YouTube is a very engaging platform with very exciting features that continue transforming the user experience. YouTube has enabled creators to engage more directly with their audience through the comments section. YouTube comments refer to replies to a post on YouTube. They are public and anyone can reply to a comment that you post and as a result they can be timestamped to direct viewers to certain parts of the video. This article will provide insights on How to Timestamp YouTube Comments.
YouTube comments are an opportunity for users to share their thoughts about videos; the description, what they like, hate, or simply just troll. This is made possible if a video owner has turned on comments. Timestamps can be created for any video, whether yours or somebody’s, whereby viewers can easily be directed to specific video parts using Timestamps.
Have you ever wondered How Timestamp YouTube comments? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Follow the methods and steps below to get the hang of the entire process.
Timestamping comments on both web and mobile are different, and it is crucial to learn to do both.
1: Timestamp YouTube comments on App
YouTube allows creators and viewers alike to add timestamps to comments. Here is how to go about it via the mobile app:
Step 1: Select the time you want to Link to. First and foremost, select the preferred time you wish to link to in your comment. Scroll or watch through the video to find the time you choose to Timestamp. Your Timestamp will bring people to the exact video moment you link.'
Step 2: Pause the Video and Take Note of the Time: Take note of the time once you locate the moment you wish to direct people. Posting your comment with your timestamp is the exact time to direct people to your moment of choice.
Step 3: Write the time in a comment: The process of writing your comment is not complex once you have noted the time you would prefer to link to. Just write the time you’d like to direct viewers in your comment.
Step 4: Timestamp format: On the bottom left, you will find the timestamp format for your YouTube video.
The writing format of the Timestamp is Hours:Minutes: Seconds, as given in the example below;
“7:10” That is, if you paused your video at 7:10, the timestamp format would be like 7:10/ 8:00 (current timestamp/total time).
Remember to avoid spaces when writing the same.
Step 5: Publish your comment: Once the time is right, scroll down and look for the “add a public comment” option.
Enter the correct timestamp in the comment, and the link will be automatically created stating the time you selected.
Write your preferred statement with the timestamp, let’s say, “7:10 is mouthwatering, am I wrong?” or as per your choice of the statement concerning the video.
You are ready to post your comment since you have already placed your desired timestamp in your comment. By clicking the ‘blue comment button,’ your comment will be posted. The button is located at the right corner where you wrote the comment.
Your comment will be successfully created with the timestamp highlighted in blue.
2: Timestamp YouTube comments via a Web browser
Like the case with the mobile app, users can also add timestamps to YouTube comments via a web browser. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: Visit the YouTube website via this link (https://www.youtube.com), sign in using your credentials, and open a video.
Step 2: Find the designated time you want to timestamp within the video's time frame.
Step 3: Start the video, select a moment, and pause. Ensure you get your timings right. Say, 4:20
Step 4: Navigate to the bottom left corner of the video, where you will find timestamps in the format hours:minutes: seconds.
Step 5: The format is located to the right of your video’s volume icon, together with the full length of the video on the right. The format should look like this: current timestamp/entire video’s length.
Step 6: Using the time you selected, the timestamp format would look like this: 4:20/9:00. In other words, this would happen if you pause at four minutes twenty seconds in a nine-minute video
Step 7: Scroll down and navigate to the box saying, “add a public comment,” after selecting the desired timestamp for your comment.
Step 8: Be sure to choose the timestamp correctly as it was in the video in the comment box. A link will be created that will direct you to the exact point of the video you selected.
Step 9: Create your comment and add the timestamp link. Say a comment like “4:20 is the perfect time for the song.”
Step 10: Click on the “comment” option once you are done. You will have created a YouTube comment with a timestamp turned blue, which links to a specific time you chose in the video.
3: Timestamping Comments at a Specific Time by Modifying URL
You can also timestamp YouTube comments by simply modifying the video or comment’s URL. Here is how to do it:
Step 1: To add comments to a YouTube video, the first login into your YouTube account and select the video of your choice that you wish to edit.
Step 2: Find the time you want to timestamp on the video. Remember, an embedded video can also be timestamped.
Step 3: Start playing the video and pause at the point you choose to timestamp. The timestamp formats can be seen in the bottom right corner in the following format:
a. Hours:Minutes: Seconds
b. Current timestamp: Total Video Length. For example, 2:15/5:00 means your 5-minute video was paused at two minutes and fifteen seconds.
Step 4: To add the timestamp, add a description in the comment box and comments heading below and add the timestamp as it appears in the video. A link will be served with the video showing from the point of time you timestamped.
4: Add Timestamp Using YouTube’s Share Feature via the Web Browser
The share function on YouTube can be used to add a time stamp to comments and videos as well. This option only works via the web browser. Here is how to go about it:
Step 1: Open and play the video until the point you wish to share and Pause
Step 2: A small box indicated as Start underneath the URL on the share link section. The timestamp is automatically generated
Step 3: Copy and share the updated URL. Anyone who opens this shortened URL will begin watching from the point timestamp has been appended
Pro Tip:
- The time t= is preceded by a question mark and not the ampersand (&) in the shortened URL
- Always type the current timestamp exactly as it appears; failure to which you will have a broken link, and the video won’t play. Only you as a creator can add timestamps in descriptions, but all your viewers can add timestamps in the comments.
Conclusion
Many YouTube users underestimate the benefits that timestamps offer. Using timestamps on your videos will improve not only the viewer experience but also the overall ranking of your videos in terms of suggested videos.
As for comments, the methods above will help you and your viewers post timestamps to bring attention to particular video segments. That being said, we wrap up this post. Hope you it was very helpful to you.
