YouTube Chapters & Timestamp Formatter
Turn rough notes like "intro 0:00, setup 1:20" into correctly formatted YouTube chapters, and check every rule YouTube needs before chapters appear.
Free · no signup · runs in your browser · limits checked October 4, 2026
Runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server or saved.
Formatted chapters
Your formatted chapters appear here.How to use it
- 1.Write one chapter per line, with a timestamp anywhere on the line: "0:00 Intro", "Intro - 0:00", or "1:05:30 Q&A" all work.
- 2.Optionally enter the video length so the last chapter can be checked too.
- 3.Fix anything the checklist flags. The output is sorted by time and formatted the way YouTube expects.
- 4.Copy the result and paste it into your video description on its own lines.
YouTube's chapter rules
YouTube only turns description timestamps into chapters when they meet its rules: the first timestamp must be 0:00, there must be at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. If any rule is broken, chapters silently do not appear — there is no error message, which is why so many creators think chapters "don't work" on their channel.
This formatter checks all of those rules and points to the exact line that breaks one.
Why chapters are worth the two minutes
Chapters let viewers jump to the part they came for instead of leaving. They show up as segments in the progress bar, as a list in the description, and sometimes as "key moments" in Google search results — which can bring in viewers who would never have found a 20-minute video for a 30-second answer.
They also force you to see the structure of your own video. A chapter list that reads "Intro, Part 1, Part 2, Outro" tells nobody anything; one that reads "Why prices jumped, What to buy now, What to skip" is a table of contents that sells the video.
Writing chapter titles that help
Name each chapter after what the viewer gets, not what you did: "Fixing the noisy fan" beats "Step 3". Keep them short — the player shows only a few words — and put the most-searched phrasing first. Avoid dumping keywords into chapter titles; they are read by people, and stuffed titles look like spam.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my YouTube chapters not showing?
The usual causes: the first timestamp is not 0:00, there are fewer than three timestamps, a chapter is shorter than 10 seconds, or the timestamps are out of order. This tool checks all four.
What timestamp format does YouTube use?
Minutes and seconds (1:05) for videos under an hour, and hours, minutes and seconds (1:05:30) for longer videos.
Can I use chapters on YouTube Shorts?
No. Chapters are a feature of regular (long-form) videos.
Does YouTube create chapters automatically?
YouTube can generate automatic chapters for some videos, but chapters you write yourself take priority and let you choose the titles.