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There’s something for everyone on YouTube, but not every video is exciting and worth watching from start to finish. To be precise, you may be interested in a specific point on a YouTube video’s timeline. So is there a way to link to that specific spot? Yes, there is.
In this article, we’re going to show you how to link a specific timestamp on YouTube so that you can share it or rewatch it whenever you want.
Ways to Link to a Specific Timestamp on YouTube
The good news is that there are several ways to create links to specific timestamps on any YouTube video. Some methods only apply when you’re viewing YouTube using a browser. Others work when using the YouTube app.
Let’s look at how you can link to a specific time marker depending on the device in use.
Link to a Specific Timestamp on YouTube using Windows, Mac, or Chromebook
Method 1: Using YouTube’s Built-In Timestamp Linking Feature
- Visit “YouTube“ and open the video of interest.
- Navigate to the timestamp you want to link.
- Right-click on the video and select “Copy video URL video at current time.”
You can then share the link as you wish.
Method 2: Share Timestamps Using the Video Sharing Button
- Go to YouTube and find the video you’d like to share.
- Scroll through the video until you get to the section of interest.
- Click on the “Share” icon just below the video.
- In the popup menu that appears, check the “Start at [time slot]” box.
- If you need to adjust the time marker manually, tap the “time” and enter a new value.
- Highlight the “URL,” then “Right-click” (Windows) or “two-finger tap” (Mac) and select “Copy.”
When a viewer clicks on the copied link, they are taken directly to the timestamp of interest. That’s where the video starts playing.
Method 3: Link to a YouTube Timestamp Manually
There are two types of URLs used for each YouTube video.
In a browser, the URL is “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=”
When sharing (email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.), the URL is “https://youtu.be/”
- For specifying “seconds” on URLs that use the “youtu.be/” address, insert the format “?t=Xs” where “t” represents time, “X” is for the time slot number, and “s” stands for seconds, such as “?t=45s.”
- For specifying “seconds” on URLs that use the “youtube.com/” address, insert the format “&t=Xs” where “t” represents time, “X” is for the time slot number, and “s” stands for seconds, such as “&t=45s.”
- For specifying “minutes and seconds” on both URLs, change the format from “Xs” to “XmYs” where “t” = time, “Xm” = # minutes, and “Ys” = # seconds, such as “?t=5m30s” or “&t=5m30s.”
Note: When linking to a timestamp manually, always leave out the zeros and only include whole numbers. For instance, use 8, not 08.
It’s also important to note that linking to a specific timestamp doesn’t mean the viewer can’t watch earlier segments of the video. The time slider can be moved in any direction.
How to Link to a Specific Timestamp on YouTube on iPhone
If you’re using an iPhone to watch YouTube videos, linking to specific timestamps is straightforward:
- Open the “YouTube” app or website and find the video you’d like to share.
- Scroll through the video until you get to the section of interest.
- Click on the “Share” button.
- In the popup menu that appears, check the “Start at [time slot here]” box.
- Highlight the URL and click on “Copy.”
- Paste the “copied URL” and add the “timestamp” manually, which “?t=Xs” or “?t=XmYs” for “youtu.be” URLS or “&t=Xs” or “&t=XmYs” for “youtube.com” URLs. “Xs” =[number here] seconds and “XmYs” =[number here] minutes, [number here] seconds.
How to Link to a Specific Timestamp on YouTube on Android
When using an Android, you have the option to watch YouTube videos using the official YouTube app or browsers like Chrome.
Link to a Specific Timeslot using an iPhone/Android Browser
When using a mobile browser such as Chrome to link to a specific timeslot on a YouTube video, the process is fairly easy yet inconvenient. The browser offers the option to directly copy a link but does include the “at current time” option that you get in a PC browser. Here’s how to copy a YouTube video that starts playing at a specific time.
- Go to “YouTube Mobile“ and find the video you’d like to share.
- Pause the video at the spot where you’d like the video to start playing.
- Click on the “Share” button.
- Tap on “Copy link.” Take note of the paused time that you want to use.
- Open a new browser tab and paste the copied URL but don’t press “Enter” yet. Add “?t=Xs” where X=seconds, or add “t=XmYs” where X=minutes and S=seconds. Edit “X” and “Y” to your noted pause time.
- Tap the “Enter” key on your virtual keyboard to load the time-adjusted URL. You may want to copy it first and paste it elsewhere before tapping on “Enter.”
- The YouTube video now loads at the specified timeslot. Of course, you may get an ad or two first.
- If you copied the adjusted URL in “Step 6,” you can paste it into emails, social media, SMS, MMS, etc.
Link to a Specific Timeslot using the Android/iPhone YouTube App
- Launch the “YouTube App” and find the video you’d like to share where it starts playing at a certain timeslot.
- Scroll through the video until you get to the section of interest. Pause the video to your starting point or pause and use the “Seek” option by holding down on the video and sliding right or left.
- Click on the “Share” button.
- If you want to save the timeslot URL to use for several apps or to keep for later use, select “Copy link” and paste it somewhere you can retrieve it. You’ll edit the timeslot in the URL later.
- If you want to paste and edit the timeslot of the URL in an app directly, choose the app, such as social media, note apps, etc. Don’t save/submit the entry just yet. You need the timeslot data in the URL.
- Now, return to the text entry area of the app from Step 4 or 5.
- Edit the URL you saved in Step 4 or 5. Short URLs (youtu.be) use “?t=Xs” where X=seconds or “?t=XmYs” where X=minutes and S=seconds. Replace “?” with “&” for long URLs (youtube.com/watch?v=). Edit “X” and “Y” values to your noted pause time.
- Save the edited URL in the notepad app, post it in the social media app, or paste it into your mobile browser.
In closing, just remember that the formula for a timeslot is t=Xs or t=XmYs. You simply change the X and Y to your time values. Short URLs that start with “youtu.be” use “?“ first while long URLs that start with “youtube.com/watch?v=” use “&“ before the time data.
Timestamps can help you share information with your audience without having them watch unimportant segments. If you’re focused only on a specific part of the video, you can link directly to it and save time. Thanks to this article, you now know exactly how to do it!
YouTube Timeslot FAQs
2. How do I share a YouTube link with a timestamp?
• Go to YouTube and find the video you’d like to share.
• Scroll through the video until you get to the section of interest.
• Click on the “Share” button.
• For PC, check the “Start at” box in the popup menu that appears.
• For mobile devices, tap “Copy link” or select a place to share, then add your time data at the end.
3. What is timestamp software?
Timestamp software is used to link to specific timestamps on online videos, including YouTube videos. When a user clicks on a link with a timestamp, they are taken to a specific segment of the video.
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