YouTube Timestamp: Link to Specific Part of YouTube Video

About YouTube Timestamp

YouTube timestamp is a result of the trend for capturing quick and accurate information. Videos deliver information in a clear and vivid way, but in many times the viewers cannot get the most-wanted message from the beginning of a video shared by friends even if YouTube videos are generally short. It is okay to press the keyboard to speed up every time, but not very convenient anyway. With timestamp, however, you friend can share a YouTube video at a specific start time or even end time, and you’ll play the video within the time range.

Right click: Copy video URL at current time

Yes, it is as easy as a right-click to link to a specific part of a YouTube video.

Step 1. Play the video on YouTube with a PC browser.

Step 2. Pause the video at the time you want to share, and right click over the play window with the mouse.

Step 3. Choose Copy video URL at current time.

Step 4. Paste and share the link to people.

Please note that this only work at youtube.com, not including embedded videos at third-party websites, and may not work on Firefox browser.

Add YouTube Timstamp Code

Alternatively, we can also link to a specific part of a YouTube video by adding codes to the URL. It is not as easy as the “right click” method but involves various functions. There are several formats for specifying a specific time in YouTube video link.

1. This is a shortened URL, usually generated with the share button in YouTube.com or the mobile app, with a query string of “?t=2m9s” added, which means starting at 02:09.

https://youtu.be/1jCOLYewTFc?t=2m9s                                                                        

2. This is a full URL, which can be captured in the address bar of browser, with a slightly different query string. The “?” is replaced by “&”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jCOLYewTFc&t=2m9s                                     

3. This is a URL link containing both start time and end time. The “/embed/” is a fixed format, while “?” comes back. “129” and “239” are seconds converted from minutes and seconds, with the formula: (minutes*60) + seconds. For example, (2*60) + 9 = 129; (3 * 60) + 59 = 239. The video starts at 02:09 and ends at 03:59.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1jCOLYewTFc?start=129&end=239                    

Add Timestamp in YouTube Comment

We talked about how to share a YouTube video at a specific time. Tell your friends to share their videos in this way and you’ll get to the right time instantly. What if you want to comment to the video about one of the exact moment as feedback? It is also super handy to do.

Step 1. Open the video in YouTube.

Step 2. Type what you want to say in the comment box.

Step 3. When you want someone to focus on a certain time, just type the timestamp in xx:xx format. For example, "I think the guy in 03:13 is so funny." The color of the time will change to blue and be active. Clicking the timestamp will play the video at the exact time. The image below is another example.