YouTube Timestamps and Chapters: How to Link to a Moment

A link that starts at the right second saves the viewer a search. A chapter list does the same for the whole video. The two rest on the same idea, a time written in a form YouTube understands, and they have different rules.

Linking to a moment

A timestamp link adds a start time to the video address. Our generator accepts times written as 1:30, 1:02:03, 90 or 1h2m3s, and gives two forms. The short form looks like https://youtu.be/VIDEOID?t=90, and the full form like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEOID&t=90s. Both start the video 90 seconds in.

Embedded players work a little differently. YouTube Help says to add ?start= followed by the number of seconds to the embed address, for example ?start=90 to begin 90 seconds in. Our embed guide covers the other embed options.

The rules for chapters

Chapters are timestamps in the description that YouTube turns into sections of the video. YouTube Help sets these requirements:

• The first timestamp you list must start with 00:00.
• Your video should have at least three timestamps listed in ascending order.
• The minimum length for video chapters is 10 seconds.

Our Timestamp Link Generator and our Hashtag and Chapter Extractor apply exactly those rules and tell you which line breaks them: the first chapter not at 0:00, fewer than three chapters, a time not later than the one before it, or a chapter shorter than 10 seconds. The extractor, which reads a live video, also flags a chapter that starts after the end of the video.

Automatic chapters

YouTube Help says automatic chapters are enabled by default for new uploads. It also says that not all videos are eligible for automatic chapters, and not all eligible videos will have them. You can turn them off for one video in YouTube Studio by choosing Show more and clearing "Allow automatic chapters", or as a default under Settings, Upload defaults, Advanced settings.

If you want control over the titles and where the breaks fall, write the chapters yourself. Passing a check means your list follows the rules. YouTube decides whether to show chapters.

A valid list and an invalid one

This list passes: 0:00 Intro, 1:10 Setup, 4:30 Results. It starts at zero, has three chapters in ascending order and each lasts longer than 10 seconds.

These two fail. The list 0:05 Intro, 1:10 Setup, 4:30 Results does not start at 00:00. The list 0:00 Intro, 0:08 Setup, 2:00 End has a first chapter of only 8 seconds. Each breaks one rule, and the checkers name the line that does it.

1. 01

   Write your timestamps as a list

   One per line, each starting with the time and followed by a short title, for example 0:00 Intro.

2. 02

   Start at 0:00 and keep at least three

   The first line must be 0:00, and there must be three or more, in ascending order.

3. 03

   Keep each chapter at least 10 seconds

   A chapter shorter than that will not count.

4. 04

   Paste the list into the description and check the result

   Use the Timestamp Link Generator, or the Hashtag and Chapter Extractor on a video that is already live, to see whether the list passes.

FAQ

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