What the YouTube Chapter Generator does
This YouTube chapter generator turns your outline, editor markers or subtitle file into a chapter list you can paste straight into a video description, and checks it against YouTube's published rules: the first timestamp must be 0:00, there must be at least three timestamps in ascending order, and every chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
It fixes the formatting for you - m:ss for shorter videos, h:mm:ss on every line once a video reaches an hour - and tells you exactly which line breaks a rule, which is the usual reason chapters silently fail to appear.
How to use it
- Type or paste your chapters, one per line, with the start time before or after the title:
0:48 Turning off the water,[02:15] Removing the handleorReassembling - 8:40. Frame timecodes from an editor, such as00:08:40:12, work too; pick the frame rate. - Enter the video length so the last chapter and any timestamps past the end can be checked.
- Fix anything flagged: use Sort by time if lines are out of order, and Add 0:00 Intro if the first chapter does not start at zero.
- No outline yet? Open the subtitle section, drop an SRT or VTT file and draft chapters at a regular interval, then rename the placeholder titles.
- Copy the finished list into the video description in YouTube Studio and save.
Reading the results
A green result means the list meets every rule YouTube documents for manual chapters. YouTube can still decide not to show chapters, for example on some videos flagged for certain content, and automatic chapters may be used instead if you allow them.
Chapter length is measured from one start time to the next; the last chapter runs to the end of the video. Seconds are whole: a chapter from 1:20 to 1:26 is 6 seconds and too short.
Placeholder titles drafted from subtitles are simply the first words of a caption. They show where a topic may change; the real titles are yours to write.
Worked example: an outline with three mistakes
A reviewer pastes: 0:05 Welcome, 1:20 Unboxing, 1:26 First impressions, 4:10 Setup, 3:40 Camera test, 9:25 Verdict, for a 9:30 video.
Four rules fail. The list starts at 0:05, not 0:00. Unboxing runs from 1:20 to 1:26, only 6 seconds. Camera test at 3:40 comes after Setup at 4:10, so the list is not ascending. And the verdict at 9:25 leaves only 5 seconds before the end.
Changing the first line to 0:00, merging Unboxing into First impressions, sorting by time and moving the verdict to 9:05 gives five chapters that all pass: Welcome (1:26), First impressions (2:14), Camera test (0:30), Setup (4:55) and Verdict (0:25).
Writing chapter titles people use
Chapters work as a table of contents in the progress bar and, often, in search results, so name each one after what the viewer gets: "Fitting the new washer" beats "Part 4". Keep titles short enough to read on a phone, and put the step or answer first.
Split where the viewer's task changes, not at fixed intervals. A 15-minute tutorial usually needs five to ten chapters; a one-minute Short needs none.
Limitations: what the result does not prove
- It checks the published rules; it cannot guarantee that YouTube will display chapters on a particular video.
- Draft chapters from subtitles are placed by time, not by meaning. Review every boundary and title.
- Frame timecodes are converted using the frame rate you choose; drop-frame timecode (29.97 fps) is treated as 30 fps and can drift by a few seconds over an hour.
- It does not read your video file or YouTube page; the video length is what you type.
Privacy: where your data goes
Everything you paste, type or drop is processed in this browser tab. It is not uploaded, logged, stored or sent to analytics. Session recording and tag-manager scripts are switched off on this page.
Standards and sources
- YouTube Help - Video chapters - checked 19 Sep 2026
Frequently asked questions
Why are my YouTube chapters not showing?
The most common causes are a first timestamp that is not 0:00, fewer than three timestamps, a chapter shorter than 10 seconds, or timestamps out of order. Paste your list here to see which rule fails. Also check that the timestamps are in the description itself, not a pinned comment, and that the video was saved after editing.
What format do YouTube chapter timestamps need?
Each chapter goes on its own line with the start time first, such as 0:00 Intro or 1:05:30 Questions. Minutes and seconds are separated by a colon, with hours added for longer videos. Titles after the time can contain spaces and most punctuation.
What is the minimum length of a YouTube chapter?
YouTube's help centre says the minimum length for a chapter is 10 seconds. This tool measures each chapter from its start to the next chapter's start, and the last one to the end of the video, and flags any shorter than 10 seconds.
Can I make chapters from an SRT subtitle file?
You can draft them here. The tool places a chapter at the first caption after each interval you choose - every two minutes, for example - and uses the caption's first words as a placeholder. It does not understand the content, so move boundaries to real topic changes and write proper titles.
Do I need hours in timestamps for a video under an hour?
No. Under an hour, m:ss is the usual form, such as 12:48. Once a video reaches an hour, this tool writes every line as h:mm:ss, including 0:00:00, so the list reads consistently. YouTube also recognises the shorter forms on long videos.
How many chapters should a YouTube video have?
At least three to meet YouTube's rule, and as many as the video has genuinely separate sections. Most tutorials and reviews work well with one chapter every one to three minutes. Very short chapters make the progress bar hard to use on phones.
Last reviewed by the A2Z.Tools team against the sources listed above.
