How to add chapters 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 00:00. YouTube turns them into sections on the progress bar.

There are a few rules, and when one is off, chapters just don't show up. In this post, I'll show you how to add them and what to check when they don't appear. Let's get into it.

YouTube's chapter rules

From YouTube's chapters help page:

• The first timestamp has to be 00:00.
• You need at least 3 timestamps, in order from first to last.
• Each chapter has to be at least 10 seconds long.

Your own list replaces automatic chapters. YouTube also says chapters won't be available if your channel has an active Community Guidelines strike, or if the video may be inappropriate for some viewers.

If chapters aren't available to your channel, YouTube says to apply for advanced features. These are extra tools you get after verifying your channel. In YouTube Studio, open Settings > Channel > Feature eligibility and check your access to advanced features. Follow the verification steps YouTube offers for your channel.

How to add chapters on a computer

1. Sign in to YouTube Studio.
2. Click Content in the left menu.
3. Click the video.
4. In Description, add your timestamps, one per line.
5. Click Save.

This works on a video that's already published too. You don't need to re-upload.

Here's an example for an 8-minute cooking video:

00:00 One-pan tomato pasta
00:35 Ingredients and substitutions
01:20 Start the sauce
03:10 Cook the pasta in the sauce
06:40 Fix the consistency and serve

Those times are just an example. Play your video and use the real start of each section.

Keep the rest of your description. A short summary on top, then chapters, then links works well. Here are my YouTube description templates if you want a layout.

How to add chapters on your phone

You can do the same thing in the YouTube Studio app on Android or iPhone and iPad. Open the video in the Studio app, tap the edit (pencil) button, add your timestamps to the description, and save.

On a phone, I'd write the chapter list in a notes app while watching the video, then paste it into the description.

How to turn automatic chapters on or off

YouTube can make chapters for you on some videos. To change it for one video on desktop:

1. Open Content and select the video.
2. Click Show more.
3. Under Automatic chapters, check or uncheck Allow automatic chapters.
4. Save.

To change the default for new uploads, go to Settings > Upload defaults > Advanced settings and uncheck Allow automatic chapters (when available and eligible).

Turning automatic chapters off doesn't remove a list you typed yourself. For a tightly edited tutorial, I'd write my own. You decide where each section starts and what it's called.

Why aren't my chapters showing?

Go through these in order:

1. Check you saved the description in Studio. A list in your notes or a pinned comment doesn't count.
2. Check the first timestamp is 00:00. An intro still needs a spot in the list.
3. Count them and check the order. You need at least 3 timestamps in order from first to last, starting at 00:00.
4. Check every chapter is 10 seconds or longer. That includes the last one, from its timestamp to the end of the video.
5. Check Feature eligibility in Studio, and whether your channel has any strikes.
6. Reload the watch page. Don't keep pasting new lists while you wait.

The last chapter is the easy one to miss. If an 8-minute video has a final chapter at 07:55, it's only five seconds long. Move it earlier or delete it.

Also, timestamps and chapters aren't the same thing. A valid timestamp in a description can link to that point in the video, but it doesn't always create a labeled chapter on the progress bar. Full chapters also need the list to follow YouTube's rules and the video to be eligible.

How to write good chapter titles

Name the thing someone would come back to find.

Use the same words you say in the video. Don't repeat the video's title on every line, because it makes the list harder to scan. Start chapters at complete steps or questions, not every camera cut.

Final thoughts on YouTube chapters

Chapters take a few minutes and make long videos a lot easier to get around. If yours don't show up, check the first timestamp and the length of the last chapter before anything else.

Once they're saved, open the video and click through each chapter. Make sure every chapter starts where its title says it does. A timestamp that lands mid-sentence still needs fixing.