YouTube End Screens and Cards are these features allowing embedding clickable elements promoting other videos or subscribing to channels or external websites. These are the interactive features that are shown in form of overlays either during the video or at its end. Knowing the functioning principles of these features helps viewers to manage them in order to discover more related content or control their impact on video watching experience.
What are YouTube End Screens
End screens are elements appearing at the end of the video in 5-20 seconds. Clickable elements of the end screen redirect viewers to other videos, playlists, channels or subscribe buttons. End screens became one of the key instruments helping creators to increase watch time and raise the popularity of their channels.
What are YouTube Cards
Cards are those small interactive elements appearing anywhere within the video and marked by the circled “i” icon in the top right corner of the video player. When viewers tap on the icon, it expands showing links to related videos, playlists, channels, polls or external sites. In comparison to end screens, cards may appear anywhere within the video according to the placement set by the creator.
Types of End Screen Elements
- Video Suggestions – Video thumbnails suggesting viewers to watch a particular video or the latest upload of the channel.
- Playlist Link – Card redirects viewers to the full playlist.
- Subscribe Button – Circular icon allowing subscribing to the channel in one tap.
- Channel Promotion – Link to another YouTube channel promoted by the creator.
- External Link – Website link approved by YouTube for channels meeting certain eligibility criteria.
- Impact of End Screens and Cards on Viewers
- Content discovery – End screens and cards suggest viewers watching related content that they cannot find with the help of search.
- Viewing flow – They provide viewers with the path to related content and help to smooth the process of watching.
- Overlay obstruction – End screens may overlap the last seconds of the video preventing viewers from watching important closing information in the video.
- Accidental clicks – On mobile devices, end screen elements may be clicked accidentally during the playback control.
End Screens and Cards in YouTube Vanced
YouTube Vanced provides viewers with the same end screens and cards as the official app. Viewers may tap on the elements in order to discover related videos, subscribe to channels or see the playlists. Transition to the next piece of content due to clicking on the end screens occurs without any ads and viewers transition smoothly to the next piece of content.
With SponsorBlock, viewers may automatically skip the outro part of the videos containing end screens and find themselves in the next video. With Vanced MicroG account sync, subscribers created with the help of end screen buttons will be added to the account instantly.
Controlling End Screens Behavior
- Click to interact – Viewers should click on any end screen element in order to visit the link to suggested content.
- Ignore it if it is not necessary – Viewers should just leave the video unwatched if they do not need to visit any suggestions.
- Configure SponsorBlock – It is possible to configure SponsorBlock in order to skip the outro part containing end screens.
- Drag the progress bar backwards – Viewers should drag the progress bar if end screens overlap the important content in the end of the video.
Who Should Know About End Screens?
- Active viewers – Users interested in efficient navigation through related content with the help of suggestions of creators.
- New channel viewers – Viewers discovering new creators with the help of cross-promotion of channels in end screens.
- Focused viewers – Viewers interested in controlling their viewing flow and not being forced to watch something they have not chosen.
- Content creators – YouTubers optimizing end screens to the maximum effect.
Conclusion
YouTube End Screens and Cards become powerful navigation tools connecting viewers with related content. With efficient usage by creators, they help to discover the content efficiently and create smooth viewing flows. As a viewer, the knowledge about these elements will help to use them for finding interesting content or ignoring. YouTube Vanced allows smooth end screen transitions without any ads and SponsorBlock may skip the outro part if it is needed.
