How do I add chapters to a YouTube video, and do they help SEO?

The format is simple. On separate lines in the description, write a timestamp followed by a short title: 0:00 Introduction, 1:15 Documents you need, 3:40 Filling the online form. YouTube turns these into segments on the progress bar. If chapters do not appear, check the three rules: the list starts at 0:00, there are at least three timestamps in ascending order, and no chapter is shorter than ten seconds. YouTube can also generate automatic chapters, but they are often vague, so writing your own is better.

Chapter titles are worth writing as carefully as the video title. Each one is a small piece of text YouTube reads, and Google sometimes shows chapters as "key moments" under a video in its own search results, linking straight to that point. A chapter called "Part 2" tells nobody anything; one called "Bahria Town Phase 7 plot prices compared" can match a search on its own.

Chapters also change how people watch. A viewer looking for one answer can skip to it rather than leaving, which is better than losing them, although it can lower average view duration on long tutorials. That trade is usually worth it: a viewer who found their answer is more likely to come back. For short videos under a few minutes, chapters add little and can be skipped. Shorts do not support them at all.