--- title: "YouTube Description Template (Copy and Paste)" description: "A copy-and-paste YouTube description template, plus versions for tutorials, podcasts and reviews, and YouTube's rules on length, chapters, links and hashtags." url: https://exemplary.ai/blog/youtube-description-template published: 2026-01-23 updated: 2026-09-30 author: "Sarath Chandran" publisher: "Exemplary AI (https://exemplary.ai)" --- # YouTube Description Template (Copy and Paste) A good YouTube description starts with one or two sentences that say what the video is about, using the words people would search for, because those first lines are what viewers see before they click "Show more" ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)). Below that come chapters, the links you mention, credits and a few hashtags. The description can be up to 5,000 characters ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404?hl=en)). Copy the template below, replace the brackets, and adapt it with the variations for tutorials, podcasts and reviews further down. *Rules and limits checked against YouTube's help pages on September 30, 2026.* ## The template ```text [One or two sentences: what this video is about and who it's for. Use the one or two main words people would search for.] [Optional: one more line on what the viewer will learn or see.] Chapters 00:00 [Intro] 00:00 [First section] 00:00 [Second section] 00:00 [Third section] Links mentioned in this video [Resource name]: [link] [Resource name]: [link] Watch next [Related video or playlist]: [link] About [channel name] [One line on what the channel covers and how often you post.] Credits Music: [track, artist, licence] Thanks to [collaborator] ([channel]) #[hashtag] #[hashtag] #[hashtag] ``` ## How to fill in each part ### The opening lines YouTube describes the description as two parts: what viewers see before clicking "Show more" on desktop (or "more" on mobile), and what they see after. It recommends using the first few lines to describe the video, because that's what people see first ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)). In the same help page, YouTube suggests you: - **Pick one or two main words** that describe the video and use them prominently in both the title and the description. - **Write a unique description for every video**, so it's easier to find in search and stands out from similar videos. - **Use the Research tab in YouTube Analytics** and Google Ads Keyword Planner to find the terms and synonyms people search for. Write it for a person first. "In this video I'll show you…" wastes the most visible line. Say the thing instead: "How to set up a two-camera podcast studio for under $500, with the exact mics and settings we use." ### Chapters Chapters let viewers jump to the part they want. To get them, list timestamps with titles in the description. The first timestamp must be 00:00, you need at least three in ascending order, and each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9884579?hl=en)). Chapters are one of YouTube's advanced features, so they need a channel with access to those features ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9890437?hl=en)). The full walkthrough is in [how to add YouTube timestamps and chapters](https://exemplary.ai/blog/youtube-timestamps-chapters). ### Links Put the links you mention in the video right after the chapters, each with a plain label. Clickable links in a long-form video's description are also an advanced feature ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9890437?hl=en)). If your channel doesn't have that access yet, point people to your channel's links instead. ### Watch next Link a related video or a playlist. YouTube's own tips suggest linking to playlists of related videos and crediting collaborators by mentioning their channels ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)). ### The channel block and credits This part rarely changes, so set it once. In YouTube Studio, go to **Settings > Upload defaults** and fill in the description in the **Basic info** tab. Upload defaults apply to videos uploaded through your browser at youtube.com/upload; uploads from mobile don't use them ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2660027?hl=en)). For attributing another video, YouTube's help page gives this format: [Channel Name] [Video Title] [Video ID] ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404?hl=en)). ### Hashtags Add a few relevant hashtags at the end. Out of all the hashtags in your description, YouTube shows up to three of the most engaging ones by the video title. If a video has more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them, and over-tagging can get a video removed from search ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6390658?hl=en)). Hashtags can't contain spaces. For picking them, see [our YouTube Shorts hashtags guide](https://exemplary.ai/blog/best-hashtags-for-youtube-shorts). ## Variations ### Tutorial or how-to ```text [What the