Video adverts are more appealing and reach a broad audience. Marketing experts find the most comprehensive and convincing way of promoting brands, products, and services. Making short videos offering full descriptions of various products is very easy. YouTube is one of the fastest-growing platforms for advertisers. They use this platform in uploading original videos, and people can watch them.
On YouTube, various strategies are used in improving the video ranking and viewership. Describing the video guide viewers on what it is all about. Providing a time stamp on a video takes viewers directly to the point where you want them to watch. Some content creators are not aware of how the time stamp link is created and added to the video. Adding the timestamp can be done manually or automatically. The video will open at a specific time. It is recommended for long videos.
Crop the Video
If you are the video owners uploading on your YouTube channel, you can edit the video to play from the point you wish. YouTube has in-built tools for this task. The method is however not very easy. YouTube has simple timestamping tools.
How to Add a Timestamp to YouTube Video URL
- Open the video on your browser. Locate the video URL on the address bar.
- Format to add the time stamp. The time is denoted by t= followed by the seconds you want the video to play from. An example of a timestamp can be t= 1m45s. If the video URL contains a question mark (?) At the end, use the ampersand (&) before the time stamp. An example is &t=1m45s.
An example of a video URL with a question mark is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qA2s_Vh0uE. Adding &t=1m45s means the video will play from 1 minute and 45 seconds.
While adding timestamps, always use whole numbers without initial zeroes. I.e., use 5, not 05.
Three methods can be used in creating timestamps for YouTube videos at the current time. These methods include;
- Add Time Stamp Using YouTube’s Share Feature From Browser
You can use the share function on YouTube to add a timestamp while using the browser.
- Open and la the video until the point you wish to share from and pause.
- Underneath the URL on the share link section, there is a small box indicated as Start at. The timestamp is automatically generated.
- Copy and share the updated URL. Anyone who opens this shortened URL will begin watching from the point timestamp has been appended.
The time t= is preceded by a question mark and not the ampersand (&) in the shortened URL.
- Timestamp Comments at a Specific Time by Modifying URL
- To add comments to a YouTube video, login into your YouTube account and select the video you wish to edit.
- Find the time you want to time stamp the video. An embedded video can also be timestamped.
- Start playing the video and pause at the point you want to timestamp. At the bottom right corner, you will see the timestamp in the following formats:
Hours: Minutes: Seconds
- Current timestamp: video Length- the format should resemble this example. 4:14/7:00
This means your 7-minute video was paused at four minutes and zero seconds.
How do you add the timestamp?
Add a description in the comment box and comments heading below and add the timestamp as it appears in the video. A link will be served with the video showing from that point.
- Timestamp YouTube Comments on Mobile App
The process is somehow similar to the YouTube Browser version. Use the following steps;
- Login in into your YouTube app on your phone (android or iPhone)
- Search for a video you want to timestamp whether from other creators or yours.
- Play the video and pause at the point you wish to start your timestamp.
- Check at the bottom right corner for the time. Its format should be; Hours: Minutes: Seconds.
- The time displayed will be exact of where you paused the video. If you paused at one minute and five seconds, it will show 1:05.
- Add a public comment on the video in the comment box. The comment box appears below the related video section.
- Copy the timestamp and paste it in the comment section. A link is automatically generated.
- Click on post. The link is generated in the comment box and can be shared.
You can try creating a timestamp at any point on your video and check out the results. What ways your result? Did it work?
Note: Always copy the current timestamp as it appears. If a different time is set, it results in broken links hence, the video does not play.