How To Add Timestamp On YouTube

Have you ever spent time trying to find an exact moment in a video? 

Timestamps or video chapters allows you to jump forward to a specific section of a video or rewatch a portion of that video.  Chapters appear at the bottom of the video player, and you can use timestamps from the video description.

In the video below, you’ll learn how to correctly create timestamps or chapters, how to enable automatic video chapters and how to use them to get more views on your channel.

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How To Add Your Own Timestamps

• Click on the content tab in YouTube studio,
• Hover over the video you wish to add timestamps to. 
• Click on details. I’ve already created a list of timestamps and titles in the description
• Make sure first timestamp starts with 0:00 
• Make sure you have at least 3 timestamps listed in ascending order.
• The minimum length for each timestamp is 10 seconds.

If you want to improve the probability of your video getting found in Google search, optimize your chapter titles by including a keyword or keyword phrase. Google will show key moments in your video.  After you’ve added all YouTube chapters or timestamps, click “save” to save the document.

How timestamps are displayed on your video

Video chapters containing the timestamps in the video title appear as you scrub through the video. If I click on this timestamp at 0:25 that says features you’ll be able to get access to, it jumps immediately to that particular timestamp. If I click on 2:41, then immediately goes to that particular timestamp in the video.

This is a highly effective way for viewers to skip to the most interesting part of your video so you can get a higher retention rate.

How To Enable Automatic Chapters

• Click on the content tab in YouTube studio
• Hover over the video you wish to add automatic chapters to.
• Click details
• Scroll down to the bottom of your video where it says Automatic Chapters.
• Check the box that says, “allow automatic chapters and key moments“.
• Keep in mind by default, this box will be checked for all new uploads. If you manually add your own chapters, it’ll override the automatic video chapters.
• Click “save” to save your Settings.

Here’s how to make automatic chapters as your default setting.

• Click on settings in YouTube studio.
• Click on upload defaults
• Click advance settings.
• Under automatic chapters, select the box. that says, allow automatic chapters and key moments
• Click “save”.
• Keep in mind, not all videos are eligible for automatic chapters.
• Also, if your channel has any active strikes or any of your content is inappropriate for viewers, you won’t be able to enable automatic chapters.

Here’s how to use timestamps for more views

• Timestamps allow viewers to jump forward to a specific section of your video they may be most interested in. For example, here’s a comment from a teacher. “I’m a teacher, and this will be super helpful so my students can study for my video classes without watching the entire lesson, only what they need for the homework or the exam“.
  
• YouTube is also rolling out chapters to newer smart TVs or gaming consoles, so viewers can instantly skip to that part of the video.
  
• Livestreams. If you’ve hosted a one hour live stream on your channel, viewers can instantly skip to that section that the most interested in or rewatch a portion of the video.
  
• Get a snippet of your video featured in Google search. If you include keywords or keyword phrases that people are searching for, there’s a higher probability that your video will rank in Google search.

What if  your YouTube timestamps or chapters are not working? 
Watch this video on how to fix timestamps or YouTube chapters that are not working.

Click here to Get My New Video Course
“SECRETS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT” You’ll discover how to hook your viewers’ attention, get them to spend more time on each video, and motivate them to watch more videos from your channel, so YouTube will recommend your content to other channels.