Your YouTube channel exists, now what? Seven settings for the first week, from name and handle to banner, phone verification and a plan for your first three uploads. Feature facts from YouTube Help, Oct 2026.
You have created your YouTube channel. A few settings remain before your first upload: name and handle, picture and banner, channel description, phone verification, and a plan for your first three videos. This article starts after the channel exists. For the click-by-click creation steps, use YouTube's own help page, which Google already covers in detail. Feature facts are from YouTube Help, checked Oct 2026.
Key takeaways
- Set an easy-to-type name and handle first: the handle is in your channel link
- Verify your phone to unlock videos over 15 minutes and custom thumbnails
- Plan three first videos, mixing Shorts and long ones, then check the numbers
7 settings to make before your first upload
The order below goes from what viewers see first to what unlocks features. You can finish all of it in one week.
7 settings for week one
Done 0/7
The day-by-day table below is our suggestion, not a YouTube rule. Adjust it to your time.
Week one plan for a new channel
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
Channel name and handle: how to make it easy to remember
A YouTube channel has a channel name and a handle. The handle starts with @ and forms your channel link as youtube.com/@name. Per YouTube Help it also appears in comments, mentions, live chat and Shorts.
YouTube handle rules as stated
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
NoteSource and date
Summarised from YouTube Help on handles and on changing your handle, checked Oct 2026. If your YouTube Studio shows something different, follow the screen.
If the handle you want is taken, the help page suggests adding periods, numbers or underscores. Change it in YouTube Studio under customization, then profile. After changing the handle, click publish.
For the channel name, use a name that signals the topic and is easy to remember. An invented example: a creator making northern Thailand travel videos might use the channel name 'Northern Trips with Mai' and the handle @maitravelnorth, matching the name used on Instagram so people can follow across. The example is invented. For a naming method, see the TikTok username guide for shops, which uses the same principles.
Profile picture and banner
The profile picture and banner are the first things people see on your channel. Per YouTube Help, the profile picture should be square or round, and the banner is recommended at least 2560x1440 pixels so it looks right on every device. Keep the two looking like a set.
Do
Use a logo or a clear face that reads in a small circle
Put your upload schedule in the banner if you have one
Match colours and fonts with your Instagram or TikTok
Don't
Use text so small it cannot be read on a phone
Change the profile picture every week
Put key information near the edge where it can be cropped
Sizes and tips come from the YouTube Help page on channel profile picture and banner, checked Oct 2026. The do and don't lists are our advice.
Channel description and links: when are they clickable
The channel description should answer three things: what the channel is about, who it is for, and when you upload. Fill in this template.
Channel description
ExampleTry the fill-in
Channel Northern Trips with Mai makes videos about budget Chiang Mai trips for office workers who want weekend getaways. New videos every Saturday. Contact: a work email. All of this is invented.
On links: per YouTube Help on feature levels, clickable links in video descriptions and posts are an advanced feature. A new channel may not be able to post clickable links at first, so write contact details as plain text for now.
Verify your phone: what it unlocks
YouTube sorts channel features into three levels. Standard features work straight away. Intermediate features need phone verification. Advanced features need phone verification plus enough channel history, or identity verification with an ID or video.
YouTube channel features by level
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
Open YouTube Studio
In the left menu choose settings, then channel.
Choose feature eligibility
Open the feature eligibility tab and click verify phone number.
Receive the code and enter it
YouTube sends a code by text or voice call. Enter it to verify.
NoteSource and date
The table and steps are from YouTube Help on intermediate and advanced features, checked Oct 2026. Menu names can differ by language and version.
The same help page says ID or video verification is not available to every creator, and only the primary channel owner can verify identity. If you see the option on your channel, use it. If not, take the channel history route.
Channel home page and account security
You customize the channel home page in YouTube Studio under customization. Per YouTube Help on channel layout, you can set a channel trailer, a featured video and sections that viewers see on arrival. A new channel needs only one best video there. Add sections as the library grows.
One last thing before viewers arrive is security. Turn on 2-Step Verification for the Google account. YouTube's Partner Program page says it must be on before you join, and it also helps stop account takeover.
WarningGuard your password
A service that asks for your Google account password can get full access to your channel. If you already entered it, change your password at once and turn on 2-Step Verification.
Your first three videos: Shorts or long
The first video does not have to be perfect. Make three to see what viewers watch next. Per YouTube Help on Shorts, a Short can be up to 3 minutes, is a vertical video, and can be uploaded at up to 1080p.
Shorts compared with long videos
Scroll the table sideways to see the remaining columns
The numbers and order below are our advice, not a YouTube rule.
Video 1: a 3 to 8 minute long video that answers one viewer question, such as how much a 2-day Chiang Mai trip costs
Video 2: a Short cut from video 1, using only the most interesting moment
Video 3: another long video on a nearby topic, to see whether viewers keep watching
A title should use words people actually search, and a custom thumbnail needs phone verification first per the levels table. A title and thumbnail that read on a phone matter more than polish.
From week one to the monetization threshold
YouTube's full Partner Program threshold per the help page is 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months, or 1,000 subscribers with 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. You must have 2-Step Verification on and no active Community Guidelines strikes. Checked Oct 2026. There is also a first tier with lower thresholds, and the rules can change. See the full table and a monthly plan in YouTube 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours.
Article1,000 Subs and 4,000 Watch Hours: A Thai Creator's Roadmap to YouTube MonetizationYouTube monetization thresholds feel far away until you break them into monthly steps. A practical roadmap for Thai creators, with an honest look at starter subscribers.Watch hours and views are not the same number. To understand which number matters for what, see views vs watch hours. If you wonder what a view pays, see YouTube income per view, which explains there is no fixed figure.
ArticleDo Bought YouTube Views Count Toward Watch Hours?Do bought YouTube views count toward the watch hours you need to monetize? How views, watch hours and subscribers differ, what YouTube's policy says about artificial metrics, and the real route to the thresholds.A new channel with few subscribers often makes viewers hesitate before subscribing. If you want the numbers to look closer to the real channel, see YouTube subscribers and views or all YouTube services. Ordered numbers do not make your videos better, are not the watch hours YouTube counts toward its thresholds, and do not guarantee monetization or any result. To try first, see the free trial, which works only for services that offer one.
ServiceBuy YouTube Views, Subscribers & LikesAdd YouTube views, subscribers and likes. Paste a video or channel link, no password needed, check the price per 1,000, then pay with PromptPay.Questions about a new YouTube channel
What should I do first after creating a YouTube channel
Set the channel name and handle, upload a profile picture and banner, write a description, verify your phone, and plan your first three videos.
How long can a YouTube handle be
3 to 30 characters per YouTube Help, checked Oct 2026. Some scripts have different ranges.
How often can I change my YouTube handle
Twice in 14 days. YouTube holds the old handle for 14 days, per YouTube Help.
Do I need to verify my phone before my first upload
No. You can upload videos and Shorts at the standard level. Videos over 15 minutes, custom thumbnails and live streaming on a computer need phone verification first.
Why can I not click links in my video description
Per YouTube Help, clickable links are an advanced feature. A new channel may not have it yet. Write contact details as plain text for now.
Should a new channel start with Shorts or long videos
Try both in your first three videos and compare. The monetization thresholds for each differ. See the article on 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours.
Summary
After creating the channel, spend week one on name and handle, picture and banner, description, phone verification, the channel home page and 2-Step Verification, then upload three first videos mixing Shorts and long ones. After that, watch the numbers and plan toward the monetization threshold.
