YouTube Shorts Scripts: How to Keep Viewers Watching for 60 Seconds

On Shorts, the viewer's thumb is always ready to scroll. You have just 1 to 2 seconds to win them over, which is why a Shorts script is completely different from a long-video script.

Structure: hook, value, loop

• Hook (0 to 2 seconds): lead with the most interesting thing. "90% of people make this mistake" or "Nobody lives in this city."

• Value (3 to 50 seconds): one point only, three short steps or one short story. Keep every sentence short.

• Loop or call to action (last 5 seconds): an ending that connects back to the start so the video replays, or a short question for the comments.

Fewer words, more impact

A 60-second Short fits roughly 130 to 160 words. Write more and the voiceover becomes too fast. Keep each sentence under 8 to 10 words and cut filler like "and then" or "so basically".

An example

"Do you know which city is the oldest in the world? No, it is not in Egypt. It is Jericho, where people have lived for 11,000 years. Its walls are among the oldest ever built by humans. Next time someone asks, you will know the answer. Which city do you think comes second?"

Voiceover tips

Shorts need a slightly faster, more energetic voice. In CIVE you can raise the voice speed and pick an energetic voice. Always add captions, because many people watch Shorts with the sound off.

From Shorts to long videos

Shorts bring in new viewers; long videos bring watch hours and revenue. Cut 2 or 3 Shorts from every long video, and mention the long video at the end of each Short. CIVE's Script AI can also write a separate short script for Shorts.