how to timestamp youtube comment

How to Timestamp YouTube Comment – The Complete Guide

In this post, I will teach you how to timestamp youtube comment. Timestamping can be a fantastic way of organizing content or pinpointing a specific part of a video. There are many benefits to timestamping YouTube comments. Keep reading to learn more.

What Is a YouTube Comment Timestamp?

A YouTube comment timestamp is a comment under a YouTube video that has a timestamp link. A timestamp link is basically just a certain time point in the video that is linked in the comment. You can even click on the timestamp in a comment and it will bring you to that point in the video. Sometimes, audiences will comment on a YouTube video and leave the various YouTube timestamps to address the different topics in the video. Content creators will also add these timestamps to their own videos.

Check out this photo for an example:

photo of a YouTube comment timestamp

Benefits of YouTube Comment Timestamps

There are a couple of benefits to utilizing YouTube comment timestamps, including improved user experience, retention, and search engine optimization. While YouTube timestamps can take a bit of time to create, they are definitely worth it. Keep reading below to learn more.

User Experience

From a user experience standpoint, users are able to find what they are looking for within the video much more easily. This is even more important when watching a longer video with multiple sections. If you are just trying to find out one piece of information, it can be frustrating for users to have to watch an entire video. This could result in a user downvoting your YouTube video and having a bad overall experience.

User Retention

Another benefit to using timestamps on YouTube videos is the possibility of improving user retention. As mentioned in the last paragraph, if a user is able to find what they are looking for in a video, they are less likely to bounce from the video. The presence of timestamps often results in users sticking around longer and watching the parts of the videos that are relevant to them.

Answering Questions

When a user adds a timestamp to a YouTube video comment, this can be helpful for addressing questions or calling out a specific part of a video. Because a user is able to highlight a specific part of the video (and you are able to easily click on that part of the video), this makes the job of the YouTube creator a bit easier. Creators are able to better answer questions and interact with the audience.

Search Engine Optimization

The next benefit of utilizing timestamps on YouTube videos is SEO. Timestamps help Google to find specific pieces of information inside videos. Google is now featuring some time-stamped videos in Google Search, which is explained in this blog post. Keep reading to learn how to timestamp YouTube comment.

How to Use a YouTube Comment Timestamp?

One way to use a YouTube comment timestamp is to better organize your content. If you are creating a video that should be divided into chapters, or maybe you are publishing a tutorial or a video that is a bit longer, using timestamps is a great way to better organize this content. This strategy will make the content easier to digest for the user, thus improving the user experience and retention mentioned above. 

Here are a couple of video examples where you would add a YouTube timestamp comment:

One – A storytime video with multiple chapters – a timestamp comment could help to organize the content if the video is especially long.

Two – A tutorial with multiple steps – a timestamp comment could help to separate each section of the tutorial so that users can skip to the part that is most helpful to them.

Three – A long live stream – if the live stream covers multiple topics or activities, a user may want to skip to the section that is most relevant to them.

Four – A video where you discuss a myriad of topics – if a video covers many topics, organizing with timestamps only makes sense.

Five – A video where you want to highlight a key point or call to action – if there is something that you would like to highlight or draw attention to in your video, creating timestamps so that your audience can easily find this information could be helpful.

Six – Listicle video – A listicle video will list out a variety of key points or items. Utilizing timestamps could help to easily organize the information so that the audience doesn’t waste time searching for what they need in the video.

As you can see, YouTube comment timestamps are relevant to a variety of video topics and ideas. Timestamps can be used to enhance almost any video.

How to Timestamp YouTube Comment

Next, we will review how to add timestamps to YouTube comments for both desktop and mobile.

How to Timestamp YouTube Comment on Desktop

One: Find the video that which you’d like to add a YouTube timestamp comment.

Two: Find the part(s) of the video that you would like to timestamp and take note of.

Three: Write the comment and then include the timestamps. The timestamps will automatically link in the comments when they are added!

