As a YouTuber you are probably always looking out for new ways to make better content and stand out on the platform. What about a functionality that benefits your viewers and you at the same time? Meet YouTube Timestamps!
Timestamps allow you to add little chapters in your videos to organize your content in a clearer way to create a better user experience for your audience while boosting your discoverability. You can add timestamps to your video with YouTube Studio, making it easier for viewers to navigate your content. You just need to sign in to YouTube Studio. Go to Content on the left menu. Find the video you want to edit and click on it. Add your list of timestamps and titles in the description.
Interesting? Dive into this article to learn everything you need to know to add chapters to your YouTube videos!
Timestamps are special time codes that you can add to your videos. They work as the table of contents of your video, so users can see what to expect.
They show up on the YouTube progress bar while the video is being watched and on the description field. Videos with timestamps have better watch time and engagement compared to those without them. The viewer can directly click on one in particular and with just one click, they can jump to the exact minute and second they want to watch.
Video chapters add info and context to each portion of the video and let you easily rewatch different parts of the video. This saves time and effort, making a better user experience!
There are no subscribers, no views requirements to set up your timestamps. Anyone can do it as long as they respect YouTube Policies & Content Guidelines.
How can you set your timestamps? Easy! You can do it manually or automatically. In both cases, you have to go to YouTube Studio to get started.
.png)
The first thing you need to do is log into your YouTube account and go to YouTube Studio. From then, you can create your timestamps in 3 simple steps.
Go to the Content section and find the video where you want to add the chapters.
On your video's description add the timestamps you want. Always remember that for them to work you must follow these instructions:
Don’t forget to click on the “Save” option to successfully add your chapters.
As for the manual option, you also need to log into your YouTube account and go to YouTube Studio. From then, you can create your timestamps in 3 simple steps.
Go to the Content section and find the video where you want to add the chapters.
Go to “Show More” and under “Automatic chapters” select “Allow automatic chapters and key moments”.
Don’t forget to click on the “Save” option to successfully add your chapters.
Quick note: Not all videos are eligible for automatic chapters. If the channel is brand new, does not have enough video data or has any inappropriate content, the video chapters feature won't be available.
What happens when you add your timestamps in the description but you can’t see the chapters working. Check this common mistakes to try and fix it:
Set Your Starting Point: Make sure your list starts with a 00:00 timestamp. Doing so, you’d let YouTube know what you are doing so the chapter feature can be activated.
Number of Chapters: In order for timestamps to work, you need at least three timestamps for chapters to display.
Chapter Length: Each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
Chronological Order: Timestamps should be in ascending order.
Time Format: The right format must be hours, minutes and seconds. Always separate them with colons (:). Example: 00:02:15.
Inappropriate Content: If your video violates any of YouTube policies and guidelines by, for instance showing violent or inappropriate content, you might not find the timestamps feature available.
While YouTube’s native tools are sufficient for adding timestamps, some creators prefer external video editing software for a more polished presentation.
In house tool. Simply add timestamps by listing them on your videos description. This is a great choice for all content creators that choose to manage all of their content features without having to leave the platform.
Some other youtubers may find YouTube’s editing features not so advanced so they opt for external tools to improve video presentation and engagement.
This is a professional editor tool used by many advanced filmmakers and youtubers. This tool lets you customize your timestamps in a precise timeline with the simplest export options in order to get full control over your video edition and timestamp integration.
This is Apple's powerful video editing software designed specifically for Mac users. This tool offers customized markers for your timestamps and provides an intuitive editing experience.
This is a free professional editing tool. It offers various timeline markers, metadata tagging. The best tool for youtubers looking for great advanced editor features at no cost.
The perfect tool for tutorials. As a creator you can screen record and edit your videos with the same tool. You have the timestamp annotation feature, a drag-and-drop timeline, and direct YouTube export, making it ideal for educators, tutorial creators, and timestamp integration beginners.
This free video editing app offers timeline editing, quick captioning, and simple timestamp placement. Perfecto for any youtuber looking for a fast way to edit videos on the go.
While YouTube offers its own feature to add timestamps through YouTube Studio, as a creator you can always explore other ways to keep adding value to your content. You can try different ways until you find the one that works best for you and your audience!
Adding timestamps into your videos is a win-win scenario for you and your audience.
More Organized Videos: YouTube timestamps make your videos more structured. Viewers can jump directly to the section they need, saving time and effort while improving their experience on YouTube and your channel.
