How to Add Chapters to a YouTube Video
Updated 2026-06-21
To add chapters to a YouTube video, paste a list of timestamps and titles into your video description, starting with one at 0:00. YouTube turns that list into clickable chapters automatically — but only when it meets four activation rules. The fastest way to get a block that passes is the YouTube Chapter & Timestamp Generator, which checks all four rules live as you type.
The four rules YouTube checks
YouTube does not enable chapters for every timestamp list. Your block must satisfy all of these:
- The first chapter starts at exactly 0:00. If your earliest timestamp is 0:05, chapters stay off.
- You have at least 3 chapters. Two markers will not activate the feature.
- Timestamps are in ascending order. Each one must come after the last.
- Each chapter is at least 10 seconds long. Two markers 8 seconds apart break the whole block.
The generator shows a checklist that flips each item to a green check, and an "All valid" indicator that only reads Yes when every rule passes — so you never publish a block that silently fails.
Building the block step by step
You have two ways to start:
- Paste an existing list. Drop lines like 0:00 Intro, 1:23 - Setup, or 01:23:45 Wrap-up into the import box and click Import. It accepts m:ss, mm:ss, and h:mm:ss. For a range such as 1:23 - 2:00 Topic it keeps the start time, and lines with no leading timestamp are skipped.
- Mark spots from the video itself. Load a local file, scrub to a moment, and press M to drop a chapter at that exact timestamp — handy when you are watching the cut and want markers in the right place.
From there, edit each row's time and title, use Add chapter, reorder with the up and down arrows, and Undo or Redo anything. When the checklist is all green, click Copy and paste the block straight into your description. One detail the tool handles for you: once any chapter passes the one-hour mark, the YouTube output switches to h:mm:ss automatically.
Common pitfalls and other formats
The mistake that trips up most creators is forgetting the 0:00 line — people start at their first real topic and wonder why chapters never appear. The second is a too-short opener: an Intro chapter only 6 seconds before the next marker fails the 10-second rule. The live validator catches both before you publish.
Beyond YouTube, the same chapter list can export as WebVTT chapter tracks, MKV/OGM simple chapters for mkvmerge, or Podlove Simple Chapters (PSC) for podcasts — so one edit pass covers multiple platforms.
Everything runs locally in your browser. Your video is read through a local object URL and your chapter text stays on your device — nothing is uploaded, and there is no signup or watermark.
Ready to make your timestamps clickable? Open the YouTube Chapter & Timestamp Generator, build your block, and copy it into your description.