YouTube Clip Maker
Pick a start and end time on any YouTube video, preview the clip, then copy a link or embed code that plays only that part. Choose player size and options.
The interactive tool loads here when JavaScript runs.
About this toolWhat is the YouTube Clip Maker?
Paste a YouTube link and this tool opens the video in YouTube's own player. Drag the two handles, press Start here and End here while it plays, or type the times, then press Preview clip to watch exactly the part you picked, once or on a loop. When it looks right, copy the result as HTML embed code, a clip link, a youtu.be link or a Markdown link.
The clip is not a new file. It is the original video with a start and an end time, applied by YouTube's player, so it keeps the video's full quality, its captions and its view count, and it works for videos of any length. You can choose the player size, privacy-enhanced mode, captions, controls and autoplay before copying the code.
- Accepts watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live, embed and nocookie links, or a bare video id
- Preview in YouTube's player with Start here and End here buttons, a dual-handle timeline and typed times
- Preview clip plays only the range, with an optional loop
- Four output formats: HTML embed code, clip link, youtu.be link and Markdown
- Player size presets from 360p to 1080p, responsive 16:9 and vertical 9:16
- Privacy-enhanced mode, captions, controls, autoplay and mute options
Updated
How to use the YouTube Clip Maker
- Paste a YouTube watch, youtu.be, Shorts, live or embed link and press Load video. A start time in the link (t=1m30s) is used as the clip start.
- Play the video and press Start here and End here at the right moments, or drag the handles, or type times such as 1:23 and 1:35.
- Press Preview clip to play just that range. Turn on Loop the preview to repeat it while you fine-tune the ends.
- Choose a format: HTML embed code, a clip link with start and end, a youtu.be link with the start only, or a Markdown link.
- Pick the player size and options, press Copy, and use Preview the result to see the embed exactly as visitors will.
Worked examples
Embed a demo on a product page
Input
Conference talk, 1:23 to 1:35, HTML embed, 720p player, privacy-enhanced
Output
<iframe width="1280" height="720" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=83&end=95&rel=0" ...>
The page shows only the 12 seconds that matter; the player stops at 1:35.
Point a colleague at one answer
Input
Hour-long webinar, answer starts at 42:10, youtu.be link
Output
https://youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=2530
Opens YouTube at 42:10. Chat apps unfurl it as a normal video card.
Clip in a README
Input
Tutorial, 2:00 to 2:45, Markdown link
Output
[Tutorial title (2:00 to 2:45)](https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=120&end=165&rel=0)
GitHub and most docs tools do not run iframes, so a link that opens the trimmed player is the next best thing.
Background and insight
YouTube's embedded player accepts a start parameter and an end parameter, both in whole seconds counted from the beginning of the video. An embed such as youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=83&end=95 begins at 1:23 and stops at 1:35. The ordinary share link only has a start time (youtu.be/VIDEO_ID?t=83), because the watch page has no end setting, so a youtu.be link keeps playing after your range.
The quality a viewer gets is chosen by YouTube, not by the link. The player picks a stream that suits its size on screen and the viewer's connection, which is why the size you choose for the embed code matters: a 1280 by 720 player lets YouTube serve up to 720p, and a small 640 by 360 player will usually get 360p. Viewers can still change quality in the player's settings menu.
YouTube also has its own Clips feature, which saves a 5 to 60 second section as a youtube.com/clip link. It only exists for some videos and only on YouTube itself. This tool works for any video whose owner allows embedding, with no length limit, and gives you embed code as well as links. It does not download or copy the video; downloading YouTube videos is against YouTube's Terms of Service unless YouTube offers a download button.
Common use cases
Teaching and training
Show students the three minutes of a lecture that matter, in a course page or slide.
Blog posts and documentation
Embed only the step being explained instead of a 40-minute video.
Quoting a talk or interview
Share the exact remark with a link that starts on it, so nobody has to scrub.
Feedback and reviews
Send a teammate the moment in a recording where the bug or the question appears.
Tips and limitations
- Start and end are whole seconds. The start rounds down and the end rounds up, so the clip always covers what you selected.
- Viewers can still drag the progress bar outside your range. Start and end decide where playback begins and stops; they do not hide the rest of the video.
- If the preview says the owner does not allow playback on other websites, the video cannot be embedded anywhere. The youtu.be link with a start time still works.
- Autoplay only works muted in current browsers, so turning on autoplay also mutes the clip.
- For Shorts and other vertical videos choose the 9:16 player size, or the video sits in a wide box with black bars.
- Have the video file itself? The Video Trimmer cuts a file in your browser and saves it as a new video.
Frequently asked questions
How do I embed a YouTube video so it starts and stops at certain times?
Add start and end to the embed URL, both in seconds from the beginning of the video, for example youtube.com/embed/VIDEO_ID?start=83&end=95. This tool builds that URL and the iframe code for you from the times you pick on the video.
Can a normal YouTube link stop at an end time?
No. The watch page and youtu.be links accept a start time (t=83 or t=1m23s) but have no end setting. For a link that stops, use the clip link format, which opens the embedded player with start and end.
Does this download the YouTube video?
No. The clip is the original video played by YouTube's player with a start and end time. Nothing is copied or saved, which keeps you within YouTube's Terms of Service and keeps the creator's views and captions.
How do I choose the quality of an embedded clip?
YouTube no longer lets a link force a quality. It picks a stream to suit the player's size and the viewer's connection, so choose a larger player size for a sharper clip. Viewers can change quality in the player's settings.
Why does the preview say the video cannot be played here?
The owner has turned off embedding, or the video is private, removed or age restricted. Such videos only play on youtube.com, so they cannot be embedded on any site.
Is there a length limit on the clip?
No. Unlike YouTube's own Clips feature, which allows 5 to 60 seconds, start and end can be any times in the video, as long as the end is at least one second after the start.
What does privacy-enhanced mode change?
The player loads from youtube-nocookie.com, the domain YouTube provides for embeds that do not use the view to personalise the viewer's YouTube experience. Playback and the clip range work the same way.
Is there an in-depth guide to the YouTube Clip Maker?
Yes. “How to Share or Embed Just Part of a YouTube Video” covers the background, how it works, common pitfalls and worked examples. Read the full guide.
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