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YouTube Chapter Checker
Paste the timestamps from a video description and check them against YouTube's chapter rules before you publish.
YouTube Chapter Checker: TOEA reads every line holding a timestamp, then checks the four rules YouTube publishes for description chapters: the list starts at 0:00, has at least three timestamps, runs in ascending order, and gives every chapter at least ten seconds. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
- Category
- YouTube tools
- Runs
- In your browser
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up
- Availability
- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Paste the whole description if you like; only lines holding a timestamp are read.
Beyond the four rules
The checker cannot see the video, so it cannot tell whether the last timestamp falls before the end or whether each chapter really starts where its title says. Play each chapter link once after publishing.
Chapters can be added or corrected at any time by editing the description; they do not require re-uploading. YouTube can also generate automatic chapters, controlled by a setting in YouTube Studio, and chapters you write yourself take priority over them.
Writing useful chapter titles
Chapter titles appear on the progress bar, under the player, and in Google search results as key moments, so they work as a small table of contents. Name what happens in the section, briefly and specifically: Replacing the filter rather than Part 3. Keep an intro short or fold it into the first real topic, since viewers often skip a chapter called Intro. For a first draft from a transcript, start with the chapter generator.
How to use it
- Paste the description, or just its timestamp lines.
- Read the issues found, if any.
- Copy the tidied chapter list back into the description.
Privacy & limitations
The text stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to TOEA or YouTube, and the video itself is not opened.
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Frequently asked questions
My chapters do not show on YouTube. Why?
Usually one of the four rules is broken: the first timestamp is not 0:00, there are fewer than three, one is out of order, or a chapter is under ten seconds. Automatic chapters being switched on or off for the video, and the channel's own settings, can also affect it; this tool only checks the list itself.
Does the timestamp have to be at the start of the line?
No. YouTube reads it at either end, and so does this tool. The tidied list puts it first, which is the common convention.
Are titles required?
The published rules concern the timestamps, so a missing title is not flagged here. A title still helps viewers, and the tidied list keeps whatever text was on the line.
Which timestamp formats are read?
m:ss, mm:ss, and h:mm:ss. Seconds must be two digits, so 1:5 is not recognised but 1:05 is.
Free tool · runs in your browser · no account required