A good YouTube description tells viewers in the first one or two sentences what they’ll learn, then follows up with chapters, links, and extra info. You add chapters by writing timestamps into the description. According to YouTube Help, three rules apply: the first timestamp is 00:00, there are at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter is at least 10 seconds long.
What is the YouTube description for?
The description is the text below your video. It has three jobs:
- Help viewers: It explains what the video covers and provides links, resources, and chapters.
- Give context to YouTube and search engines: The text helps clarify what your video is about.
- Keep people going: It points to related videos, playlists, your course, or your offer.
The most visible part is the first few lines. Viewers only see the rest when they expand the description.
How to structure a strong YouTube description
1. The opener: one or two sentences
Your first sentences answer: what will I learn in this video, and who is it for? Work your main search term naturally into the first sentence.
Weak: “Hey everyone and welcome to my new video! Today’s going to be exciting.”
Better: “In this tutorial, you’ll set up Notion as a client CRM, from your first database to automatic reminders. Perfect for coaches and freelancers.”
2. Chapters
Put your chapters right after the opener. That way viewers find them quickly, and the list shows at a glance what the video covers.
3. Links and resources
Everything you mention in the video: templates, tools, docs, follow-up videos. Label each link so it’s clear where it goes.
4. About you and your channel
One or two sentences on who you are and what viewers can expect from your channel. You can reuse this block as boilerplate.
5. Disclosures
This is where required and transparency notes go, like sponsorships, affiliate links, or AI-generated content. More on AI labeling in how to label AI-generated content.
6. Hashtags
A few relevant hashtags at the end are enough. According to YouTube Help on hashtags, up to three hashtags from your description can appear by your title. If a video has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them.
Template: YouTube description for tutorials
In this tutorial, you'll [result], from [starting point] to [end point].Perfect for [audience].
Chapters00:00 What this is about00:40 [Step 1]02:15 [Step 2]05:30 [Step 3]08:10 Result and next steps
Links from the video▸ [Template / resource]: [link]▸ [Tool]: [link]▸ Next video: [link]
About me[1–2 sentences about you and your channel]
Disclosures[Sponsorship / affiliate / AI notice, if applicable]
#[MainTopic] #[Tool] #[Format]Adapt the template to your format. For course lessons, swap “Next video” for a link to the next lesson.
YouTube chapters: the official rules
Chapters split your video into sections. Each section gets its own title and its own preview in the progress bar, so viewers can jump right to the part they care about.
According to YouTube Help on video chapters, these rules apply when you add chapters manually:
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| First timestamp is 00:00 | The first chapter starts at the very beginning. |
| At least three timestamps | Fewer than three won’t create chapters. |
| Ascending order | Each timestamp comes after the previous one. |
| Minimum length of 10 seconds | Shorter chapters aren’t allowed. |
YouTube also notes that chapters aren’t available if the channel has active strikes or if the content may be inappropriate for some viewers.
How to add chapters
- Watch your finished video and note where each new section starts.
- Add a list to the description: one timestamp per line, followed by the chapter title.
- Start with
00:00. - Save and check the preview to confirm the progress bar is split into sections.
Example:
00:00 What this is about00:45 Create your account02:30 Build your first database06:10 Automatic reminders09:20 Wrap-upAutomatic chapters
YouTube can also create chapters automatically. You’ll find the option in the advanced settings during upload. Not every video is eligible, and not every eligible video gets automatic chapters. If you write your own timestamps in the description, those are what count. You can turn automatic chapters off by unchecking the option.
Our advice: add chapters yourself. You know your video’s structure best, and you can phrase the titles the way your viewers search.
Writing good chapter titles
Chapter titles are mini headlines. They should be:
- short, ideally two to five words,
- specific: “Export as PDF” instead of “Part 3,”
- searchable, using terms viewers actually type in,
- consistent, for example all phrased as actions (“Create your account,” “Build your first database”).
| Weak | Better |
|---|---|
| Intro | What this is about |
| Part 1 | Create your account |
| Moving on | Build your first database |
| The important part | Automatic reminders |
| Outro | Wrap-up and next steps |
Why chapters matter so much for tutorials
People rarely watch tutorials and course lessons straight through. If they’re stuck, they jump to the step they need. If they’re looking something up, they want one specific spot. Chapters make exactly that possible.
Chapters also force you into a clear structure. If you can’t split a video into meaningful sections, that’s often a sign the structure isn’t quite there yet. For how to structure a tutorial well from the start, see our guide on how to make a YouTube tutorial.
Descriptions for courses and series
If you publish several related videos, like a tutorial series or the public lessons from a course, a fixed framework pays off:
- Same structure in every video: viewers always find chapters and links in the same place.
- State the position in the series: “Part 3 of 6” or “Lesson 2: The basics” in the first or second sentence.
- Link backward and forward: to the previous and next video, plus the playlist.
- One link to the full offer: if there’s a complete course, point to it once, clearly.
Also plan to maintain your descriptions over time. When a tool, link, or price changes, update the description without re-uploading the video.
Common mistakes with descriptions and chapters
- Missing first timestamp: No
00:00, no chapters. - Too few chapters: Two timestamps aren’t enough.
- Chapters that are too short: Anything under 10 seconds isn’t allowed.
- Timestamps from a rough cut: After the final edit, the times are off. Always check chapters against the finished video.
- A generic opener: “Welcome to my video” wastes your most visible lines.
- Hashtag overload: Piling on hashtags doesn’t help, and over 60 means all of them get ignored.
- Missing links: Mentioning something in the video and not linking it frustrates viewers.
Pre-publish checklist
- First sentence says what viewers will learn, with your main search term
- Chapters start at 00:00
- At least three chapters, ascending, each at least 10 seconds
- Chapter titles short, specific, consistent
- Times checked against the finished video
- Every link you mention is included and labeled
- Sponsorship or AI disclosures, if needed
- A few relevant hashtags
How Macreto helps with descriptions and chapters
For every finished video, Macreto delivers a publishing package: three titles, three thumbnails, a description with chapters, tags, a pinned comment, and a community post. You can fine-tune the chapters in the chapter editor before you publish.
If you like, a progress bar with chapters can also show the sections directly in the video; you set that up in your video style. And if your video includes AI images, Macreto also provides a disclosure line for your description.