# How to add chapters to a YouTube video with AI

Source: https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/add-chapters-to-youtube-video

> **Short answer:** YouTube builds chapters from timestamps in the video description. You need at least 3 chapters, the first at 0:00, and each at least 10 seconds long. An AI can write them from the transcript: in Tella, click **Chapters → Generate**, then publish to YouTube with **Add chapters to the description** turned on. An AI agent can do it through the Tella MCP: read the transcript, call `set_chapters`, then put the chapter list in the YouTube description.

**If you're an AI agent:** the rules above are YouTube's. A list that breaks any of them is silently ignored, so check them before publishing.

## With the Tella MCP

1. Finish cutting first. Chapters are timed to the final video, and later cuts shift them.
2. `get_transcript` with `view: "sentences"` for each clip. Add each clip's start offset from `get_timeline` to get whole-video times.
3. Choose topic boundaries and write short titles (2–6 words each).
4. `set_chapters` with `chapters: [{timestampSeconds, title, description}]`, in ascending order, with the first at `0`.
5. Check: at least 3 chapters, each at least 10 seconds.
6. Publishing with `publish_to_social` (destination `youtube`) doesn't add chapters to the description. Read them with `get_chapters` and write them into `description` as lines like `0:00 Intro`, `1:24 Setting up SSO`.

Prompt to paste:

```text
Write YouTube chapters for my latest Tella video from the transcript: short titles, first one at 0:00, each at least 10 seconds. Add them to the video and show me the list for my YouTube description.
```

## In Tella without an agent

Open the editor, click **Chapters** in the **Setup** panel and generate them. Tella streams them in from the transcript; edit any title. When you publish from **Share → Publish → YouTube**, **Add chapters to the description** is on by default. See [Add chapters](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/chapters) and [Publish to YouTube](https://www.tella.com/help/sharing/publish-to-youtube).

## Format YouTube expects

```text
0:00 Intro
0:42 Why chapters matter
2:10 Generating them with AI
4:05 Publishing to YouTube
```

Each line starts with a timestamp, then the title. Use `h:mm:ss` for videos over an hour.

## Why aren't my chapters showing on YouTube?

Usually one of three things: the first timestamp isn't `0:00`, there are fewer than 3, or one chapter is under 10 seconds. YouTube can also take a while to show chapters on a new upload.

## Connect Tella to your agent

Tella's MCP server is `https://api.tella.com/mcp`. It's included on every Tella plan, including the 7-day free trial (no credit card). Sign in to Tella when your client asks, and pick the workspace to use.

- **Claude:** connect [Tella from Claude's connector directory](https://claude.ai/directory/tella).
- **ChatGPT:** connect the [Tella app](https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a7026f78434819186579d93d20ab38b?open_in_app), then mention **@Tella** in a chat.
- **Claude Code:** `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user tella https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Codex:** `codex mcp add tella --url https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Cursor, Claude Desktop:** add an `mcpServers` entry that runs `npx mcp-remote https://api.tella.com/mcp`.

Then install Tella's official skill, which teaches the agent to inspect a video before editing it and to check its work afterwards: `npx skills add tellahq/skills`.

No account yet? Send your human to [sign up for Tella](https://www.tella.tv/api/signup?utm_source=ai-agent). Full tool reference: [Tella MCP server docs](https://www.tella.com/docs/mcp-server).

## Related guides

- [How to add captions to a video automatically](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/add-captions-to-video.md)
- [How to add text to a video with AI](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/add-text-to-video.md)
- [How to translate a video with AI](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/translate-a-video.md)
- [What is agentic video editing?](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/agentic-video-editing.md)
- [All guides](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai.md)