Why aren't my YouTube chapters showing? The 4 rules, and how to fix them

Short answer: YouTube only creates chapters from your description when:

1. the first timestamp is 0:00
2. there are at least three timestamps
3. they're in order from earliest to latest
4. every chapter is at least 10 seconds long

Break any one of these and YouTube shows no chapters at all, not even the ones that were fine. Paste your description into the free Chapter Timestamp Checker to see which rule is failing.

The four rules and how they usually break

1. The first timestamp must be 0:00

This is the most common problem. Creators often start with the first "real" section, such as 0:35 Unboxing, and skip the intro.

Fix: add a first line like 0:00 Intro, even if the intro is short.

2. At least three timestamps

Two timestamps aren't enough, even if they're perfect.

Fix: split a long section in two, or add the ending (12:30 Final thoughts).

3. In order, earliest first

This breaks when you add a timestamp later and paste it at the bottom of the list, or when a typo turns 1:05 into 10:5.

Fix: sort them. The checker produces a sorted, cleaned list you can paste straight back in.

4. Every chapter at least 10 seconds long

Two timestamps very close together (say 2:01 and 2:08) make a 7-second chapter, and that is enough to switch off every chapter on the video.

Fix: merge the short section into the one before it.

Formatting that works

Put each timestamp at the start of its own line, followed by the chapter name:

0:00 Intro
1:12 Picture quality
4:30 Audio
7:05 Battery life
9:40 The winner

For videos over an hour, use hours as well, like 1:02:30 Q&A.

Still not showing?

If all four rules pass and chapters still don't appear:

• Give it a little time after saving. Changes to the description can take a short while to show.
• Check whether your chapters are being replaced by automatic chapters, or whether chapters are turned off for the video in YouTube Studio.
• Check whether chapters are available for your channel. YouTube can turn the feature off for some videos and channels.

Naming chapters so people use them

• Name the payoff, not the process. "The winner" beats "Conclusion".
• Keep names short. Chapter names appear over the progress bar and get cut off quickly.
• Use chapters to show the video delivers. A viewer skimming the list should see that the title's promise is in there.

Check your timestamps with the Chapter Timestamp Checker. It's free and runs in your browser.