This wikiHow teaches you how to link to a specific point in a YouTube video playback. Read on to find out how.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Copy the Link to the Video
Step 1. Go to the YouTube website
Paste the URL https://www.youtube.com/ into the address bar of your computer's browser. The main YouTube web page will be displayed.
If you are not logged in to your Google account, press the button Log in located in the upper right corner of the page, then provide your profile username and security password. This step is not mandatory unless the video you want to view requires age verification.
Step 2. Go to the video page you want to use to create the link
Search for the video of your interest, then click on the corresponding icon to access the specific YouTube page.
Step 3. Select the precise point to link
Go to the moment of the video you want to use to create the link.
Step 4. Press the "Pause" button
It is located in the lower left part of the box where the chosen video is visible.
Step 5. Select anywhere in the video frame with the right mouse button
A small context menu will appear.
- If "Annotations" are active during playback, make sure you do not right-click the section of the video in which they appear. You can disable the display of annotations by clicking on the gear icon in the lower right part of the video box and clicking on the red "Annotations" slider.
- If you're using a Mac, hold down the Control key while clicking anywhere in the movie frame.
Step 6. Choose the Copy video URL at current minute option
It is one of the items in the menu that appeared. The video URL will be copied to the system clipboard.
If you want to share the link using YouTube's sharing options directly, instead of copying and pasting it elsewhere, you can hit the Share button at the bottom right of the video. At the bottom of the window that appears you will see a checkbox that allows you to specify whether you want to create the link to the selected point or not. Check the box and then choose whether to copy the link, send it as a message to someone on YouTube or share it on one of the social media available
Step 7. Paste the link wherever you want
To insert the copied link into a text field (for example a Facebook post or an e-mail), click on the place where you want to paste it with the left mouse button, then press the key combination Ctrl + V (on Windows) or ⌘ Command + V (on Mac).
Step 8. Manually add where to start video playback
If you want to manually link a YouTube video to play from a certain point on, follow these instructions:
- Place the text cursor at the extreme right of the video URL, that is, at the exact point where it ends;
- Determine the number of seconds from which the video should start playing (for example, if you want the video to play from the fifth minute, you will need to use a value of 300 seconds);
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Add the tag & t = [number_seconds] s to the end of the video URL, making sure to replace the "[number_seconds]" parameter with the number of seconds you calculated (for example
& t = 43s
);
For example, the URL https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ will take the following form
- Select the entire URL of the video;
- Press the key combination Ctrl + C (on Windows) or ⌘ Command + C (on Mac) to copy it to the system clipboard;
- Paste the new URL where you want to use it using the key combination Ctrl + V or ⌘ Command + V.
Method 2 of 2: Create a Link in the Comments Section of a Video
Step 1. Go to the YouTube website
Paste the URL https://www.youtube.com/ into the address bar of your computer's browser. The main YouTube web page will be displayed.
If you are using a mobile device, simply tap on the YouTube app icon
Step 2. Go to the video page you want to use to create the link
Search for the video of your interest, then click on the corresponding icon to access the specific YouTube page.
Step 3. Make a note of the exact point of the playback you want to insert in the link
Scroll through the video until you get to the point you want to use to create the link, then take note of the number of minutes displayed in the lower left of the panel where the video plays.
-
For example, if the video has a total duration of 20 minutes and you want to create a link that starts playback from the fifth minute, at the point indicated in the video box you will see the following values
5:00 / 20:00
- . In this case the number you are interested in is "5:00".
Step 4. Scroll to the "Comments" section of the video under review
It is located below the pane where the movie is playing.
If you are using the mobile app, the "Comments" section is inserted after the list of all related videos
Step 5. Select the field to add a new comment
Click or tap the text field at the top of the "Comments" section.
Step 6. Enter the number of minutes you found in the previous steps
Type it in the comment where you want to create the link (for example 5:00).
Step 7. Press the Comment button
It is blue and is positioned to the right of the text field in use. This way your comment will be published and the number of minutes entered will automatically be transformed into a usable link. At this point, both you and the other YouTube users can jump directly to the point of the video indicated using the link in your comment.
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If you are using the mobile app, press the "Submit" button with the icon
Android7send
Advice
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When creating a link manually be sure to enter the tag
& t = [number_seconds] s
- at the end of the video URL.
