On YouTube’s desktop website, open a video, select Share, enable Start at, enter the time you want, and copy the link. That is the method described in YouTube’s official sharing guide.
Create the link on a computer
- Open the video on youtube.com.
- Select Share below the player.
- Enable Start at and enter the desired timestamp.
- Copy the generated link and paste it into your message.
The timestamp tells the recipient where you want them to begin. Our practical suggestion: choose a moment just before the important explanation starts, rather than halfway through its key sentence.
You do not need to invent a new URL format for this workflow. Let the sharing panel generate the link, then open that copied link yourself to check the starting point before sending it.
Give the moment a little context
Imagine a hypothetical twenty-minute cooking video. You want a friend to see the dough-folding demonstration at 6:15, rather than the opening ingredient discussion. A useful message would be: “Start here for the folding technique; the explanation continues for about a minute.”
That extra sentence tells your friend both what to look for and why it matters. “Watch this” leaves them to guess. For a lecture, interview or tutorial, consider including the speaker’s question or the problem the demonstration solves.
Choose a starting point generously. If a sentence depends on something said immediately before it, include that setup. A precise timestamp should make an explanation easier to understand, not make a statement appear to mean something different.
Check the link, then send it
Before sharing, check that you selected the right video and time. Keep the video title in your message when it would help the recipient recognize what they are opening.
This guide covers the computer interface documented by YouTube. If your phone shows different sharing controls, use the desktop steps rather than assuming the same checkbox exists in your app.
Keep exploring: Explore Best of YouTube.
