DOHOO
publish_at to upload now and go public later. Daily Shorts without daily uploading.Interface note: The public REST reference documents immediate YouTube publishing with fileId and a separate thumbnail endpoint. Fields such as scheduledAt, publish_at, and thumbnail_url belong to the live DOHOO MCP tools.
Shorts is the cheapest discovery surface YouTube has ever offered: the Shorts shelf pushes content from channels viewers have never seen. The channels that win are simply the ones that show up daily — which is a scheduling problem, not a content problem.
What Makes a Video a "Short"
No special flag exists — classification is automatic when the video meets the spec:
- Aspect ratio: vertical 9:16 (1080×1920)
- Length: ≤ 60 seconds
- Optional:
#Shortsin the title/description (not required, mildly helps discovery)
Scheduling a Short
{
"connectionId": "813",
"fileUrl": "https://mediastorage.dohoo.ai/file/...",
"title": "3 automations that saved us 15 hrs/week #Shorts", // max 100 chars
"description": "Full breakdown on the channel.\n\nTools used: …", // max 5,000 chars
"tags": ["automation", "smm", "productivity"],
"category": "22",
"scheduledAt": "2026-07-15T17:00:00",
"timezone": "America/New_York"
}
Exact field limits:
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
title |
100 characters |
description |
5,000 characters, \n supported |
tags |
keyword array |
category |
YouTube category ID ("22" = People & Blogs, "10" = Music) |
visibility |
public / private / unlisted |
Two Scheduling Modes — Pick Deliberately
| Mode | Parameter | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| DOHOO scheduler | scheduledAt + IANA timezone |
the whole upload is deferred until the local publish time |
| YouTube native | publish_at (ISO with offset/Z) |
video uploads now, sits private, flips public at the set time |
Never combine both in one call. Use native publish_at when you want the video pre-uploaded (e.g. coordinated launches); use the DOHOO scheduler for everyday calendar automation.
The Daily Shorts System
- Batch-record or slice 7 Shorts from long-form content (repurposing guide)
- Bulk-upload → 7
fileUrls - Schedule one per day at your audience's active hour
- Audit weekly with
platform: "youtube", status: "all"— failures return anerrorMessage(e.g. thumbnail rejected on an unverified channel)
Bonus: the same 9:16 clip is valid for TikTok, Reels, and Facebook Reels — schedule all four surfaces from the one fileUrl in the same run.
FAQ
Do I need to mark the video as a Short?
No — Eligible square or vertical videos up to 3 minutes can be categorized as Shorts. A sub-60-second vertical file remains a conservative choice for reuse across several short-form platforms.
Can I set a custom thumbnail?
Yes, via thumbnail_url (jpg/png) — requires a verified YouTube channel; thumbnails can also be set after publishing by video ID.
Can Shorts be scheduled weeks ahead?
Yes — any future scheduledAt works; there's no native 10-day-style window.
Does scheduling itself reduce Shorts performance?
YouTube does not document scheduling as a ranking penalty. Performance still depends on viewer response, content quality, policy compliance, and other recommendation signals.