YouTube Timestamp Link Generator
Create a YouTube link that starts playing at an exact moment you choose.
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
Paste a URL and set a start time.
The ability to link to an exact second of a video is a small feature with outsized usefulness. A timestamped link skips the throat-clearing and drops the viewer precisely where the answer is — which is why they run creator chapters, power the 'jump to the recipe' links people beg for, and make it possible to cite a specific claim in a two-hour talk without saying 'it's in there somewhere.' This tool builds those links: enter a video and a time, and get a URL that starts playback exactly there, ready to share anywhere YouTube links resolve.
How the tool works
Paste a YouTube URL and specify the moment you want — in minutes and seconds, or as a total number of seconds. The tool appends YouTube's start-time parameter to the link, producing a URL that begins playback at that exact point. It handles both the standard watch-link format and the short youtu.be format, which use slightly different parameter syntax, so the link you get works wherever you paste it.
The timestamp parameters
Standard link: ?t=90 or ?t=1m30s
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ID&t=90
Short link: ?t=90
https://youtu.be/ID?t=90
Embed: ?start=90
https://youtube.com/embed/ID?start=90
All three mean: begin at 1 minute 30 secondsThe three contexts use different parameters, which is the source of most broken timestamp links. Watch and short links use t; embedded players use start; and only the embed parameter must be plain seconds, while t also accepts the 1m30s shorthand. Mixing them — putting t on an embed, or start on a watch link — silently fails, playing from the beginning. This tool selects the correct parameter for the link type automatically, which is most of its value.
What to know about timestamped links
- 1Timestamps in your description create clickable chapters automatically. When a video's description lists times starting at 0:00 in ascending order, YouTube converts them into a chapter bar on the progress track. Three or more, each at least ten seconds apart, is the requirement — this is the single highest-value use of timestamps for a creator.
- 2Chapters improve more than navigation. They help YouTube understand a video's structure and can surface individual sections in search results as 'key moments,' effectively giving one video several search entry points. A well-chaptered tutorial competes for many queries a single un-chaptered upload cannot.
- 3Pinned comments with timestamps guide viewers to what they came for. A comment linking to the three most-requested moments respects the viewer's time and, counterintuitively, tends to improve watch time — people who find their answer quickly are more likely to keep watching than those who give up hunting for it.
- 4The end-time trick works too. Adding both start and end parameters in an embed plays only a specific clip, useful for citing an exact quote or reaction without the surrounding minutes. The watch page ignores an end parameter, but embeds honor it, which matters for presentations and articles.
- 5Timestamped links are cite-able evidence. Referencing 'they said X at 14:32' with a link that opens exactly there is far more credible and checkable than a vague paraphrase. For commentary, criticism, and fact-checking, a precise timestamp is the difference between an assertion and a citation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a YouTube link start at a specific time?
Add the start-time parameter to the URL: t for watch and short links, start for embeds. This tool builds it for you so you do not have to remember which format needs which parameter or convert your time into seconds. Paste the video, enter the moment, and copy the resulting link — it will begin playback exactly there wherever it is opened.
Why does my timestamp link start from the beginning instead?
Almost always a parameter mismatch. Embedded players need start, but watch and short links need t — using the wrong one is silently ignored, so playback begins at zero. The other common cause is a malformed value, like text where a number belongs. This tool avoids both by detecting the link type and formatting the parameter correctly.
How do I add clickable chapters to my own video?
List timestamps in your video description, one per line, starting with 0:00 and increasing in order — for example '0:00 Intro', '1:30 Setup', '4:15 Results'. You need at least three, and each chapter must be at least ten seconds long. YouTube then renders them as a chapter bar on the progress track and can surface them as key moments in search. No special tool is required beyond writing the times.
Can I make a link that plays only part of a video?
Yes, but only in an embed. An embedded player accepts both start and end parameters, so it will play a defined clip and stop. The normal watch page honors the start time but ignores the end, playing to the finish. For presentations, articles, or anywhere you embed the iframe, the start-and-end combination lets you isolate an exact segment.
Do timestamped links work on mobile and in the app?
Yes. The start-time parameter is part of the standard URL, so the YouTube app and mobile browsers both honor it — a shared timestamped link opens in the app at the right moment on a phone just as it does on desktop. This is why they travel well through messages and social posts, where most people are on mobile.