LessonCues

Start and end link

Share a YouTube link with a start and end time

A timestamp link tells YouTube where to start, but not where to stop. Add an end time and the link plays only that part, then stops or loops back.

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcuts work when you’re not typing in a field. If you clicked the video, click anywhere on the page first — the YouTube player keeps its own keys.

Play / pause
SpaceK
Seek 1s (hold Shift for 5s)
←→
Seek 0.1s
,.
Set start at the playhead
I
Set end at the playhead
O
Move start 0.1s earlier / later
[]
Move end 0.1s earlier / later
{}
Preview clip, or pause it
P
Toggle loop
L
Create a new clip, or save changes to an open one
Enter
Start a new clip
N
Mark while playing: press at the start, again at the end. Saves a new clip, or with “Several parts” on, adds a part
M
Show this help
?
  • Free, no sign-up to try
  • Nothing downloaded
  • Plays in YouTube’s own player

How it works

How to share a YouTube video from a start time to an end time

  1. 1

    Paste the link

    Paste any YouTube link. One that already has a t= timestamp is fine.

  2. 2

    Set the start and end

    Drag the handles or type the times. Press Preview to check it starts and stops in the right places.

  3. 3

    Save and copy the link

    Give it a title, decide whether it should loop, and save. Then copy the short link and send it.

What’s wrong with a normal timestamp link

YouTube’s “Start at” box and links ending in ?t=90 only set where the video starts. After that it just keeps playing, and whoever you sent it to has to guess where the bit you meant ends.

A LessonCues clip link keeps both times. It opens at the start and stops at the end (or loops back). It also shows the title you gave it, so people know what they’re about to watch.

What about the embed code’s start and end?

YouTube’s embed URL does take a start and an end, but only in whole seconds, and it’s only any use where you can paste embed code. A clip link goes anywhere a link does: a chat, an email, Google Classroom, a slide, a document. If you do want to embed it on your own site, you can.

When it comes in useful

  • Someone asks a question and the answer is at 4:10. Send them just that part.
  • Your students need two minutes out of an hour-long lecture.
  • You want to quote a moment from a talk, an interview or a match.
  • You’re pointing at one step in a tutorial, or at a bug someone recorded.

Questions

Can a YouTube link have an end time?

A normal YouTube link can’t; t= only sets the start. A LessonCues clip link has both a start and an end, and plays the video in YouTube’s player between the two.

Do people need an account to open the link?

No. Anyone can open a public clip link, and you don’t need an account to make one. Clips made without an account are deleted after 30 days; sign in with Google to keep them.

How exact can the times be?

To a tenth of a second, using the nudge buttons or the keyboard shortcuts.

Can I change the times after sharing?

Yes, if you’re signed in and it’s your clip. Edit it and save. The link doesn’t change.

Related

Try it with a video of your own

Paste a YouTube link at the top of this page. Your first clip takes about a minute.

Paste a link to start