Cards are the small "i" prompts that appear during a video. Placed at random they get a fraction of a percent click-through; placed at the moment a viewer wants exactly what the card offers, they get five to ten times that. The Card Link Optimizer analyses each card, gives the minute marks to place them for your video length, picks the card type for your goal, and writes the verbal cue that prompts the click.
This guide covers card timing, card type, and the one rule that makes cards work: say it out loud.
Timing
Cards convert when they answer a question the viewer has right now. The optimizer maps your video structure and places cards at moments of natural curiosity — when you reference a previous video, when you skip a detail you covered elsewhere, when a viewer might want the product or resource. Never in the first minute (viewers are still deciding to stay) and rarely in the last (end screens do that job).
Card type
Video cards for session length; playlist cards for series; channel cards for collaborations; poll cards for engagement (they get comments too). The type recommendation follows your goal and the moment — a poll at a point of disagreement, a video card at a reference.
Say it out loud
A card nobody mentions is a card nobody clicks. "I covered the grind-size problem in a separate video — card up here" while glancing at the corner raises click-through several-fold. The script recommendations give one line per card.
Tips
- Describe where you mention other videos or products; those are the card moments.
- Two or three cards per 10 minutes; more become noise.
- Use a poll card at the midpoint if the video takes a position — the comments follow.
Common mistakes
- Cards in the first 60 seconds — The viewer has not committed yet.
- Silent cards — Invisible.
- Card to an unrelated video — Breaks the session instead of extending it.
Worked example
Input: "12-min grinder comparison; want viewers to see the dial-in tutorial and buy via affiliate link."
What the report returned: Card 1 at 3:50 (video: dial-in tutorial) with line "if your shots still taste off, that's grind size — card here". Card 2 at 7:20 (link card to product page, disclosed). Poll card at 9:40: "Would you buy the $40 one?" Est. CTR 1.8–3% vs 0.3% baseline.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards can I add?
Up to five per video; two or three well-placed ones outperform five.
Do cards work on mobile?
Yes — the teaser text appears briefly; the verbal cue matters even more on mobile.
Can I link external sites?
Link cards require YPP membership and an approved associated website.
Cards or end screens?
Both, planned together: cards for mid-video moments, end screens for the finish.