How to trim a YouTube video after uploading it

You have already uploaded your YouTube video and found a long pause or a section you want to remove. You can trim it in YouTube Studio without uploading it again. Here is how to mark the beginning, end, or a cut in the middle and review the result before saving.

Before you edit, save a copy of the source file: YouTube says you cannot use “Revert to original” to undo saved Editor changes since June 2025. (YouTube Help: Trim your videos)

Check whether the video is eligible

You need a computer, and the video must be shorter than six hours. You can trim the beginning or end, or cut a section from the middle without uploading a replacement. The video keeps the same URL, view count, and comments.

If an unedited video has more than 100,000 views, YouTube may prevent you from saving an edit, except for face blur. This restriction does not apply to channels in the YouTube Partner Program. Check the notice in Studio before you make changes. (YouTube Help: Trim your videos)

Trim the beginning or end

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio on a computer with the channel that owns the video.
2. Open Content, then click the video’s title or thumbnail.
3. Select Editor in the left menu, then choose Trim & cut. A blue box marks the part you will keep.
4. Drag either edge of the blue box until it covers the video you want to keep. Anything outside the box will be removed.
5. Select Preview and review the cut. Save only after you are satisfied with the result and have a copy of the original.

Remove a section from the middle

1. In the video’s Editor, open Trim & cut and select New Cut. A red box appears on the timeline.
2. Drag the edges of the red box over the section you want to remove. The parts outside that box stay in the video.
3. If you know the timecodes, enter them in the time boxes. Confirm the cut with the checkmark icon, then select Preview to check the edit.
4. Click Save when the cut looks right. Remember that you cannot revert a saved edit to the original using Studio’s Revert to original feature.

Before saving, you can undo a cut or choose Discard changes to cancel the edit. Once the change is applied, open the video at its usual URL and play across the cut. Check that the sentence and picture continue as you intended.

YouTube documents both editing paths, the preview, and the save limit for high-view unedited videos in its trim and cut instructions. If you need to hide a face or detail instead of removing footage, see how to blur faces and objects in a YouTube video. For a different change, you can also correct YouTube captions or add chapters.

For a Content ID claim on music, see how to remove or replace claimed audio on YouTube and review the options before saving.