How to Add Chapters (Timestamps) to a YouTube Video

To add chapters to a YouTube video, put a list of timestamps and titles in the video's description, starting at 0:00, with at least three chapters, each at least 10 seconds long. YouTube then splits the progress bar into sections viewers can jump to. If any rule is broken, the timestamps stay ordinary text — so check them first in the YouTube Title & Description Generator, which validates the list and can fix the timings.

What a chapter list looks like

0:00 Intro
0:45 What you need
2:10 Setting up the project
5:30 Common mistakes
8:05 Final result

Each line starts with a timestamp (minutes:seconds, or hours:minutes:seconds for long videos), followed by the chapter title.

The three rules YouTube enforces

1. The first timestamp is 0:00.
2. At least three timestamps, in ascending order.
3. Each chapter lasts at least 10 seconds.

Also, chapters must be turned on — they are by default, but a channel can switch them off in YouTube Studio.

Add chapters step by step

1. Watch your video and note the moment each section starts — the time shown in the player.
2. Write the list in the format above.
3. Open the video in YouTube Studio › Content, click it, and paste the list into the Description (anywhere — usually after the opening lines).
4. Save. Chapters can take a little while to appear on the watch page.

Check (and fix) the list

In the YouTube Title & Description Generator:

1. Describe the video and add its Length in minutes — this keeps generated chapters inside the video.
2. Press Generate. Along with titles and a description, you get suggested chapters.
3. Edit each chapter's time and title to match your real video — the AI only knows your one-line description, so its timings are guesses.
4. Use Add a chapter for more sections, and remove ones you don't need.
5. The checker lists every problem — "The first chapter must start at 0:00", a chapter shorter than 10 seconds, one out of order. Fix the timings sorts the list, sets the first to 0:00 and nudges any chapter that's too close to the one before.
6. When it says Valid — YouTube will turn these into clickable chapters, press Copy chapters, or Copy with chapters + hashtags to copy the whole description.

Writing good chapter titles

• Describe the content, not the order: "Choosing a microphone" beats "Part 2".
• Use the words people search for — chapters can appear in Google results as "key moments".
• Keep them short: they show on the progress bar on hover and on phones.
• Make the first one meaningful: "Intro" is fine, but "Why this matters" or "The finished result" can keep people watching.

How many chapters?

For a 10-minute video, four to eight is typical. Chapters every 30–90 seconds in a long tutorial help viewers find the exact step; very short chapters in a short video add clutter.

Automatic chapters

YouTube can also generate chapters automatically for some videos (a setting in Studio). Your own timestamps take priority, and they're usually more accurate and better named.

Chapters versus separate videos

If your video is really several topics, consider publishing them separately too — Shorts, or clips for other platforms. The Video Splitter cuts a video into parts at the same timestamps you used for chapters, and the Video Cutter pulls out a single highlight.

Frequently asked questions

Why don't my chapters show up?

Usually one of the three rules is broken — most often the first timestamp isn't 0:00, or one chapter is shorter than 10 seconds. Some videos (for example, those marked as made for kids) don't show chapters.

Can I add chapters to a video that's already published?

Yes. Edit the description at any time; the chapters update without re-uploading.

Do chapters help SEO?

They help viewers navigate, and Google may show them as key moments in search results, which can bring extra clicks.