How to Write a YouTube Description That Helps (Template + Examples)

Most YouTube descriptions fall into two camps: empty, or a wall of links and keywords that nobody reads. Neither helps.

A good description does three things. It tells viewers (and YouTube) what the video is about in plain language. It helps people navigate the video. And it gives the viewers who want more somewhere to go. Here's how to write one, with a template you can reuse.

The rules first

From YouTube's help centre:

• Descriptions can be up to 5,000 characters.
• Up to three hashtags considered most engaging can appear by your video title.
• If you use more than 60 hashtags, YouTube ignores all of them.
• Chapters need timestamps that start at 0:00, with at least three in ascending order, each at least 10 seconds long.

Check any description against these rules in seconds with the free description checker.

The most important part: the first 150 characters

Viewers see only the opening of your description before they tap "…more", and the same opening can appear in search results. Treat it like a second title:

1. Say what the video delivers, in plain words.
2. Include the main topic phrase naturally, the way someone would search for it.
3. Give a reason to watch — a result, a comparison, a surprise.

Weak opening:

"Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! In today's video we're going to be talking about something really exciting…"

That's 120 characters of nothing.

Strong opening:

"Seven budget microphones tested side by side with real recordings — and the winner costs less than $40."

The viewer knows exactly what they'll get, and YouTube knows what the video is about.

The template

Copy this and fill it in:

[1–2 sentences: what this video delivers, using the main topic phrase naturally.]

[2–4 sentences of detail: what's covered, who it's for, anything surprising.]

CHAPTERS
0:00 [Intro / the result]
0:45 [Section]
2:30 [Section]
5:10 [Section]

[RESOURCES / LINKS — the most important one first]
[Link 1 — what it is]
[Link 2 — what it is]

[Related videos or playlist]
[Short channel line: what you make and when]

#[hashtag1] #[hashtag2] #[hashtag3]

Worked example 1: a tutorial

Title: How to Sharpen Chisels Without a Jig (Razor Sharp in 5 Minutes)

Sharpen chisels razor-sharp by hand, no honing jig needed — just a flat stone, a marker and a simple wrist technique.

This works for bench chisels and paring chisels on water stones, diamond plates or sandpaper on glass. I'll show the marker trick for holding a consistent angle, how to tell when you've raised a burr, and the stropping step most people skip.

CHAPTERS 0:00 The result: paper-shaving sharp 0:40 What you need 1:25 Flattening the back 2:50 The marker trick for a consistent angle 4:15 Raising and removing the burr 5:30 Stropping

Stones I use: [link] Full hand-tool sharpening playlist: [link]

#woodworking #handtools #sharpening

Worked example 2: an entertainment video

For browse-focused videos, the description matters less for search and more for the viewer who wants context.

Title: I Only Ate Gas Station Food for 7 Days

Seven days, one rule: every meal from a gas station. I tracked cost, calories and how I felt each day — day 5 did not go well.

CHAPTERS 0:00 The rules 1:10 Day 1 3:40 Day 3: the hot dog roller 6:20 Day 5 9:00 Final cost and verdict

Every item and price is in the spreadsheet: [link]

#foodchallenge #budgetfood

What to leave out

Keyword lists. A paragraph of "microphone mic best mic cheap mic podcast mic 2026" doesn't help ranking and looks spammy to viewers.

Walls of links before the content. Put the useful description first; affiliate links and socials further down.

Dozens of hashtags. A few relevant ones are plenty. Remember: over 60 and YouTube ignores all of them.

Copy-pasted boilerplate at the top. If every description starts with the same 200 characters of channel promo, every video's preview says the same thing.

Descriptions and SEO: how much do they matter?

Descriptions help YouTube understand what your video is about — along with the title, what you say in the video and captions. They matter more for search-driven videos (tutorials, reviews) than browse-driven ones (stories, challenges).

But they're not a lever you can pull endlessly. Once the description clearly explains the video with the natural phrasing people search for, more keywords won't help. The bigger levers are the title and thumbnail. Our YouTube SEO guide covers the full picture.

Updating old descriptions

Older videos that still get search traffic are worth a description pass:

1. Rewrite the first two lines to match the searches the video actually gets (see the video's YouTube search traffic source report for the real terms).
2. Add chapters if there are none.
3. Replace dead links.
4. Add links to your newer related videos.

Descriptions for different kinds of videos

The template works for most videos, but the emphasis shifts by format.

Tutorials and how-tos. Search matters most. Lead with the exact problem and outcome in natural language ("Fix a leaking tap washer in about 10 minutes, no plumber needed"), add chapters for each step, and list the tools or parts with links. Viewers often come back to the description while following along, so make the list easy to scan.

Reviews. Lead with the verdict or the key finding, not the product name alone: "After three months with the X100, the battery is the one thing I'd change." Add specs or prices you mention, affiliate disclosures where required, and links to the alternatives you compared.

Vlogs and stories. Search matters less; context matters more. A one-line setup ("The day the ferry was cancelled and we had to improvise"), chapters if the video is long, and links to the rest of the series.

Podcasts and long conversations. Chapters are essential — nobody scrubs through two hours blind. Add a short summary of the main topics, guest links and a link to the audio version.

Shorts. Descriptions are rarely read in the Shorts feed. Keep it to a line of context and a couple of relevant hashtags; put links in the long-form video you're pointing to.

A description checklist

Before publishing, confirm:

1. The first sentence says what the video delivers, in words people would search.
2. Nothing in the first 150 characters is boilerplate or a greeting.
3. Chapters start at 0:00, have at least three timestamps in order, each 10+ seconds apart.
4. The most important link is easy to find.
5. Hashtags: a few relevant ones, nowhere near 60.
6. Any sponsor or affiliate disclosures required in your country are present.
7. The description matches the title's promise — no bait-and-switch in either.

Paste it into the description checker to validate points 3 and 5 automatically, and see roughly what shows before "…more". Paid ClksOptimal plans also include a Description Optimizer that drafts an SEO-tuned description from your title and rough notes — a good first draft to edit into your own voice.

Common description mistakes, fixed

• "Don't forget to like and subscribe!" as the first line. Move it to the end, or cut it — it's in the video already.
• Same 300-character channel intro on every video. Every video's preview becomes identical. Put a one-line channel description at the bottom instead.
• Chapters that don't appear. Usually the first timestamp isn't 0:00, or a chapter is shorter than 10 seconds.
• Timestamps written as "1.30". Use colons: 1:30.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a YouTube description be?

Long enough to explain the video and help viewers navigate it — often a few hundred characters plus chapters and links. The limit is 5,000 characters, but the first line or two matter most because that's what shows before "…more".

Do YouTube descriptions help SEO?

Yes, they help YouTube understand what the video is about, especially for search-driven videos. Clear, natural language beats keyword lists.

How many hashtags should I use in a YouTube description?

A few relevant ones. Up to three can appear by your title, and if you use more than 60, YouTube ignores all of them.

How do I add chapters to a YouTube video?

Add timestamps to your description starting with 0:00, with at least three timestamps in ascending order and each chapter at least 10 seconds long. Check them with our description checker.

Should I put links at the top of my YouTube description?

Put your one most important link near the top if it's central to the video (a download, a product you reviewed). Otherwise, lead with the description itself and put links below.

The takeaway

Write the first 150 characters like a second title, add chapters that follow YouTube's rules, keep hashtags to a handful, and put links where viewers will look for them. That's a description that helps viewers and YouTube — without a single keyword list.