YouTube link with timestamp: how to start a video at any second
Published: · 9 min read
To make a YouTube link with a timestamp, pause the video at the moment you want, open Share and turn on the start time: on a computer, tick Start at; in the iPhone or Android app, switch on the time toggle (it shows the current time, such as 2:30). Then copy the link. You can also add the time by hand: put ?t=90 after a youtu.be link, or &t=90 after a youtube.com/watch link, and the video opens 90 seconds in.
Below are the steps for each device, every time format that works, what to do with Shorts and live streams, and why a start time sometimes seems to disappear once you share the link.
On a computer (youtube.com)
- Open the video on youtube.com and play or drag it to the moment you want to share. Pausing first makes it easier to get the right second.
- Click Share under the video.
- In the panel that opens, tick the box next to Start at. The field fills in the current time; you can edit it (for example type 2:30).
- Click Copy. The copied link now ends with
?t=150or similar.
YouTube describes these steps in its help article on sharing videos and channels. Note that the box has to be ticked before you copy: copying first and ticking afterwards leaves you with a link that starts at 0:00.
The right-click shortcut
On a computer you can also right-click the video player itself. The menu has an option to copy the video URL at the current time, which gives you a link with &t= already added. It is the quickest route if you are already paused at the right frame. This menu belongs to the YouTube web player and may look different between browsers or after a YouTube update.
On iPhone and Android (YouTube app)
As of November 2026, YouTube's help article for both the iPhone and the Android app describes a time toggle in the Share menu:
- Open the video in the YouTube app and move to the moment you want to share.
- Tap Share under the player.
- In the Share menu, switch on the toggle that shows the current time (YouTube calls it the "Minute : Second" bar; for a video paused at 2 minutes 30 seconds it reads 2:30).
- Tap Copy link, or pick the app you want to send it to.
Older how-to guides say the app has no start-time option, and the Share menu does change between app versions. If you do not see the toggle, update the app and try again. If it is still missing, copy the link normally and add the time by hand, as described in the next section.
On the mobile website (m.youtube.com) the steps are similar to the app, but the layout varies by browser, so adding the time by hand is the most predictable method there.
Add the time to the link by hand
Every YouTube video link can carry a start time in the t parameter. The only rule to remember is the separator:
- If the link has no
?yet, add?t=. Example:https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=90 - If the link already has a
?(every youtube.com/watch link does, and links copied from Share often end with?si=...), add&t=. Example:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=90
A link may contain only one ?. Writing ?si=abc?t=90 breaks the start time; ?si=abc&t=90 works.
Time formats that work
| You write | Video starts at |
|---|---|
t=90 |
1:30 (90 seconds) |
t=90s |
1:30 |
t=1m30s |
1:30 |
t=1h2m3s |
1:02:03 |
#t=90 (at the very end of the link) |
1:30 (an older form; prefer t=) |
Plain seconds (t=90) is the safest choice. It is what YouTube's own Share button produces, and some apps and sites that read YouTube links only understand the seconds form. To convert, multiply the minutes by 60 and add the seconds: 12:45 becomes 12 × 60 + 45 = 765, so t=765.
Start and end times for embedded videos
The t parameter is for links people click. For a video embedded on your own website, YouTube's player uses start and end instead, both in whole seconds counted from the beginning of the video, for example https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=90&end=120. YouTube's player parameters reference notes that the player jumps to the nearest keyframe, so playback can begin a moment before the second you set.
There is no end for normal watch links: a link can say where to begin, not where to stop.
Shorts, live streams and playlists
Shorts. The Share menu of a Short has no start-time toggle, and YouTube's help pages do not document a start time for Shorts links. Shorts are short and loop, so in practice people share them from the beginning. If you really need a moment inside a Short, one workaround is to open it as a normal video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&t=20, using the ID from the Shorts link), but that changes the viewing experience from the vertical Shorts player to the regular one, and we could not confirm it works on every device.
