The best time to post on YouTube is 2 PM to 4 PM on weekdays, and 9 AM to 12 PM on weekends. That split makes sense: people watch on their lunch break or after work on weekdays, and earlier in the day when they’re off. All times here are EST, so convert them to your audience’s own timezone before scheduling.
Posting before 9 AM on a weekday tends to underperform, since most of the weekday audience isn’t watching yet.
Day by day
| Day | Best hours | How busy |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM | Low-medium |
| Tuesday | 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM | Low-medium |
| Wednesday | 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM | Medium |
| Thursday | 12 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM | High |
| Friday | 12 PM, 2 PM, 3 PM, 4 PM | High |
| Saturday | 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM | High |
| Sunday | 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, 12 PM | Medium-high |
The YouTube posting time tool converts this table into your own timezone for you.
Why these are a starting point and not an answer
This table is built from aggregate viewing behavior across a wide range of channels, and your audience is not the aggregate. A channel aimed at students who watch after school and a channel aimed at working professionals who watch on their commute are not online at the same hour, even on the same weekday.
If your viewers are mostly outside the US, use their local clock, not EST. Check YouTube Studio for where your audience actually is before you lean on any general table, this one included.
How to find your own best time
Take a video format you publish regularly and release it at two different times over a few weeks, keeping length and topic style similar. Compare early views and watch time in the first 48 hours rather than total lifetime views, since that early window is what a general table can actually help predict.
YouTube Studio’s audience tab shows exactly when your subscribers are on YouTube. That’s a much sharper signal than any general table, because it’s built from your actual viewers.
What matters more than timing
Publishing on a predictable schedule matters more than hitting the exact hour, since subscribers learn when to expect a new video. The thumbnail and title decide whether someone clicks at all, before a viewer ever gets to the video itself. The first 15 seconds of the video decide whether they stay.
Timing gives a strong upload a small edge. It won’t rescue a video nobody wanted to click on.