How to add chapters to YouTube Video?

What are YouTube Chapters? 

YouTube Chapters are a feature that allows content creators to divide their videos into segments with individual timestamps. These chapters act as markers, making it easier for viewers to navigate through the video and find specific sections of interest. By providing a table of contents for longer videos, YouTube Chapters enhance the overall user experience and help viewers quickly access the content they seek.

How to add Video Chapters to your YouTube Video?

By dividing your content into segments, viewers can easily find specific sections. This helps enhance the viewer experience on your YouTube videos. Here's how you can do it:

How to add video chapters manually?

1. Go to your YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Click the video that you'd like to edit.
4. In the Description, add a list of timestamps and titles. Make sure that the first timestamp you list starts with 00:00. Your video should have at least three timestamps listed in ascending order. The minimum length for video chapters is 10 seconds.

Here is an example of how to format your timestamps and titles:

00:00 Introduction

02:30 What is YouTube chapters?

04:15 How to add chapters to your videos

06:45 Benefits of using YouTube chapters

5. Click Save.

Once you have saved your changes, the chapters will be added to your video. It may take up to 24 hours for the chapters to appear in the video.

How to auto-add video chapters?

Here are the steps on how to auto-add video chapters on YouTube:

1. Go to your YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Click the video that you'd like to edit.
4. Click Show More, and under Automatic Chapters, select “Allow automatic chapters (when available and eligible)”. By default, this box will be checked for all new uploads.
5. Click Save.

Once you have saved your changes, YouTube will automatically generate chapters for your video based on the audio and timestamps in your video. It may take up to 24 hours for the chapters to appear in the video.

Here are some things to keep in mind when using automatic chapters:

• Not all videos are eligible for automatic chapters.
• The quality of the automatic chapters will vary depending on the audio and timestamps in your video.
• You can edit the automatic chapters by clicking Chapters Available and then ADD CHAPTERS.
• Make sure that your audio is clear and easy to understand.
• Avoid using copyrighted music in your videos, as this can prevent YouTube from generating automatic chapters.

How to edit automatic video chapters?

Here are the steps on how to edit automatic video chapters:

1. Go to your YouTube Studio.
2. From the left menu, select Content.
3. Click the video that you'd like to edit.
4. Click Chapters available.
5. Click Add Chapters.
6. You will see the automatic chapters that have been generated for your video. You can edit these chapters by changing the timestamps, titles, or descriptions.
7. When you are finished editing the chapters, click Save.

Here are some things to keep in mind when editing automatic chapters:

• You can only edit the automatic chapters that have been generated for your video.
• You cannot delete the automatic chapters, but you can hide them by clicking the Hide button.
• If you make changes to the audio or timestamps in your video, you will need to regenerate the automatic chapters.
• Use clear and concise titles for your chapters.
• Use keywords in your chapter titles to help your video rank in search results.

How to Solve “YouTube chapters not working”?

There are a few reasons why YouTube chapters might not be working. Here are some things you can check to try to fix the problem:

• Make sure your channel has more than 1,000 subscribers. YouTube chapters are only available to channels with more than 1,000 subscribers.
• Check the timestamps. The timestamps for your chapters need to be accurate and in chronological order. They also need to be at least 10 seconds long.
• Make sure you have added at least 3 chapters. Your video needs to have at least 3 chapters for the chapter feature to work.
• Check the titles. The titles for your chapters need to be clear and concise. They also need to be unique so that they don't conflict with the titles of other chapters in your video.
• Make sure you have added the 00:00 timestamp. The 00:00 timestamp is the first chapter in your video. If you don't add it, YouTube won't recognize your video as having chapters.
• Check for copyright strikes. If your channel has any active copyright strikes, your video may not be eligible for automatic chapters.
• Check the video content. If your video content is inappropriate for some viewers, YouTube may not generate automatic chapters.

If you have checked all of these things and your YouTube chapters are still not working, you can try contacting YouTube support for help.

What are the SEO benefits of YouTube Chapters?

Sure, here are the SEO benefits of YouTube Chapters in bullets:

• Increased watch time: Chapters can help viewers find the information they are looking for quickly and easily, which can lead to increased watch time.
• Improved discoverability: Chapters can help your videos show up in more search results, which can lead to more views.
• Better user experience: Chapters can make your videos more user-friendly, which can lead to higher engagement rates.
• Increased click-through rate: Chapters can make your video titles more descriptive, which can lead to a higher click-through rate.

FAQs

What is the difference between YouTube chapters and timestamps?
Chapters are a more advanced way to organize your videos by breaking them down into sections with titles and descriptions. Timestamps are simply timecodes that can be used to jump to specific points in a video.

What are the character limits on chapter titles?
The character limit for chapter titles is 120 characters.

Do you need 1000 subscribers on YouTube for chapters?
Yes, you need 1000 subscribers on YouTube to use chapters.