The complete guide to YouTube timestamps and chapters
A YouTube timestamp link is a normal video URL with a start time added to the end. Instead of sending someone to the beginning of a 40-minute video and saying "skip to around eight minutes," you share a link that opens the video at that exact second. This tool builds those links for you, and it also creates the chapters block that turns a long video into clickable sections.
How to make a YouTube link that starts at a specific time
Every timestamped link ends with a time parameter. On a short youtu.be link it looks like ?t=90; on a full youtube.com/watch link it looks like &t=90s. The number is the start time in seconds — so 90 means one minute thirty. To create one:
- Copy the video URL from the address bar or the Share button.
- Paste it into the generator at the top of this page.
- Enter the moment you want — for example
2:45. - Copy the short link. It now jumps straight to that point.
The short youtu.be format is the most reliable way to share a YouTube video at a specific time because it opens correctly on desktop, in the mobile app, and in most chat apps.
How to add chapters to a YouTube video
Chapters split your video into labelled segments on the progress bar, and each one becomes its own searchable moment. To switch them on, your description needs a list of timestamps that follows three rules:
- The first timestamp must be
0:00. - You need at least three timestamps, listed in order.
- Each chapter must run for at least 10 seconds.
Use the Chapters block tab above to build a valid list — it checks all three rules as you type — then paste the result into your description. YouTube converts it into chapters automatically, usually within a few minutes.
How to timestamp a YouTube comment
You don't need this tool for comments at all. YouTube automatically turns any time you type — like 1:07 — into a clickable link within a comment or a pinned comment. This is the fastest way to point viewers to a highlight without leaving the comment box.
Do YouTube timestamp links work on mobile and in the app?
Yes. Both the youtu.be/ID?t=90 and youtube.com/watch?v=ID&t=90s formats open at the correct time in the YouTube mobile app and in mobile browsers. If a link ever ignores the time, it's usually because the t= value was stripped when it was shortened or pasted — regenerate it here to be safe.
Make timestamps and chapters automatically
Adding timestamps and writing chapter titles by hand is slow, especially across a whole channel or a backlog of research videos. Claras is a Chrome extension that watches the video for you: it generates AI chapters, timestamps, a transcript, and a summary in one click, and lets you chat with the video to jump to any moment. It's the automated version of everything on this page.