How it works
Paste your video's link and the tool fetches its transcript automatically, or paste a transcript directly. The AI reads the content, finds the real topic changes, and produces 5–12 chapters in YouTube's exact format — starting at 0:00, one per line — ready to paste into your video description.
Why chapters are worth the minute
Chapters make long videos skimmable, which helps retention rather than hurting it: viewers who can jump to what they came for stay longer than viewers who scrub blindly and leave. Chapters also appear in Google search results as key moments, giving each section its own chance to rank, and they feed YouTube's understanding of what your video covers.
YouTube's chapter rules
For chapters to work, the list must start at 0:00, have at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long. Paste the list anywhere in your description. If you prefer, YouTube can also auto-generate chapters — but your own almost always describe the content better.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add chapters to a YouTube video?+
Generate the chapter list above, copy it, and paste it into your video's description (anywhere works, though the top is conventional). YouTube detects the timestamps automatically — the list must start with 0:00 and contain at least three chapters.
The video link mode says there's no transcript — what now?+
Very new videos may not have captions processed yet, and some videos have them disabled. Switch to paste mode: grab the text from our Transcript Extractor if available, or paste your script — the AI segments plain text too.
Are the timestamps accurate?+
When generated from a video link, timestamps come from the actual caption timings, so they land on or very near the real topic changes. From pasted text without timestamps, the AI estimates — review before publishing.
How many chapters should a video have?+
A chapter every 1–3 minutes is a good rhythm: enough to make the video navigable without fragmenting it. A 10-minute video usually reads well with 5–8 chapters.