YouTube description templates you can copy (long videos, Shorts and lives)

What to write in a YouTube description, what shows above "more", and three templates you can copy today, with a filled-in example from a Marathi cooking channel.

Updated 29 October 2026 · 9 min read · By Videxa Editorial Team

What does a YouTube description actually do?

It tells both viewers and YouTube what your video is about. YouTube's own description tips say exactly this, and add that search terms are matched with the video and the text in the description, which helps viewers find it.

A description does four jobs. It helps search, by using the words people type. It gives context, so a viewer knows whether this video is for them. It carries links to your other videos, playlists or anything you mention. And it holds chapters, the timestamps that split a long video into parts.

YouTube suggests two habits that cost nothing. Write a unique description for every video, so it stands out from similar ones. And pick 1 to 2 main words that describe the video, and feature them in both the title and the description. To find those words, YouTube suggests pretending you are searching for your own video: what would you type?

The limit is 5,000 characters. You do not need to come close. A clear opening, a short list of what is inside, and the links that matter will serve most small channels well.

What shows above "more" in a YouTube description?

Only the first few lines. YouTube describes a description as two parts: what viewers see before clicking "Show more" on a computer or "more" on a phone, and what they see after. It suggests using the first lines to describe the video, because that is what viewers see first.

So do not open with "Hello friends, welcome back to my channel" or a row of social links. Open with the promise of the video, in the words your viewer uses.

The better opening repeats the main words from the title ("Kolhapuri misal"), names the viewer and gives a reason to watch. The greeting and the links still go in, just lower down. YouTube also suggests checking how your description looks in search, on the watch page and on different phones, so the most important part shows the way you want.

A description template for a long video

This works for tutorials, recipes, reviews, vlogs and explainers. Replace the brackets and delete any line you do not need. A shorter description that is true beats a long one that is padded.

[What the video is, in one line, using your 1 to 2 main words.]
[Who it is for, or the problem it solves, in one more line.]

In this video:
[2 to 4 short lines on what the viewer will learn or see.]

Chapters:
00:00 [Opening, named the way a viewer would say it]
00:00 [Part two]
00:00 [Part three]
00:00 [Wrap up]

Watch next: [title of a related video] [link]
Playlist: [playlist name] [link]

[Things you mention or use, if any, with links.]
[Paid promotion line, if the video has one. See below.]

[One line about your channel and how often you upload.]

#[Hashtag1] #[Hashtag2] #[Hashtag3]

Fill in real chapter times after you finish editing. The "how often you upload" line tells viewers when to come back, like "New recipe every Sunday".

To save time, YouTube lets you fill in a default description that adds basic channel information to every upload. Put your channel line and social links there, and write only the top part fresh for each video.

A description template for a Short

Keep it short. Viewers watching Shorts are moving fast, so one clear line and a pointer to the full video usually say enough.

[What happens in this Short, in one line.]
[Optional: one line of extra context, like the place or the price.]

Full video: [title of the long video, if there is one]

#[Hashtag1] #[Hashtag2]

For linking a Short to a long video, YouTube has a dedicated option: with advanced features, you can add a Related Video that appears as a link in the Shorts player. That does the job better than hoping someone opens the description.

A description template for a live stream

A live description has two lives: before and during the stream it tells people what to expect, and afterwards the saved video needs to make sense to someone who missed it. Picking the hour is its own question, covered in the best time to upload in India.

LIVE: [topic], [day] at [time] IST
[What you will cover or do, in one or two lines.]
[Who it is for: beginners, regular viewers, students of a class or exam.]

Bring your questions about: [2 or 3 topics]

Chat rules: be kind, stay on topic, no links or spam.

After the stream:
[Edit this part later: a one line summary of what was covered,
and timestamps for the main parts.]

[Paid promotion line, if any.]

#[Hashtag1] #[Hashtag2] #[Hashtag3]

How do YouTube chapters work in a description?

You add a list of timestamps and chapter titles to the description, and YouTube turns them into sections with their own previews. YouTube's chapter rules are short and strict:

If any rule is broken, the chapters simply do not appear. YouTube also notes that chapters are not available if the channel has an active strike, or if the content may be inappropriate for some viewers. Your own chapters override automatic chapters, and you can turn automatic chapters off in Studio.

Name chapters the way a viewer would describe the part: "The spice mix" beats "Step 2". A good chapter list is a second, more detailed title for the video.

How many hashtags should a YouTube description have?

About three that describe the video exactly. Out of all the hashtags in your description, YouTube shows up to three it considers most engaging by your video title, and each hashtag links to a page of other videos using it.

Hashtags have no spaces, so join the words: #KolhapuriMisal, not #Kolhapuri Misal. Pick hashtags a viewer of this video would actually tap, like #MarathiRecipe or #StreetFood, not the most popular tag of the week.

Hashtags in the description are not the same as the tags in YouTube Studio's Tags field. The guide on whether YouTube tags matter explains the difference and why tags deserve only a couple of minutes.

What links and disclosures belong in a description?

Links that help the viewer, and an honest line about anything paid. Clickable links in a long video's description are an advanced feature, so if yours do not work yet, check your access in YouTube Studio under Settings, then Channel, then Feature eligibility. YouTube's description tips also suggest linking to playlists of related videos and crediting collaborators and channels that helped you.

If your video includes branded content, a sponsorship or an endorsement, YouTube requires you to tell it by selecting the paid promotion option in your video details. This adds a disclosure label at the start of the video. A plain line in the description, such as "This video is sponsored by [brand]", helps viewers too, but it does not replace the checkbox. YouTube adds that you and the brands you work with are responsible for following the law where you are, so in India it is worth reading the influencer advertising guidance from the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI).

Two more fields live near the description in Studio. If your video has realistic altered or synthetic content, YouTube requires you to disclose it with the altered content setting. And if you need to fix a mistake after publishing, YouTube lets you add a "Correction:" section to the description, after any chapters, with a timestamp and a short explanation.

A filled-in example

Notice what is missing: no wall of keywords, no thirty hashtags, no "subscribe" in the first line. Everything above "more" is about the misal. The guide on how to write a YouTube title covers the title half. For the full upload routine, including audience settings and AI disclosure, see Your upload checklist in the free Academy.