Generate YouTube chapters that actually show up
Paste timestamps and titles in almost any format and get a clean chapter list for your description, checked against every rule YouTube lists, with the reason if a chapter won't work.
YouTube makes chapters from a list of timestamps and titles in the video description. The list must start with 00:00, have at least three timestamps in ascending order, and every chapter must be at least 10 seconds long (YouTube Help, checked October 2026). Paste your list here in any order or format, such as "Intro 0:00" or "[1:05] Setup", and the generator sorts it, writes one clean "00:00 Title" line per chapter and tells you which rule a chapter breaks.
3 steps, a few seconds
Paste your notes
One chapter per line, with a time like 1:05, 01:05 or 1:02:03 anywhere in the line.
Add the video length
Optional: it lets the tool check that the last chapter is 10 seconds or longer.
Copy the chapters
Fix anything flagged, then paste the list into your YouTube description.
What the YouTube Chapter Timestamp Generator does
Any input format
Times before or after the title, in brackets, with dashes or separators.
Every YouTube rule
Starts at 0:00, at least three, ascending, each 10 seconds or longer.
Consistent times
Writes 00:00 style on every line, HH:MM:SS past an hour, or short 0:00 if you prefer.
Shift all times
Move every chapter by a few seconds, for example after trimming an intro.
Private
Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Free
No account, no limits.
- Input
- Plain text, one chapter per line; times as SS, M:SS, MM:SS or H:MM:SS
- Rules checked
- First at 0:00, 3 or more, ascending, 10 seconds or longer (YouTube Help, checked October 2026)
- Output
- One "time title" line per chapter, ready for the description
- Options
- Add a 0:00 chapter, sort by time, shift every time by ± seconds
- Cost and privacy
- Free, no sign-up; runs in your browser
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Questions about the YouTube Chapter Timestamp Generator
How do I add chapters to a YouTube video?
Why aren't my YouTube chapters showing?
Does the first chapter have to be 0:00?
Should I write 0:00 or 00:00?
Can YouTube make chapters automatically?
Can QuickVeed find the chapter points for me?
Link to this tool
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