How to Convert YouTube Videos into Vertical Clips
You can turn a horizontal YouTube video into several vertical clips by choosing useful segments, applying a 9:16 template and publishing them through a clipping workflow. You don’t have to film a separate video for every platform.
I was struggling to balance long YouTube videos with short-form content, and it was affecting how consistently I published. The workflow below is the one I demonstrated to reuse those videos. The video shows an older interface; the instructions here reflect the current clipping and publishing options.
Disclosure: I’m an affiliate and may earn a commission if you sign up through my links.
Keep your YouTube videos working in more places
I like YouTube because useful videos can keep getting found through search. In my original walkthrough, I talked about videos still receiving views seven years after publication. Short clips give you another way to introduce that existing content to people.
The practical goal is simple: take one useful idea from a longer video and make it understandable on its own. A short clip needs a beginning and an ending, even when the full video contains much more detail.
What you need before starting
Use a YouTube video you own, a connected destination account and Repurpose. Start with one destination so you can check the result before adding more.
There are two parts to this process: selecting a short segment and fitting it into a vertical layout. A template handles the layout; you still need to choose a segment worth watching.
1. Connect YouTube and create a clips workflow
Add YouTube and your destination under Connections. A source supplies the original content; a destination receives the finished clip. In the current dashboard, choose Create Clips and select the source and destination.
My demonstrated setup starts with YouTube → TikTok. You can choose a different supported destination if that better matches your publishing routine. For a YouTube Shorts destination, select YouTube and the Shorts type.
Keep the first workflow focused on one route. You can expand distribution after you have checked a finished clip.
2. Turn the horizontal video into a vertical layout
Open Templates and choose a predefined vertical design, or create a Video to Video template in Vertical (9:16) format. Customize the headline area, background, colors and caption placement, then select the template in your workflow settings and save.
In my example, the horizontal video sits inside a vertical canvas, leaving room for a headline and captions. This keeps the original frame visible. Preview carefully: a screen recording that looks clear on a desktop may be too small to read on a phone.
You can also use a Canva background. Keep the design simple enough that the video remains the main focus. See the current template guide for the available controls.
3. Choose the strongest moments and set clip boundaries
Open the workflow and select Create Clips beside the source video. Set the start and end times, give the clip a meaningful title, and use Play Clip to preview the whole segment. Repeat for each useful idea.
My recommendation is to spend a little time tightening these choices. Start where the point becomes interesting, remove unnecessary setup and finish after a complete thought. A chapter boundary is a starting point, but it may not make a good short clip by itself.
The current tool saves the Clip Details changes when you close that popup with its upper-right X; clicking outside it does not save them. The snippet-tool instructions cover this behavior.
4. Use timestamps to prepare clips faster
Repurpose can detect timestamps in the YouTube description and create snippets from them. A start time uses the workflow’s default snippet duration. To specify both boundaries, write a range such as 1:00 - 1:45 A useful takeaway on its own line.
That is different from the Auto Snippet Creation option, which creates one clip using a configured starting point and duration. Timestamp-based detection can create several.
I prefer reviewing the suggested clips before publishing. The extra attention goes into the hook, context and ending rather than rebuilding each video from scratch. See timestamp formatting for more examples.
5. Preview, publish and check the destination
Preview the vertical layout and check that the headline, captions and important details are readable. Publish or schedule one clip, then open the result on the destination platform before automating a larger batch.
Repurpose now supports direct publishing to TikTok. The notification-and-finish-in-the-TikTok-app step in my older video is no longer the only publishing route. Check the available options for your connected account.
For YouTube Shorts, the current workflow supports square or vertical videos up to three minutes. Set the preferred Shorts duration to 60 seconds or three minutes as appropriate. A shorter clip can still be the better choice when it delivers the idea clearly. See the Shorts workflow requirements.
6. Reuse the finished clips across platforms
In my demonstrated setup, TikTok becomes the source for additional workflows to Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and other destinations. I chose that approach so I could prepare the short clips once, then redistribute those versions.
Keep track of which workflow sends each video to each destination so you don’t publish duplicate copies. Adjust the description and other available destination settings where needed.
Use the TikTok-to-Reels and Shorts tutorial for that distribution stage. If you also want stored copies of your videos, see the YouTube backup and reposting guide.
What does this workflow cost?
The public Starter plan is currently $35 per month or $349 billed annually, in USD, checked September 17, 2026. The $25 price mentioned in the older video is no longer the current public monthly price.
You can use my extended 30-day trial to test the workflow. Check the publishing allowance shown during signup. No credit card is required for the trial.
Compare the subscription with the editing and uploading work it would actually remove from your routine. My full Repurpose review covers the broader buying decision.
When should you use an AI clipping tool instead?
This workflow is useful when you know which parts of a video you want to reuse, or already have helpful timestamps. If your priority is having AI suggest moments from a long recording, my OpusClip and Repurpose walkthrough covers that separate approach.
Clipping and distribution solve different problems. Choose the tools that help with the parts taking up your time, and review the result before publishing.
Start with one video and a few useful clips
Pick an existing YouTube video with a few clear takeaways. Create a vertical template, prepare the clips, and test one destination. Once that works, add the other platforms you actually want to maintain.
My free resources include starting points for building your content system, and the repurposing video playlist covers more examples. You don’t need to implement every possible format at once.
