YouTube Timestamp Generator
Add a time and a title for each section, and this tool builds the correctly formatted chapter list for your YouTube description — starting at 0:00, sorted in order, and checked against YouTube's chapter rules so your timestamps actually become clickable.
- Looks good — these chapters meet YouTube's requirements.
0:00 Intro 0:45 Getting started 2:30 Main section
Straight to the point
How do I add timestamps to a YouTube video?
Add a list of times and titles to your video description, with the first one at 0:00. You need at least three, each at least 10 seconds apart. YouTube then turns them into clickable chapters automatically. Enter your sections here and the tool formats the list correctly for you to paste in.
Why aren't my YouTube chapters showing up?
Chapters only appear if your first timestamp is exactly 0:00, you have at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter is at least 10 seconds long. A single broken line disables all of them. This generator checks every rule and flags problems before you publish.
What makes the Timestamp Generator useful
Chapters improve watch experience and can surface your video in search with jump-to links, lifting click-through and retention. Getting the formatting exactly right is fiddly by hand; this tool guarantees it.
Rule checking
Validates the 0:00 start, the 3-chapter minimum and the 10-second spacing in real time.
Auto-sorting
Sorts your chapters into ascending order with one click.
Flexible time input
Accepts m:ss, h:mm:ss, or plain seconds and normalizes the format.
Copy & paste
Outputs a clean block ready for your description.
How to use the Timestamp Generator
Type a time (like 0:00 or 1:02:03) and a title for each section. The tool sorts them in order, formats them the way YouTube expects, and validates them against the chapter rules — first chapter at 0:00, at least three chapters, each 10+ seconds apart.
- 1
Add your sections
Enter a time and title for each chapter, starting at 0:00.
- 2
Check the rules
The tool flags anything that would stop chapters from showing.
- 3
Sort & format
It orders and formats the list the way YouTube expects.
- 4
Copy to description
Paste the block into your video description and publish.
What is the Timestamp Generator?
The Timestamp Generator builds a correctly formatted YouTube chapter list from the times and titles you enter, ready to paste into your video description.
Who should use it?
Any creator with videos longer than a few minutes — tutorials, podcasts, vlogs, reviews — who wants clickable chapters and better navigation.
Common use cases
- Adding chapters to tutorials and how-tos
- Breaking long podcasts into navigable sections
- Marking segments in reviews and vlogs
- Fixing chapters that won't display
Pro tips
- • Keep chapter titles short and descriptive so they read well in search.
- • Put a keyword in an early chapter title where it fits naturally.
- • Use h:mm:ss only for videos over an hour; otherwise m:ss is cleaner.
Mistakes to avoid
- • Not starting the first chapter at 0:00, which disables all chapters.
- • Using fewer than three timestamps.
- • Spacing chapters less than 10 seconds apart.
- • Listing timestamps out of order.
Alternatives & related approaches
Pair with the Description Generator to build the full description around your chapters, and the Title Generator to package the video.
Frequently asked questions
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