Share a YouTube video from the exact second that matters
A YouTube timestamp link opens a video at a chosen moment instead of the beginning, so the person you send it to lands straight on the goal, the quote or the step they need. Paste any YouTube link, type a time in whatever form you have — 1:30, 1h2m3s or plain seconds — and this tool produces the short youtu.be/…?t=90 link, the full watch link, a mobile link and the embed URL, each with a copy button.
Creators get a second tool on the same page: a chapters helper that checks a timestamp list against YouTube’s rules (first chapter at 0:00, at least three chapters, every chapter at least 10 seconds, ascending order) and outputs a clean block for the video description. If chapters are not appearing on your video, this tells you why in seconds.
How to use the YouTube Timestamp Link
- Paste the video link into YouTube link or video ID. If it already contains a t= value, the time is filled in for you.
- Enter the Start time — 1:30, 1:02:03, 90 or 1h2m3s all work.
- Press Copy short link, or copy one of the alternative formats from the list below it.
- Press Open at this time to confirm the video starts where you expect.
- For chapters, paste one “time Title” per line into the Chapters helper, fix any problems it lists, and copy the normalised block into your description.
YouTube Timestamp Link features
Any time format
Understands minutes:seconds, hours:minutes:seconds, raw seconds and YouTube’s own 1h2m3s style.
Five link variants
youtu.be short link, standard watch link, mobile link, embed URL with start=, and a human-readable 1h2m3s form.
Reads existing timestamps
Paste a link copied from “Share → Start at” and the time is picked up automatically.
Chapter rule checker
Validates the 0:00 start, the 3-chapter minimum, the 10-second minimum length and ascending order, pointing to the exact line that breaks a rule.
Flexible chapter input
Accepts “0:00 Intro”, “[1:05] Setup”, “1:05 - Setup” and “Setup 1:05”, then normalises everything to one tidy format.
Chapter links
Copy each chapter as its own timestamp link for pinned comments, show notes or a blog post.
How the t= parameter works
YouTube reads a t query parameter on watch and youtu.be links. It accepts plain seconds (t=90), seconds with a unit (t=90s) or the hours-minutes-seconds form (t=1h2m3s). All three jump to the same place. On an embed URL the parameter is called start instead and only takes seconds, which is why the embed line here is different. If a link already has other parameters, such as &list=, the time is simply added after them.
The timestamp link opens the video at that time but does not stop it — to clip a section with a start and an end you need an embed with both start and end, which the YouTube Embed Code Generator creates.
YouTube chapter rules
Chapters can also be disabled in YouTube Studio under Show more → Automatic chapters, and they do not appear while the video is being processed. Give a newly uploaded video a few minutes before deciding the list is wrong.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| First chapter | Must be exactly 0:00 — otherwise YouTube ignores the whole list |
| Minimum chapters | At least 3 timestamps in the description |
| Minimum length | Every chapter must last 10 seconds or more |
| Order | Timestamps must increase from top to bottom |
| Format | Time at the start of the line followed by the title: 0:00 Intro, 12:05 Common mistakes, 1:02:30 Q&A |
| Where | Anywhere in the description; YouTube also allows a “Chapters” list in a pinned comment but the description is more reliable |
Tips for timestamp links
- Start a second or two before the moment you want to show; viewers need a beat to orient themselves.
- Use the human-readable form (
?t=1h2m3s) in emails and documents where people can see the time at a glance. - For a series of moments, use “Copy as links” in the chapters helper to get one link per chapter.
- Shorts ignore the t= parameter in the Shorts player; the link still works when opened in the regular player on desktop.
- Need the video’s cover image for a slide or article? The YouTube Thumbnail Downloader fetches it in HD, and the Share Link Generator makes social share buttons for the timestamped URL.
YouTube Timestamp Link FAQ
How do I link to a specific time in a YouTube video?
Paste the video link, enter the time, and copy the short link. It adds ?t=seconds to the URL, which makes YouTube start playback at that point.
Why do my YouTube chapters not show up?
Usually one of four reasons: the first timestamp is not 0:00, there are fewer than three chapters, a chapter is shorter than 10 seconds, or the times are out of order. Paste your list into the chapters helper and it will show which line breaks the rule.
Does the timestamp work on mobile and in the YouTube app?
Yes. Links with t= open at the right time in the Android and iOS apps and on m.youtube.com. The mobile link in the list is the same URL with the m. host for people who prefer it.
What is the difference between t=90 and t=90s?
Nothing in practice — YouTube treats both as 90 seconds. The “s” is only there for readability. Embed URLs use start=90 without a unit.
Can I set an end time too?
Not with a normal share link. Use the YouTube Embed Code Generator, which supports start and end parameters for an iframe embed.
Is this tool free and private?
Yes. Links are built entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to YouTube or to Galaxy of Tools until you choose to open the link.