Easier Navigation for Longer Videos: Chapters are especially helpful for longer videos with lots of information.
Quick Access to Key Moments: Timestamps allow viewers to pause, rewatch, and reference key moments without replaying the entire video.
Great for Specific Niches: This is especially useful for educational, tech, and fitness content, where viewers often revisit specific steps, instructions, or routines.
Enhanced User Experience: This feature ultimately guarantees a smoother and more enjoyable viewing experience!
More Visibility: Adding keywords in your timestamps helps Google find and feature your video in search results.
Featured in Google’s Snippets: If your chapters answer specific search queries, your video could appear in Google’s featured snippets, bringing more attention and views to your content.
Highlighting Key Moments: Timestamps allow you to highlight specific moments of your video improving your content's ability to be found.
More Views: Whenever a user is searching for something, Google can directly link your chapter as a search result, driving more viewers to your video.
Improved User Experience: Organized content leads to a better user experience. Satisfied viewers tend to come back to your channel for more, increasing your viewership.
If you focus on good quality content and highlight the different topics on your videos by using the timestamps feature, you increase your odds of getting more and potentially new subscribers along the way! So as a creator make sure to use chapters on your videos whenever possible.
However, don't forget to use them wisely so they don’t impact badly on your audience retention. Make your chapters appealing to your viewers so they keep watching your video until the end rather than using your chapters for skipping large parts of your content.
Timestamps can significantly improve your viewers' experience and boost your watch time and engagement. However, some videos don't really need to be separated into little sections as they are too short or addressed more relaxed topics.
Timestamps can benefit a really wide range of videos. If they are really long or include lots of important information, adding sections to organize the content for better understanding is going to make a huge difference. Here is a list of the best types of videos to add chapters and provide a better navigating experience.
Long-Form Videos: Adding timestamps in longer videos can help break down all the information in an organized way. This makes them more comprehensive and easy to navigate.
Tutorials: When viewers are watching tutorials or how-to videos they tend to go to the step they are most interested in. Sometimes they go through these videos more than once looking for a specific instruction and having timestamps helps them get there faster.
Educational Videos: If you are in the educational niche, you can add timestamps into your videos so students can quickly find specific topics or revisit key points.
Reviews: Whenever you are making a review on a new product or service, viewers are going to be interested in the whole video or just specific aspects of what you are reviewing in order to get the proper information. With timestamps viewers can easily skip to sections that interest them, like unboxing, features, or comparisons before deciding whether to make a purchase or not.
Podcasts & Interviews: Chapters allow users to navigate between topics, questions, or particular guest segments.
Fitness Videos: If you are in the fitness niche you probably share lots of workout plans on your videos. Adding timestamps will allow viewers to jump to warm-ups, exercises, or cooldowns without scrolling aimlessly.
Gaming Walkthroughs: Chapters let gamers skip to specific levels, battles, or in-game moments. Timestamps are really helpful as gamers usually go to these type of videos looking for specific information on how to succeed on a specific level or deciding which game to buy next.
Event Recaps & Conferences: Adding timestamps makes it easy for viewers to find specific speakers, discussions, or highlights during a video showing a whole event or speaking session.
Whenever deciding whether to add or not timestamps into your videos, think of your audience and try to make the best user experience for them while watching your videos so they are more likely to come back for more content!
There are a few things you as a creator can do while planning your next timestamps.
Don’t go for names or titles like “Tip 1”, “Tip 2” because they don't really tell the viewer what that chapter is about. Make an effort to summarize the content of each chapter and that should be your title.
Remember that Google is also picking on chapters, so the better the title, the better the chances of Google showing up your video.
Once your video is published, you can add your chapters to a pin post in the comment section. Simply copy and paste the timestamps as they appear in the description and add it to the comment section so more viewers get to see them.
Sometimes viewers don’t go through all your descriptions so adding your chapters in the comments is another way of making them notice.
Avoid making chapters too long or too short. The best unspoken rule is to keep them between 30 seconds to 3 minutes and highlight the sections that truly provide value.
If you add too many, it gets messy and risks the chance of overwhelming the viewers. If you make too little, you may not generate the organized effect and easy navigation.
As a creator the more you understand how YouTube works, the better. The platform offers different features for YouTubers to make the most out of their content.
Don’t be afraid to add timestamps to your videos. Try new things until you find what works best for you, your channel and your audience.
Having specific chapters not only will make your content more user friendly but also boost your views and discoverability!
Check out these as well:
.png)
_logo.svg.png){kind=logo}
%201.png)
