YouTube Timestamp Generator

Timestamps without rewatching your own video

Writing timestamps by hand means scrubbing through the whole video with a notepad open, pausing every time the subject shifts and copying the time off the player. For a 20-minute video that's easily half an hour. This generator does the listening for you: it transcribes the video, reads where one topic ends and the next begins, and returns a list in the exact format YouTube expects.

It doesn't cut the video into equal slices. A timestamp lands where something new starts, so a long story gets one entry and a quick list of tips gets several. Each entry gets a short title written from what's said in that part, which is what a viewer reads when deciding where to jump.

What the output looks like

Videos over an hour switch to h:mm:ss automatically. Along with the list you get title suggestions and a description you can paste above it, so the whole description box is done in one go.

Settings worth knowing

• Number of timestamps. Leave it on Let AI decide, or pick anywhere from 3 to 20 when you want a tighter or more detailed list.
• Title style. Natural titles, questions for interviews and Q&As, numbered items, tutorial steps, or short topic labels.
• Language. Titles come out in the language of the video, or in one of 17 languages if your audience reads a different one.
• Tone and emoji. Neutral, professional, casual or punchy, with emoji switched on or off.

Timestamps, chapters and timestamp links

These three get mixed up. Timestamps are the times you type into the description. Chapters are what YouTube builds from them: the labelled segments on the progress bar and the list under the player. A timestamp link is a URL with ?t= at the end that opens the video at one moment. This page writes the first, which YouTube turns into the second. For the third, use the YouTube Timestamp Link Generator. The full rules for the description format are in the chapter format guide.

Why timestamps are worth adding

Viewers who can see what's coming are less likely to leave in the first minute; they skip to the part they came for instead of closing the tab. Google also shows timestamped sections as "key moments" in search results, which gives one video several ways to be found. Both only happen if the timestamps are in the description.

FAQ

How do I generate timestamps for a YouTube video?

Paste the video's link above and press Generate. The tool listens to the video, finds the moments where the subject changes and writes a short title for each one. You get a list starting at 0:00 that you copy into your description.

Where do I paste the timestamps?

In the video's description, in YouTube Studio under Details. Put each timestamp on its own line. Save, and within a few minutes the timestamps become clickable and split the progress bar into chapters.

Why don't my timestamps show up as chapters?

YouTube only builds chapters when the list starts at 0:00, has at least three timestamps, and every section is at least 10 seconds long. The generated list follows all three rules; if you edit it, keep them. Chapters can also be switched off in Studio under Show more > Automatic chapters, and they don't appear on some videos flagged for restricted content.

I just want a link that starts at one moment. Is this the right tool?

No, that's a different job. For a single link that opens the video at a chosen second, use the YouTube Timestamp Link Generator, which runs in your browser and has no limits.

Does it work on someone else's video, or a video without captions?

Yes to both. Any public video works, because the tool listens to the audio instead of reading the caption track. Private, members-only and age-restricted videos can't be read.

Is the YouTube timestamp generator free?

Your first generation is free without signing up, and you get one more after signing in with Google. Paid plans cover regular uploads and longer videos.