Live streams. While a stream is live, a link takes viewers to the live point, and a start time is not something to rely on. Once the stream has ended and is saved as a regular video, timestamps work like on any other video.
Videos inside a playlist. A link such as watch?v=VIDEO_ID&list=PLAYLIST_ID&t=90 opens that video at 1:30 with the playlist queued next. A link to the playlist page itself (/playlist?list=...) cannot carry a start time.
Chapters and timestamps in descriptions
If you are the creator and want viewers to jump around inside your own video, chapters are often better than separate links. When you list timestamps in your video description, YouTube turns them into clickable links and can split the progress bar into chapters. YouTube's chapters help article sets three rules: the first timestamp must be 00:00, you need at least three timestamps in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long.
Timestamps such as 4:15 typed into a comment also become clickable for people watching on YouTube. They work only inside YouTube, though; to send someone to that moment from Instagram, WhatsApp or email, you still need a link with t=.
Why the start time sometimes gets lost
You shared a link with a timestamp and your friend says it started at 0:00. The usual causes:
- The time was not in the link. The toggle or the Start at box was switched on after copying, or the link was copied from the address bar, which does not include the playback position. Paste the link somewhere and look for
t=at the end. - A second
?. Adding?t=90to a link that already has?si=breaks it. Use&t=90. - The link points at a Short. See above.
- The app decides. When the link opens in the YouTube app, the app reads the start time, but it is the app that chooses where playback begins, and app versions differ. There is nothing more you can put in the link to force it.
- Inside Instagram or TikTok. These apps open links in their own built-in browser. The
t=usually survives, but the video plays on YouTube's mobile website, where many viewers are not signed in, instead of in the YouTube app. Our page on why YouTube links open in the browser instead of the app explains what happens there.
A short link that keeps the start time
Long timestamped links are hard to read in a bio or a caption. You can shorten them, and the start time comes along: Ytgo reads t= (in seconds or the 1m30s form), start= and #t= on video links and passes the start time on to YouTube. When someone taps the short link inside Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, it asks the phone to open the YouTube app at that video, with a browser fallback if the app is not installed. Whether playback then starts at exactly that second is up to the YouTube app or website, so test the link once on your own phone before you post it. Shorts links are shortened without a start time.
Shortening is free and needs no account, and the links do not expire. If you have not copied your link yet, our guide on how to copy a YouTube link covers every device, and the open YouTube links in the app page explains the app hand-over in more detail.
To turn your timestamped link into a short one, paste it into the YouTube link shortener.
Frequently asked questions
How do I link to a specific time in a YouTube video?
Pause the video at the moment you want, open Share and switch on the start time (the Start at box on a computer, the time toggle in the app), then copy the link. You can also add ?t=90 to a youtu.be link or &t=90 to a youtube.com/watch link, where 90 is the number of seconds.
Can I add a timestamp to a YouTube link on my phone?
Yes. As of November 2026, YouTube's help pages describe a time toggle in the Share menu of the iPhone and Android app that shows the current position, such as 2:30. If your app does not show it, copy the link and add &t= followed by the number of seconds by hand.
What does t= mean in a YouTube link?
It is the start time. t=90 or t=90s means 90 seconds in, and t=1m30s means the same thing written in minutes and seconds. Plain seconds is the most widely understood form.
Does a timestamp work on YouTube Shorts?
Not reliably. The Share menu of a Short has no start-time option and YouTube does not document one for Shorts links, so a Shorts link should be expected to start from the beginning.
Can a YouTube link stop at a certain time?
Not a normal watch link. Only embedded players accept an end value, in seconds from the start of the video, alongside start, for example embed/VIDEO_ID?start=90&end=120.
Will my timestamp still work if I shorten the link?
With Ytgo, yes for video links: the start time is passed on to YouTube when the short link is opened. Whether the video then starts at exactly that second depends on the YouTube app or website, so check it once on your own phone.