Let me save you the heartbreak, because this trips up everyone at least once.
Bitrate
Bitrate is basically how much data, how much quality, you're packing into the video. Export too low and all that lovely detail turns to mush, especially anything with motion or fine texture. For something heading to YouTube or Instagram, you want a healthy bitrate, not the default low setting that exports fast and looks awful.
Codec
H.264 is your safe, universal choice for delivery, plays everywhere, looks good. H.265 squeezes better quality into a smaller file but isn't supported everywhere. Match the codec to where the video is going.
Resolution and frame rate
These need to match your project. Export a 24fps project at 30 and motion goes weird. Export 4K footage at 1080 if the platform wants 1080, but know what you're doing it for.
Platform re-compression
The sneaky one. The platform re-compresses your video again after you upload it. So if you hand it a weak file to start with, it crushes an already-crushed file. Always export at a strong quality so that after the platform has its way with it, there's still something good left.
Get the export right and all those hours you put in actually survive the trip to the internet.
What will Kumar do?
You'll never have to think about a single one of these settings, that's kind of the point. I export every video tuned for exactly where it's going, the right bitrate, the right codec, the right everything, so it looks as good on Instagram or YouTube as it does in my edit suite. The work I put in actually reaches your audience intact. I'm a video editor in Calgary and protecting the final quality is the last, crucial step I never skip. Let me deliver your video the way it's meant to look.