YouTube Timestamp Link Generator
By Mustafa Bilgic · Updated 18 August 2026
This generator creates YouTube links that start playing at any moment you choose. Paste a video URL above, set the minutes and seconds, and the tool builds a timestamped link ready to share. The link uses YouTube's built-in time parameter, so it works on every device and platform that plays YouTube videos.
This tool generates a standard YouTube URL with a time parameter. It does not modify, download, or re-host the video in any way.
How YouTube Timestamp Links Work
Every YouTube video URL can include a time parameter that tells the player where to start. On short youtu.be links, the parameter appears as ?t= followed by a number of seconds. On full youtube.com/watch links, it appears as &t= because the URL already contains a question mark before the video ID.
When someone clicks a timestamped link, YouTube's player loads the video and immediately seeks to the specified second. The viewer sees the video playing from that exact moment rather than the beginning.
The parameter accepts seconds as a plain number — ?t=125 for two minutes and five seconds — or the 2m5s format. Both produce the same result. Most sharing tools and this generator use the seconds-only format because it is simpler and universally supported across YouTube's web player, mobile apps, and embedded iframes.
Timestamps have no effect on private or deleted videos. The link works only if the viewer has access to the video itself.
How to Generate a Timestamp Link
The tool needs three inputs:
- Paste a YouTube video URL. The generator accepts both
youtube.com/watch?v=andyoutu.be/formats. It also handles URLs that already contain other parameters like playlist or channel references. - Enter the start time in minutes and seconds. Use the dedicated fields to set the exact moment you want the link to begin at.
- Click Generate. The tool appends the correct time parameter to your URL and displays the finished link. Click Copy to place it on your clipboard.
The generated link is a standard YouTube URL that works in any browser, messaging app, or social media post. You do not need to shorten or modify it further.
If you want to change the timestamp after generating, simply adjust the minutes or seconds and click generate again. The tool overwrites the previous result instantly, so you can test several start points without re-pasting the video URL.
Where Timestamp Links Are Useful
Educators and trainers share timestamped links to direct students to a specific segment of a lecture. Rather than asking viewers to scrub forward to the fourteen-minute mark, a direct link eliminates that step and ensures everyone starts at the right point.
Podcast and interview clips benefit as well. If you are referencing a particular answer in a long-form conversation, a timestamped link lets the listener hear the relevant passage without sitting through the full episode.
Social media posts that reference a specific moment — a sports highlight, a product demo, a musical performance — gain clarity when the link opens at the right second. Viewers see the point you intended instead of the video's intro.
Support teams include timestamped links in documentation to show exact steps in tutorial videos. This cuts down on follow-up questions because the user lands directly on the relevant demonstration rather than searching through the timeline.
Link Format Details
YouTube's timestamp parameter is part of the URL's query string. The standard structure for a full URL is youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=SECONDS. For short URLs, it becomes youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=SECONDS. The difference is whether the time parameter joins with & or ? depending on existing query parameters.
Seconds are always integers. YouTube rounds down, so ?t=125 starts at exactly 2:05 regardless of fractional values.
The alternative format &t=2m5s is human-readable but functionally identical. YouTube's servers convert both to the same seek position internally.
Embedding a timestamped video uses the embed URL format with a start parameter: youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=125. Note that the embed version uses start= instead of t=. This generator focuses on shareable watch links, not embed codes, but the underlying time value is the same.
Playlist URLs also accept the timestamp parameter. The video plays from the specified second, and the playlist continues from that point normally.
Frequently asked questions
What does the ?t= parameter do?
It tells YouTube's player to skip ahead to a specific second in the video. A link ending in ?t=90, for example, opens the video at the one-minute-thirty-second mark. The video loads normally but begins playback at the specified time.
Do timestamp links work on the YouTube mobile app?
Yes. Timestamp links work in the YouTube app on both iOS and Android, as well as in mobile browsers. The video opens and seeks to the specified time regardless of the device or platform.
Can I timestamp a live stream?
You cannot timestamp a live stream while it is actively broadcasting. However, once the stream ends and YouTube processes it as a regular video, timestamp links work on the saved recording just like any other upload.
Does the timestamp survive if the creator edits the video?
If the creator trims or rearranges the video after you create the link, the timestamp still seeks to the same number of seconds from the start — but the content at that point may have shifted. The link remains functional, though it may no longer land on the moment you intended.