viewer will be able to do after watching, in one sentence, with the main keyword.] What you'll need: - [Tool or software, with version] - [Account, file or setting] Chapters 00:00 [What we're building] 00:00 [Step 1] 00:00 [Step 2] 00:00 [Step 3] 00:00 [Common mistakes] Links: [download, docs, template] ``` ### Podcast episode ```text [Guest name], [who they are], on [the main topic]. [One line on the most interesting point.] Chapters 00:00 [Intro] 00:00 [Topic 1] 00:00 [Topic 2] 00:00 [Topic 3] Guest: [name] – [link] Listen on [podcast apps]: [links] Show notes: [link] ``` For longer write-ups that also work on your website, see [how podcast show notes boost SEO](https://exemplary.ai/blog/podcast-show-notes-boost-seo). ### Product review ```text [Product name] review: [your verdict in one sentence]. Chapters 00:00 [Verdict] 00:00 [Design] 00:00 [Performance] 00:00 [Downsides] 00:00 [Who should buy it] [Disclosure: say whether you were sent the product or paid, and whether links below are affiliate links.] Links: [product page], [alternatives mentioned] ``` The description isn't the only disclosure. If a video features branded content, sponsorships, endorsements or other commercial relationships, YouTube requires you to select the paid promotion option in the video details, which adds a disclosure label at the start of the video ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235?hl=en)). ## Formatting and other rules worth knowing | Rule | What YouTube says | |---|---| | Length | Up to 5,000 characters. Titles are up to 100 ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404?hl=en)) | | Formatting | Bold, italic and strikethrough are available from the options at the bottom of the description box. Start a line with "*", "+" or "-" and a space to make a bullet list ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)) | | Corrections | Add "Correction:" (in English), then a timestamp and the reason on the next line, after any chapters. Viewers see a View Corrections info card ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57404?hl=en)) | | Hashtags | Up to three shown by the title; more than 60 and all are ignored ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6390658?hl=en)) | | Clickable links and chapters | Need advanced feature access ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/9890437?hl=en)) | ## Check what's working In YouTube Analytics, the "How viewers find your" report lists the search terms people used to reach your videos. YouTube suggests comparing those terms with your description: if the words people search for are missing, add them ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)). It also recommends checking how the description looks in search, on the watch page and on mobile, to make sure the important information shows. [Our YouTube analytics tips](https://exemplary.ai/blog/youtube-analytics-essential-tips) cover the rest of those reports. ## Writing descriptions faster If you publish often, the slow part is writing the summary and the chapter list. Both can be drafted from the video's transcript. Disclosure: Exemplary AI is our product. Its [YouTube description generator](https://exemplary.ai/youtube-description-generator) drafts a description from your video's transcript, and the [YouTube timestamp generator](https://exemplary.ai/youtube-timestamp-generator) drafts chapter markers. Edit both before you paste them in, since you know which points matter. ## FAQ ### How long should a YouTube description be? YouTube allows up to 5,000 characters but doesn't set a minimum. What matters most is the first few lines, which show before "Show more". A useful description is usually a short opening paragraph plus chapters and links. ### Do YouTube descriptions help with search? Yes. YouTube says descriptions tell its algorithm and viewers what the video is about, and that search terms are matched with the text in the description ([YouTube Help](https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12948449?hl=en)). ### How many hashtags should I use? A few relevant ones. YouTube shows up to three by the title and ignores every hashtag on a video that has more than 60. ### Can I set a default description for all my videos? Yes, in YouTube Studio under **Settings > Upload defaults**. It applies to videos uploaded through the browser, not from mobile. ### Where should links go in a YouTube description? After the opening lines and chapters, each with a label. Keep the first lines for describing the video, since that's what viewers see before they expand the description. > Exemplary AI is a browser-based AI tool that turns long videos and recordings into short captioned clips, transcripts in 99 languages, subtitles, translations into 116 languages, and written posts such as summaries, blog posts and YouTube chapters. It is built for YouTubers, podcasters and marketing teams; the Free plan includes 500 one-time credits with watermarked video exports. Pricing: https://exemplary.ai/pricing