About to comment a YouTube timestamp on a YouTube video.
A published YouTube comment timestamp on desktop.

And there you have it – that is how to add timestamps to YouTube comments!

How to Timestamp YouTube Comment on Mobile

One – Open the YouTube app and find the video that you want to timestamp

Two – Find the part(s) of the video that you want to timestamp, just like in the desktop tutorial.

Three – Just add the timestamp as a comment and you are good to go!

Screenshot of a YouTube comment timestamp using the YouTube mobile app.

How to Add Timestamps to YouTube Descriptions

Adding timestamps to your YouTube description is also a great way to further organize your video. For example, someone may not think to check out the comments section of a video. They may, however, end up looking to the description for timestamps.

One: Navigate to Your Videos in the YouTube Studio.

Two: Select the pencil icon to edit your video of choice.

Screenshot of the YouTube Video dashboard in YouTube Studio. Select the pencil icon to edit the video description.

Three: Begin typing the content with the relevant timestamps.

Screenshot of an edited YouTube description to add in a YouTube timestamp.

Four: Publish and you are good to go!

Screenshot of a published YouTube description with the added YouTube timestamp.

As you can see, not only is it simple and easy to learn how to timestamp youtube comment, but it is also easy to timestamp a YouTube description box.

Which Is Better: Timestamps in Description or Comments?

So, you might be wondering which is better – timestamping your YouTube description or the YouTube comments. I think that if you are trying to ensure that your video is easy for users to watch and digest, you may want to consider adding timestamps to both! 

Are There Drawbacks to Using YouTube Timestamps?

I don’t think that there are any immediate or obvious drawbacks to using YouTube timestamps. It can be a little frustrating for creators when other users add a timestamp as a comment because it seems like they are trying to undermine the video watch time. I think that the best way to get ahead of this is to go ahead and add the timestamps yourself.

YouTube Timestamp Frequently Asked Questions

Below are a few frequently asked questions relating to how to timestamp YouTube comment.

How to Share YouTube Video With Timestamp

To share a YouTube video with a timestamp, you would do the same thing as if the video did not have a timestamp. 

One: Look right below the video and select Share.

Screenshot of the share button under a YouTube video.

Two: Select the method that you would like to use to share the video.

Screenshot of the different options that someone can use to share a YouTube video or create a a post.

What Are YouTube Video Chapters

A YouTube video chapter breaks up a video into multiple sections and also lists each section with a title. A YouTube video chapter essentially adds information to each individual section of a video. Learn more about chapters here.

How to Link a YouTube Video at a Specific Time

To link to a YouTube video at a specific time, do the following:

One: Go to the part of the video that you would like to link to in the video.

Screenshot of a YouTube video that is paused at a random spot in the video to show how to share a video at a given time point.

Two: Once there, go ahead and select the ‘share’ button under the video. Once there, check the box at the bottom that says ‘start the video at 00:00.’

Screenshot on YouTube of how to share a video at a certain timestamp. Just select the checkbox at the bottom with the given timestamp.

Can I Add a YouTube Comment Timestamp Using Android or iPhone?

Yes, the good news is that you can absolutely add a timestamp using both Android, iPhone, and even Desktop.

Do timestamps help with the YouTube algorithm?

Because timestamps more directly highlight the focus of a YouTube video, it may be easier for your video to rank for certain topics or keywords.

Conclusion – How to Timestamp YouTube Comment

I hope that this blog post did a good job explaining the best ways around how to timestamp YouTube comment as well as how to add timestamps to YouTube descriptions! 

Timestamps are not only a great way to organize information, but they are also fantastic for helping users find what they need in a timely manner. By using timestamps in your YouTube comments and descriptions, you are ultimately creating a better user experience for your audience.

So, will you be utilizing YouTube timestamps in your comments or descriptions? Do you already utilize them on your YouTube channel? I’d love to get your thoughts in the comments!

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Morgan

Morgan is a recognized video marketing expert and content creator. She also runs a video production company and has a passion for teaching all things video.