keeping key moments, audience interest, and engagement intact for better reach and visibility.

  • Unique YouTube Short templates

CapCut's pre-made templates help create eye-catching Shorts with stylish effects, smooth transitions, and professional-looking designs.

  • Adjustable aspect ratio

Quickly switch between different aspect ratios to fit YouTube Shorts perfectly on various screen sizes and platforms.

  • Efficient AI voice changer

Use the voice changer to transform voices for creative storytelling or add unique audio effects effortlessly to enhance video engagement and quality.

  • Instant auto caption generation

Automatically generate accurate captions to improve accessibility, boost retention, and increase viewer interaction.

How to make a short video in CapCut

Download and install CapCut on your desktop to start creating Shorts easily. Open the software, import your video, and trim, edit, or enhance it with effects and captions. Users can download it by clicking the button below.

    STEP 1
  1. Import the video

Launch the CapCut desktop video editor and import your video by clicking "Import" or dragging it into the workspace. Then, move it to the timeline to start editing.

Importing a video into the CapCut desktop video editor
    STEP 2
  1. Edit the video

Start by trimming the video to remove any unwanted footage. Use "Auto reframe" to adjust the aspect ratio to fit YouTube Shorts for optimal viewing. Moreover, click the video, go to "AI stylize," and apply an AI effect to enhance visuals. Besides this, you can click "Video">"Remove BG" to eliminate background and add engaging elements. Finally, click "Captions" > "Auto captions" > Select the spoken language > "Generate" to add subtitles to make the content more accessible and visually appealing.

Auto reframing and editing the video in the CapCut desktop video editor
    STEP 3
  1. Export and share

Once your edits are done, click "Export," select the resolution and format, and press "Export" again to save the video. You can also share it on YouTube by clicking "Share."

Exporting a video from the CapCut desktop video editor

Conclusion

Analyzing YouTube Shorts analytics helps creators understand what works best and improve their content strategy. Tracking key metrics like views, watch time, and engagement ensures better video optimization. High retention and audience interaction increase the chances of Shorts being recommended to more viewers. Creating engaging and well-edited videos is just as important as tracking performance. CapCut's desktop video editor provides powerful tools to edit, refine, and enhance Shorts for better results.

FAQs

    1
  1. How to track views using YouTube Shorts analysis?

Go to the Shorts analytics in YouTube Studio and check the "Views" section for real-time and total views. Analyze watch time, audience retention, and traffic sources for deeper insights. A higher view count means better engagement and content reach. Use CapCut's desktop video editor to refine and enhance your Shorts for better performance.

    2
  1. What insights can YouTube Shorts analytics provide?

YouTube Shorts analytics provides data on views, watch time, audience engagement, traffic sources, and subscriber growth. These insights help creators understand what content resonates with viewers. Tracking these metrics improves video performance and reach. Use CapCut's desktop video editor to create high-quality, engaging Shorts that attract more viewers.

    3
  1. How to analyze viewer demographics of a YouTube Short?

Open YouTube Shorts analytics in YouTube Studio and navigate to the "Audience" tab to view age, gender, location, and watch time data. These insights help tailor content to the right audience. Understanding demographics improves targeting and content strategy. Moreover, tools like CapCut can create targeted content with customizable templates, multilingual captions, and versatile effects.