How to Create a Link to a Specific Time in a YouTube Video
When you want to share a specific piece of a YouTube video, linking to a specific time inside the video is a useful technique, especially if the segment begins playing several minutes after the movie begins.
On a desktop browser, linking to the precise portion of any YouTube video is simple. Follow these steps to locate the video you wish to share on YouTube.com.
- Open the video on YouTube and pause it at the desired time.
- Click on the “Share” button, which is located below the video player.
- Click on the “Start at” checkbox.
- A URL with a timestamp will be generated in the “Link” field. This is the link to the specific time in the video.
- Copy the link and use it to link to the specific time in the video.
Link to a Specific Time in a YouTube Video by Creating a Timestamp
To create a timestamp that links to a specific time in a YouTube video, you can use the following format:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=TIME_IN_SECONDS
For example, if you want to link to the 1 hour, 15 minute, and 30 second mark in a video with the URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ, you would use the following link:
This will take the viewer directly to the specified time in the video when they click on the link.
You can also use the following format to link to a specific time in a YouTube video:
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=TIME_IN_SECONDS
For example, the following link would take the viewer to the 1 hour, 15 minute, and 30 second mark in the same video:
Timestamping Videos Shorter Than One Minute
There are a few options for timestamping videos that are shorter than one minute. One option is to use a digital video editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or Avid Media Composer. These types of software allow you to add text or graphics to your video and can be used to display the timestamp.
Another option is to use a tool specifically designed for adding timestamps to videos. There are many online tools and apps available that can add a timestamp to a video, either by adding a graphic overlay to the video or by generating a new video file with the timestamp included. Some examples of these types of tools include TimeStamp It, TimeStamp Video, and TimeStamp Camera.
If you don’t want to use a specialized tool or software, you can also add a timestamp to your video by including the time in the video’s file name or in the video’s title or description when uploading it to a video sharing platform such as YouTube or Vimeo. This can help to provide context for the video and make it easier for viewers to understand when the video was recorded.
Timestamping Videos Longer Than One Minute
To timestamp a video longer than one minute, you can use a video editing software or online tool. Here are some options:
- Adobe Premiere Pro: This is a professional video editing software that allows you to add timestamps to your videos.
- Windows Movie Maker: This is a free video editing software that comes with Windows and allows you to add timestamps to your videos.
- Online tools: There are also several online tools that allow you to add timestamps to your videos, such as Kapwing and VEED.
To add timestamps using these tools, you will need to import your video into the software or website and then use the editing features to add the timestamps. The specific steps will depend on the tool you are using, so you may need to refer to the documentation or tutorials for more information.
Share a Link to a Specific Time in a YouTube Video
On the official YouTube mobile app for iOS and Android devices, there is a share button that allows you to copy the video link and share it to social apps, but there is no Start at checkbox or field. This feature is only accessible via a web browser when viewing a YouTube video.
If you wish to link to a specific moment within a YouTube video on your mobile device, you have a few options:
- Open the video from your browser app, like Chrome, and change the browser’s settings so that it loads YouTube’s desktop site rather than its mobile version (choose Desktop site from Chrome’s menu). Then, follow the steps as they’re listed above to create the time-stamped URL.
- Link to a specific time by manually creating a time stamp (see below).
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