YouTube Chapters Checker

What it does

Checks a list of "timestamp title" lines against YouTube's rules for video chapters — the first at 0:00, at least 3 in ascending order, each at least 10 seconds long — and marks the exact line that breaks one. Then it rewrites the list in one consistent format you can copy straight back into your video description.

What you'll need

• Your chapter list, one chapter per line: a timestamp and a title (0:00 Intro).
• Optionally, the video's length, so the last chapter can be checked too.

Steps

1. Paste your chapters into the box — the whole description is fine, lines without a timestamp are ignored.
2. Read the verdict and fix every line marked in red: those are the ones that stop YouTube showing chapters.
3. Pick a time format and separator under Auto-fix formatting, then copy the result into your YouTube description.

Reading the result

Red lines break one of YouTube's rules, and while any are left YouTube won't show chapters for the video at all. Purple lines are formatting only — Auto-fix tidies them. Grey notes are worth a look but change nothing on YouTube. The podcast box underneath lists Apple Podcasts' and Spotify's own recommendations for the same list, if you publish the episode there too.

Tips

• Keep chapters long enough to be worth jumping to: 10 seconds is YouTube's floor, not a target.
• Write titles a viewer would scan for — what happens in the chapter, not 'Part 2'.
• YouTube's Help Center notes that chapters you add yourself override its automatic chapters for that video.

What are YouTube chapters?

Chapters split a video into labelled sections on the progress bar, so viewers can see what's coming and jump to the part they want. You create them by listing timestamps and titles in the video's description.

YouTube only turns that list into chapters when it follows the rules in its Help Center: the first timestamp starts at 00:00, there are at least 3 timestamps in ascending order, and every chapter is at least 10 seconds long. One broken line is enough for none of them to appear.

Why creators use it

A long interview or tutorial without chapters is a wall of video. With them, viewers find their part instead of leaving, and each chapter's title shows on the progress bar. But YouTube doesn't tell you which line is wrong when chapters fail to appear — this checker does.

Common mistakes

• Starting at 0:01 or 0:05. the first chapter has to start at 0:00, even if it's just an intro.
• A chapter shorter than 10 seconds. two timestamps a few seconds apart (often a typo, 1:05 for 10:05) is enough to switch chapters off for the whole video.
• Timestamps out of order. every line has to be later than the one before it; a copy-paste from an edit decision list is often not.
• Fewer than three chapters. two timestamps aren't enough — YouTube needs at least three.
• Seconds above 59. 1:75 isn't a time. Long videos need hours: 1:02:03, not 62:03.

FAQ

Should I write 0:00 or 00:00?

YouTube's Help Center says the first timestamp should start with 00:00, so that is Auto-fix's default. Many creators write the shorter 0:00; if you'd rather follow the Help Center to the letter, keep 00:00.

Why don't my chapters show even though the list passes?

Chapters are also tied to your channel: YouTube's Help Center says that if you don't have access to chapters yet, you apply for access to advanced features.

Can the timestamp go after the title?

This checker reads both 'Intro 0:00' and '0:00 Intro', and Auto-fix rewrites them with the time first, the shape most chapter lists use.

Does it work for Spotify and Apple Podcasts chapters?

Both read chapters from the episode description and both need at least three, starting at the very beginning. The box under the results lists their extra recommendations — Apple suggests titles under 45 characters and chapters of at least two minutes; Spotify suggests titles under 40 characters and merging chapters under 30 seconds.

Is my text uploaded anywhere?

No. The check runs in your browser and nothing is sent or stored.