What Is End Screens Traffic on YouTube? Full Guide

End Screens Traffic

End Screens traffic is YouTube Analytics traffic generated when a viewer clicks a video or playlist element in a creator's end screen and watches the selected content.

End screens appear during the final 5–20 seconds of eligible videos. They can promote videos, playlists, subscriptions, channels, and—when eligible—external websites. Only clicks that lead to your video traffic are classified as End Screens traffic for that destination video.

What Can an End Screen Show?

• Your most recently uploaded video
• A video selected by YouTube as best for the viewer
• A specific public or Unlisted video
• A public or Unlisted playlist
• A Subscribe element
• Another channel
• An eligible external website for qualifying YPP creators

For standard 16:9 videos, YouTube allows up to four end-screen elements. Other aspect ratios can have a lower limit.

End Screens Traffic vs. End-Screen Click Rate

Metric	What It Measures	Where to Use It
End Screens traffic	Views attributed to clicks from creator end screens	Reach and traffic-source analysis for the destination video
End screen element click rate	How often viewers clicked each displayed end-screen element	Engagement analysis for the source video
Top end screen element types	Relative performance of video, playlist, subscribe, channel, or other supported element types	Channel-level end-screen comparison
Top videos by end screen	Videos whose end screens received the most clicks	Identify strong source videos

Traffic answers where a destination view came from. Click rate evaluates how well the source video's elements were clicked.

Where Can You See End Screens Traffic?

1. Open YouTube Studio.
2. Select Analytics.
3. Open Content for channel-level reporting or a video's Reach tab.
4. Find How viewers find your videos.
5. Review End Screens in the traffic-source list.

This shows views arriving at the analyzed content from creator end screens.

Where Can You See End-Screen Click Metrics?

1. Open the source video in YouTube Studio.
2. Select Analytics.
3. Open the Engagement tab.
4. Review End screen element click rate.

At channel level, use Top end screen element types and Top videos by end screen.

When Are End Screens Available?

YouTube's current requirements include:

• The video must be at least 25 seconds long.
• Elements can appear during the last 5–20 seconds.
• End screens are not available on videos set as Made for Kids.
• They are not shown in YouTube Music or YouTube Kids apps.
• They are unavailable on mobile web, with an iPad mobile-web exception noted by YouTube.
• They are unavailable for Flash and 360 videos.

Why Might an End Screen Not Appear?

• The viewer hides it.
• The video or device is not eligible.
• The video is Made for Kids.
• The viewer is using an unsupported app or surface.
• YouTube adjusts how the end screen appears based on performance, viewer behavior, device, or context.
• The element timing or placement is poor.
• The video was edited and the end-screen timing became invalid.

YouTube says an end screen may not always show or may appear differently than designed.

End Screens vs. Video Cards

Feature	Timing	Traffic Source
End screen	Final 5–20 seconds	End Screens
Video card	Creator-selected point during the video	Video Cards
Link in description	Below or alongside video information	Suggested Videos can include description links to another video under YouTube's current source definition

Do End-Screen Elements Count as Impressions?

No. YouTube says content displayed inside the video player, including cards and end screens, is not counted as a registered thumbnail impression.

An end-screen click can generate a destination view without contributing to the destination video's YouTube impressions funnel.

How to Choose the Next Video

The strongest end-screen choice usually continues the viewer's current intent.

• Send a beginner tutorial to the next lesson.
• Send a product review to a comparison or setup guide.
• Send a story episode to the next episode.
• Send a broad explainer to a deeper demonstration.
• Use a playlist when several videos form one path.

A popular but unrelated video may receive fewer useful clicks than a smaller but highly relevant next step.

Specific Video vs. Best for Viewer

Choice	Advantage	Risk
Specific video	Direct strategic control over the next step	May become outdated or irrelevant to some viewers
Most recent upload	Automatically promotes the newest video	The newest topic may not match the source video
Best for viewer	YouTube selects a channel video it believes suits the individual viewer	The creator gives up control over the exact destination
Playlist	Offers an organized series or topic path	The playlist may be too broad or poorly ordered

How to Design the Final 20 Seconds

1. Decide the desired next action before filming or editing.
2. Leave visual space for the elements.
3. Avoid placing essential text behind the overlays.
4. Verbally explain why the next video is relevant.
5. Keep the viewer's attention through the end.
6. Use music and pacing that support continuation.
7. Preview placement on different screen sizes.

End Screens and Audience Retention

An end screen cannot drive traffic if viewers leave before it appears. Review the final retention section to see whether:

• The conclusion is too long.
• The value ends before the elements appear.
• The creator signals that the video is over too early.
• The call to action lacks a reason.
• The next video is unrelated.

End-screen performance depends on both element appeal and the number of viewers who reach the final seconds.

End Screens and Video Editing

Using the YouTube Trim Tool can change the video's runtime and disrupt end-screen timing. Review end-screen placement after any saved trim.

Studio Editor changes are not revertible through the former Revert to original feature, so preserve the master and verify interactive elements before saving.

End Screens and Made for Kids

End screens are unavailable for videos set as Made for Kids. Even previously added elements will not appear after the audience designation is changed.

Creators of children's content should plan navigation using the features YouTube permits for that audience.

Can an End Screen Link to Another Channel's Video?

The Video or Playlist element can feature a public or Unlisted video or playlist from your channel or another channel. A separate Channel element can promote another channel with a custom message.

Choose third-party destinations carefully because the resulting viewer journey leaves your own content library.

How to Evaluate End Screens Traffic

1. Review traffic arriving at destination videos from End Screens.
2. Review element click rate on the source videos.
3. Compare specific-video, playlist, and Best-for-viewer choices.
4. Check final-segment retention.
5. Measure watch time after the click.
6. Update weak or outdated destinations.
7. Test relevant verbal calls to action.

Common End-Screens-Traffic Mistakes

• Confusing traffic with element click rate.
• Assuming end-screen displays count as impressions.
• Choosing an unrelated popular video.
• Letting viewers leave before the elements appear.
• Covering important visual information.
• Forgetting that viewers can hide end screens.
• Ignoring device and Made-for-Kids limitations.
• Trimming a video without resetting element timing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is End Screens traffic?

It is traffic to a video from clicks on creator end-screen video or playlist elements.

Is End Screens traffic the same as end-screen click rate?

No. Traffic counts attributed destination views; click rate measures how often source-video elements were clicked.

Do end screens count as thumbnail impressions?

No. YouTube excludes content inside the player, including end screens, from registered impressions.

Why did my end screen not show?

Eligibility, device, audience setting, viewer choice, and YouTube's contextual display adjustments can affect whether and how it appears.