How to link to a specific time on YouTube
- Paste any YouTube link or a bare video ID into the first box.
- Enter a start time such as 1:35, 95 or 1m35s. A time already in the link is picked up automatically.
- Check the detected details: video ID, link type, playlist and start time.
- Copy the version you need, or open it in a new tab to confirm it starts at the right moment.
What you can do with Link & Timestamp Builder
- Timestamp links
- Builds youtu.be and watch links that start at your chosen second, accepting formats like 1:35, 95, 95s or 1m35s.
- Video ID extractor
- Pulls the 11-character video ID out of watch, youtu.be, Shorts, embed, live, mobile and music links, even long shared ones.
- Shorts to watch conversion
- Turns a Shorts link into a regular watch link with full player controls, or any video into a Shorts URL.
- Playlist URLs
- Keeps the playlist and position when a link has one, and gives you the playlist page link as well.
- Embed and thumbnail URLs
- Also lists the standard and privacy-enhanced embed URLs, a YouTube Music link and the max-res thumbnail address.
YouTube timestamp link formats and video IDs
YouTube supports start times in two common forms. Short links use youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=95, and full links use youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=95s, where the number is the start position in seconds. Embeds use a different parameter, start=95. The video ID is the 11-character code of letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores that appears after v=, after youtu.be/ or after /shorts/. Once you have it, you can build any of these links, and this tool does that for you.
Timestamp links are handy for pointing someone to a specific answer in a long tutorial, citing a moment in a talk, or sharing a highlight from a stream. Converting a Shorts URL to a watch URL opens the video in the regular player, where viewers can scrub, change speed and read the description. YouTube's Share menu can add a start time too, but this tool also drops extra parameters such as si from shared links and gives you every format at once.
Frequently asked questions
How do I link to a specific time in a YouTube video?
Paste the video link here and type the start time, for example 2:15. Copy the short link or the watch link that appears; both open the video at that moment. On desktop, YouTube's Share menu also has a Start at option that does the same for a single link.
How do I find a YouTube video ID?
The ID is the 11 characters after v= in a watch link, after youtu.be/ in a short link, or after /shorts/ in a Shorts link. Paste any of these here and the ID appears at the top with a copy button.
How do I convert a YouTube Shorts link to a normal video link?
Paste the Shorts URL and copy the Watch link. It opens the same video in the standard player with a seek bar, playback speed and the full description. This works because a Short and its regular watch page share the same video ID.
What is the si parameter in YouTube share links?
YouTube adds an si parameter to links copied from its Share button to identify that share. It isn't needed to play the video. The links built here are rebuilt from the video ID, playlist and start time only, so si and other extra parameters are left out.
Is the link I paste sent anywhere?
No. The link is parsed in your browser with JavaScript and nothing is sent to a server, so it's fine to use with unlisted video links. Opening a generated link in a new tab simply visits YouTube as usual.