Think of it as a table of contents in a book. Commonly used in longer videos such as tutorials and podcasts, YouTube chapters are timestamps that divide the content into sections, allowing YouTube viewers to jump directly to the part they want to watch. A YouTube video with chapters displays a segmented progress bar.
YouTube Timestamps for Viewers (How to Use)
When watching a YouTube video with a lot of rambling you want to skip, check the video description for timestamps if the player bar is divided. With a single tap, the timestamp takes you straight to the key part you want.
How to Add Chapters to YouTube Video Without Description
As a YouTube viewer, you can also help others by leaving timestamps in the comments. For instance, “09:45 – For the impatient people like me,” creates a clickable link that saves time for fellow viewers. I do this all the time.
How to Add Chapters to a YouTube Video
Luckily, it is a walk in the park for YouTube creators to add these timestamp chapters for their viewers.
#1. Open YouTube Studio
Sign in to your account and go to YouTube Studio. From the dashboard, click Content, then find the video you want to edit.
#2. Edit the Video Description
On the video, click the edit (pen🖊️) icon and open the description box.
#3. Add Timestamps to YouTube Video
Enter timestamps in chronological order. The first timestamp must start at 0:00. Each chapter should have a title describing that section of the video.
For example:
0:00 Introduction
1:35 What Are YouTube Chapters?
5:20 Benefits of Chapters
8:45 How to Add Chapters
10:00 Conclusion
After adding the timestamps anywhere in the video’s description, click Save. YouTube will take a few minutes to process the changes before the chapters appear on the video player.
YouTube’s Requirements for Timestamps:
For chapters to appear, YouTube requires:
The first timestamp must be 0:00.
The video must contain at least three timestamps.
Each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
The three requirements above are also the mistakes to avoid when adding YouTube Chapters. If you miss any of them, the chapters will not appear on your video.
