How do I link part of a YouTube video?

Linking to a specific part of a YouTube video can be done in a couple of ways: you can either create a short segment of the video called a "clip" with its own shareable link, or you can share the full video URL set to start playback at a particular time.

Method 1: Creating and Sharing a Clip

One way to link to a specific segment is by creating a "clip" of the video. This generates a short, shareable loop of the video that includes a timestamp in the URL. The reference highlights these steps:

• Step 1: Open the YouTube video you wish to share a part of.
• Step 2: Find the Clip button located underneath the video player. Click on it.
• Step 3: Use the provided sliders to select and trim the specific part of the video you want to create a clip from.
• Step 4: Give your clip a descriptive name (optional but recommended).
• Step 5: Once your clip is ready, hit the Share clip button. You will then be provided with a unique link for your clip, which you can send to others.

This method is great for highlighting a particularly funny or interesting moment in a longer video, as the clip focuses solely on that segment.

Method 2: Linking to a Specific Timestamp

A more traditional method is to share the full video but have it start playing at a specific time. There are two common ways to achieve this:

Using the Share Button

YouTube's built-in share feature makes this easy:

1. Open the video you want to share.
2. Pause the video at the exact time you want the link to start.
3. Click the Share button located underneath the video.
4. In the share dialog box, you'll see the video URL. Below it, check the box that says "Start at" followed by the timestamp where you paused the video.
5. Checking this box automatically adds the start time parameter to the URL.
6. Copy the modified URL and share it. When someone clicks the link, the video will begin playing from that timestamp.

Manually Adding the Timestamp to the URL

You can also manually add the start time to any YouTube video URL:

1. Determine the exact time (in seconds, or minutes:seconds) where you want the video to start.
2. Take the video's standard URL (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=examplevideoID).
3. Add ?t= followed by the time in seconds to the end of the URL. For instance, to start at 1 minute and 30 seconds (90 seconds), the URL would be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=examplevideoID?t=90s. You can also use m for minutes and s for seconds, like ?t=1m30s.
4. If the URL already contains a question mark (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=examplevideoID&list=playlistID), you should use &t= instead of ?t=. For example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=examplevideoID&list=playlistID&t=90s.

This method links to the entire video but saves the viewer from having to manually seek to the relevant part.

Both methods allow you to guide viewers directly to the most important or interesting section of a YouTube video, enhancing the viewing experience.