Short answer: a good YouTube video idea template makes you write down the title, the first 30 seconds, a short summary, who the video is for, why it will work, how it fits your channel, and a similar video that already succeeded, before you film. Copy the template below into your notes app. Once it's filled in, you can get feedback on it before spending hours on production.

Most "video planning templates" online are content calendars: dates, statuses, upload days. Those help you stay consistent, but they don't tell you whether the idea is any good. This template is for the step before that.

The template (copy and paste)

VIDEO IDEA

1. Working title (2–3 options):
2. Category / niche:
3. Hook – what happens in the first 30 seconds:
4. Summary – the video in 3–5 sentences:
5. Target audience – who exactly is this for?
6. Why will this video succeed?
7. Strategic value – how does it help my channel long term?
8. Closest competitor video (URL + views):
9. Benchmark creator with a similar style (URL):
10. Thumbnail concept (one sentence + sketch):
11. Time to make (hours):
12. Expected views (honest guess):

How to fill in each section

1. Working title: write two or three

Your first title is rarely your best. Write a few versions that make the same promise in different ways. If you can't write a title that makes you curious, the idea may not be ready.

2. Category / niche

Be specific. "Gaming" is a category; "JRPG lore documentaries" is a niche. Specific niches make it easier to judge who the video is for.

3. Hook: the first 30 seconds

Write it out word for word, or at least beat by beat. The hook has one job: confirm that the viewer clicked the right video, then give them a reason to stay. If your hook needs a long introduction, the idea may be too vague.

4. Summary: three to five sentences

Beginning, middle and payoff. If you can't summarise it in five sentences, you probably have two videos, or none.

5. Target audience

Describe a real person: "UK football fans who watch tactical breakdowns and want more than highlights," not "everyone who likes football." If the audience is everyone, the video is for no one.

6. Why will this video succeed?

Give evidence, not hope. Has a similar topic worked on your channel? Is there search demand? Is it a fresh angle on something popular?

7. Strategic value

Does this video bring in the viewers you actually want as subscribers? A viral video outside your niche can bring in an audience that never watches anything else you make.

8. Closest competitor video

Find the most similar existing video and note its views and its channel's size. A video that did 10x the channel's usual views is a strong signal. Then answer: what will mine do differently or better?

9. Benchmark creator

Pick a creator whose style is close to what you want to make. It gives reviewers a reference point and keeps your plan realistic.

10. Thumbnail concept

One sentence plus a rough sketch. If you can't picture the thumbnail, the idea may not be visual enough to get clicks.

11–12. Time to make and expected views

These keep you honest. A 40-hour video with a modest expected audience may not be worth it; the same idea as a 4-hour video might be.

A worked example

(Example idea written for this guide, not a real channel.)

  1. Working titles: "I Tried Every £1 Snack in a UK Supermarket" / "Are £1 Snacks Actually Worth It?" / "The Best and Worst £1 Snacks (Ranked)"
  2. Niche: UK food reviews / budget food
  3. Hook: Open on a trolley with 30 £1 snacks: "I spent £30 so you don't have to. One of these is better than snacks three times the price, and one of them I couldn't finish."
  4. Summary: Buy every £1 snack from one supermarket. Taste-test in rounds, score each one for taste, size and value, and finish with a top five and a bottom three. The payoff is a final tier list.
  5. Target audience: UK students and young adults on a budget who watch food-ranking videos.
  6. Why it will succeed: Ranking videos perform well in this niche, and supermarket food is a familiar search topic in the UK.
  7. Strategic value: Fits a planned "budget food" series and attracts viewers likely to come back for the next episode.
  8. Competitor video: [similar ranking video, ~4x that channel's average views]
  9. Thumbnail: Me holding the best and worst snack, with a big "£1" sticker. No other text.
  10. Time to make: 12 hours. Expected views: around 1.5x my channel average.

Next step: get feedback before you film

A filled-in template is easy for other people to critique, because they can comment on each part separately: "great hook, weak title", or "the audience is too broad".

That's exactly how LaunchPad YT works. Its Share Your Video Idea form uses these same sections (title, hook, summary, script, target audience, why it will succeed, strategic value, competitor and benchmark links), so you can paste your template straight in. The community gives free feedback and upvotes, and those upvotes earn you credits. There's also a Share Your Thumbnail Idea option: upload 2–10 thumbnail candidates and let the community vote on which one they'd click.

When a video really matters, you can spend credits on a review from an experienced YouTuber, who comments inline on each section of your template.

(Disclosure: this guide is published by LaunchPad YT.)

Ready to try it? Paste your filled-in template into the LaunchPad YT forum and see what other creators think before you press record.