Video chapters split a YouTube video into labelled sections. Viewers see the sections as segments on the progress bar, each with its own title and preview, so they can jump straight to the part they need or rewatch a step. For tutorials, reviews, lessons and long conversations, chapters are one of the most useful things you can add, and they take a few minutes. This guide covers YouTube's rules (from YouTube Help, checked 22 October 2026), a worked example, automatic chapters, and how to fix a list that isn't working.
The four rules
You create chapters by adding a list of timestamps and titles to the video's description. YouTube Help says the list must meet these conditions:
- The first timestamp is 00:00. The first chapter must start at the very beginning.
- At least three timestamps. Two chapters aren't enough.
- Ascending order. Each time must be later than the one before.
- Each chapter is at least 10 seconds long. The minimum chapter length is 10 seconds.
Help also notes that if you don't have access to chapters yet, you may need to apply for access to advanced features, and that chapters aren't available if the channel has active strikes or the content may be inappropriate for some viewers.
A worked example
Here's a chapter list for a hypothetical 14-minute shelf-fitting tutorial:
00:00 What we're building 00:40 Tools and fixings 02:15 Finding the studs and checking for cables 05:30 Marking level lines 08:05 Drilling and plugging 11:20 Fitting the brackets and shelf 13:10 Final checks
It starts at 00:00, has seven entries in ascending order, and every chapter lasts well over 10 seconds, so it meets all four rules. Notice that the titles describe what happens, so a viewer looking for "the cable check" can find it instantly.
Our chapter timestamp checker runs the same four checks on your own list, tidies the formatting, and copies the result ready to paste.
Step by step: adding chapters
- Watch the finished video (or scrub through your editing timeline) and note where each section starts.
- Sign in to YouTube Studio and choose Content from the left menu.
- Click the video you want to edit.
- In the Description, add your list of timestamps and titles, one per line.
- Click Save. Chapters can take a little while to appear on the watch page.
Where in the description should the list go? Anywhere works technically. Most creators put it after the opening summary, so the first lines still describe the video. If you add a corrections section, YouTube's help says it should appear after any video chapters.
Formatting details
- Minutes and seconds:
02:15and2:15are both commonly used. Pick one style and stick with it. - Videos over an hour: include hours, for example
1:02:30. Our checker switches every line to the hours format once any chapter passes one hour, so the list stays aligned. - One chapter per line, with the time first and the title after it.
- Keep titles short. They're shown on the progress bar and in previews, where long titles get cut off.
Automatic chapters
YouTube can also create chapters automatically for eligible videos. According to YouTube Help:
- for new uploads, "Allow automatic chapters" is ticked by default, under Show more in the video's details;
- not every video is eligible, and not every eligible video gets automatic chapters;
- adding your own timestamps overrides automatic chapters for that video;
- you can opt out for one video, in bulk, or for all future uploads under Settings → Upload defaults → Advanced settings.
Automatic chapters are a reasonable safety net, but you know your video's structure better than an algorithm does. Your own titles can also use the words your viewers would search for.
Why aren't my chapters showing?
Run through this list in order:
- Does the list start at 00:00? A first chapter at 00:05 is the most common mistake. Add a 00:00 "Intro" line.
- Are there at least three?
- Is every time in ascending order? One typo (e.g. 12:40 after 21:40) breaks the whole list.
- Are all chapters at least 10 seconds? Watch for two chapters only a few seconds apart, and for a final chapter that starts in the last few seconds of the video.
- Is each timestamp at the start of its line? Times buried in the middle of sentences may not be read as a chapter list.
- Do you have access? Check whether you need advanced features, and whether the channel has active strikes.
- Have you waited? Give it a little time after saving, then reload the watch page.
Our checker catches the first four automatically. Enter the video length too, so it can also check the final chapter.
Writing chapter titles people use
- Describe the content, not the order. "Choosing a drill bit" is more useful than "Step 4".
- Front-load the key word. Viewers skim, so put the distinctive word first.
- Be consistent. If you number steps, number all of them. If you use questions, use questions throughout.
- Skip filler. You don't need chapters for "Like and subscribe".
- Be honest. A chapter title that promises something the section doesn't deliver frustrates viewers in the same way a misleading thumbnail does.
Timestamps without chapters
Timestamps are useful even when you don't want chapters. A single timestamp in a description or comment, such as "the result is at 9:45", becomes a clickable link to that moment. If you want individual jump links but not chapters, keep your list under three entries, or don't start it at 00:00. Those lists won't become chapters.
Summary
- Chapters come from a timestamp list in your description.
- The list must start at 00:00, have at least three entries in ascending order, and every chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
- Your own list overrides automatic chapters, and you can opt out of automatic chapters per video or by default.
- Short, descriptive, honest titles make chapters genuinely useful.
Source: YouTube Help, "Video chapters" and "Upload YouTube videos", checked 22 October 2026. The shelf-fitting chapter list is an invented example to show the format; it isn't from a real video.