About the YouTube Timestamp Generator
The YouTube Timestamp Generator does two jobs. It makes a link that opens a video at an exact moment, such as 1:23, plus a matching embed code. And it builds the list of chapters for your video description, with a link to every chapter, and checks it against YouTube's chapter rules before you publish.
Timestamp links are useful whenever you want someone to see one part of a long video: a key answer in an interview, a step in a tutorial, a goal in a match replay. Chapters split your own videos into sections that show up on the progress bar and in search, which makes long videos much easier to navigate.
Paste a link in any common format (youtu.be, watch, Shorts, live or embed) or just the 11-character video ID. The tool never downloads anything from YouTube; it only builds links and text in your browser.
How to use it
- Paste the video linkAny YouTube link or the video ID works. The tool picks out the ID.
- Enter a start timeType 1:23, 1:02:03, 83 (seconds) or 1h2m3s. The link and the embed code update instantly.
- Copy the link or embed codeCopy link gives a youtu.be link with ?t= in seconds. Copy embed code gives an iframe that starts at that time.
- Build your chaptersEdit the times and titles, add rows, or import a list you already have from a description. Sort by time puts them in order.
- Check and pasteWhen the checklist says the chapters meet YouTube's rules, copy the text into your video description.
Key features
Every link format
youtu.be links, watch?v= links, Shorts, live streams, embed links, mobile links and bare 11-character IDs.
Flexible time input
Minutes and seconds, hours, plain seconds or 1h2m3s style. Impossible times such as 1:75 are rejected.
Privacy-friendly embed code
The iframe uses youtube-nocookie.com, YouTube's privacy-enhanced mode, with the start time built in.
Chapter checker
Checks that chapters start at 0:00, that there are at least three, that they are in order and that each lasts at least 10 seconds.
Import from a description
Reads lines like "1:23 Title", "(1:23) Title", "[1:23] Title" or "1:23 - Title" and ignores lines without a time.
Links to each chapter
A ready list of "Title: link" lines, handy for show notes, blog posts or a pinned comment.
Examples
Time formats
| You type | Starts at | Link ends with |
|---|---|---|
| 83 | 1:23 | ?t=83 |
| 2m | 2:00 | ?t=120 |
| 90:00 | 1:30:00 | ?t=5400 |
| 1h2m3s or 1:02:03 | 1:02:03 | ?t=3723 |
| 1:75 | Not valid | No link |
The embed code uses ?start= with the same number of seconds, for example https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=83 inside the iframe.
The sample chapters
0:00 Intro
0:42 What you need
2:15 Step by step
6:30 Common mistakes
9:05 Wrap-upThese pass every check. The chapter links list gives each one its own start: "Step by step" opens at ?t=135 and "Wrap-up" at ?t=545.
Importing a messy list
Paste this into "Import chapters from a description":
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
(0:45) Gear check
[3:10] Packing list | tips
12:05 — Trail day one
1:02:30: CampThe "Chapters:" line is skipped, the brackets and dashes are removed, and because one chapter is past the one-hour mark, every time is written with hours: 0:00:00 Intro, 0:00:45 Gear check and so on, up to 1:02:30 Camp.
What the checker catches
| Chapters | Message |
|---|---|
| 0:10, 1:00, 2:00 | YouTube chapters must start at 0:00. |
| 0:00, 1:00 | YouTube needs at least three chapters. |
| 0:00, 0:08, 0:30 | Each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. |
| 0:00, 2:00, 1:00 | Chapters must be in time order. |
Tips
- Keep chapter titles short and descriptive. They appear on the progress bar and can show up in search results, so "Packing list" beats "Part 3".
- Put the chapter list on its own lines in the description, with nothing else on those lines except the time and the title.
- Use the chapter links in a pinned comment or in your blog post so people can jump straight to the part they need.
- For a moment in a live stream replay, wait until the replay is processed; timestamps refer to the replay, not the live clock.
- For durations in other units, such as converting 5,400 seconds to hours, the Time Converter is quicker.
Common mistakes and limits
- Starting chapters at 0:01 or laterYouTube only turns the list into chapters when the first time is exactly 0:00.
- Making chapters too shortEvery chapter must be at least 10 seconds long, or YouTube ignores the whole list.
- Expecting chapters on every videoEven with a valid list, YouTube may not show chapters on some videos or channels. Automatic chapters can also replace or add to yours; you can turn them off in YouTube Studio.
- Typing minutes past 59 with hours1:60:00 is not a valid time. Write 2:00:00 instead. Without hours, longer minute counts like 90:00 are fine.
- Sharing the video page while it is playingA copied link from the address bar starts at the beginning. Use a ?t= link to point people to the right moment.