How to add chapters to YouTube videos

By Saikat Dey and Sagar Dey, co-founders of MirrorCut · Updated October 23, 2026

Quick answer

To add chapters to a YouTube video, open it in YouTube Studio and put a list of timestamps with titles in the description. The first timestamp must be 00:00, there must be at least three in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. Save, and the chapters replace any automatic ones. If any rule is broken, no chapters show.

Chapters split a YouTube video into named sections on the progress bar, so viewers can jump to the part they came for. They help on long videos: tutorials, podcasts, reviews and lessons.

You add them with timestamps in the video's description. It takes a minute, but YouTube is strict about the format: break one rule and no chapters appear at all. This guide covers the rules, the steps, and what to check when they don't show.

YouTube's three rules for chapters

YouTube's help centre sets three rules for chapters written in the description. All three must hold:

  • The first timestamp is 00:00.
  • There are at least three timestamps, in ascending order.
  • Each chapter is at least 10 seconds long.

How to add chapters, step by step

Write the list first: one line per chapter, the timestamp then the title, for example "00:00 Intro", "01:45 Setting up", "06:30 Common mistakes". Use minutes and seconds (and hours for long videos, such as 1:02:15).

Then sign in to YouTube Studio, choose Content, open the video, paste the list into the description and save. You can do it while uploading or at any time afterwards.

Automatic chapters

YouTube can also add chapters by itself. In YouTube Studio, the video's details include an "Allow automatic chapters" setting, on by default for new uploads; you can turn it off for one video, or for all future uploads in Settings under Upload defaults. Chapters you write in the description override the automatic ones.

YouTube says not every video is eligible for automatic chapters, and not every eligible video gets them, so write your own when they matter.

Why your chapters aren't showing

Check these in order:

  • The first timestamp isn't 00:00: a list that starts at 00:05 shows no chapters.
  • There are fewer than three timestamps, or they're out of order.
  • A chapter is shorter than 10 seconds, often the last one when the video was trimmed after you wrote the list.
  • The timestamps are in a comment, not the description.
  • The channel has an active strike, or the video may be inappropriate for some viewers: YouTube turns chapters off for those.

Writing good chapter titles

Name each chapter after what the viewer gets, in a few words: "Setting up the mic" rather than "Part 2". Viewers scan them to decide what to watch, and clear titles also describe the video to search. Keep the first chapter short so the video starts quickly, and place each chapter where the topic actually changes.

Doing it in MirrorCut

MirrorCut is an AI video editor for your own recordings. Upload the footage and ask; its agent makes the edit on a real timeline, and every change is outlined for you to accept or revert. For example:

  • “Add a chapter title on screen at each topic change”
  • “Tighten the intro so the first chapter starts sooner”
  • “Cut this tutorial into chapters of at least a minute each”

Free tools

No sign-up; they run in your browser.

Questions

Can I add chapters to a video that's already published?
Yes. Edit the description in YouTube Studio and save; you don't need to re-upload the video.
Do chapters need titles?
Each timestamp needs a title after it. The title is what viewers see on the progress bar.
Is there a tool that checks my chapters?
Yes: paste your timestamps into our free YouTube chapters generator and it checks all three rules and formats the list for the description.

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