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We get it. YouTube is a video platform. It makes sense to focus on quality video production and video editing. But don’t underestimate the importance of the text box beneath your video. What to put in YouTube descriptions is its own artform.
Craft a strong YouTube description with the same effort that went into making your video and reap the rewards. Well-written YouTube video descriptions can increase your channel’s awareness, subscribers, views, and watch time.
In this guide, we'll break down the different types of YouTube descriptions, why they're important, and share tips and examples of how to optimize your video and channel descriptions.
What is a YouTube description?
A YouTube description explains a YouTube video or channel to viewers and enables YouTube algorithms to classify and surface a video in search results. There are two different types of YouTube descriptions:
YouTube channel descriptions: explain what an entire channel is about.
YouTube video descriptions: explain what an individual video is about.
What is a YouTube channel description?
A YouTube channel description is the text field found in the about tab on a YouTube channel homepage. This is where you explain the content and purpose of the channel and promote your online brand. YouTube channel descriptions have a character limit of 1000 characters and usually include:
Creator bio or brand story
Genre or style of content
Social media handles
Website links
Affiliate links
What is a YouTube video description?
A YouTube video description is the text box below each video posted to YouTube. Creators can use this space to promote their video as well as their online brand. YouTube video descriptions have a character limit of 5000 characters. While most of the field gets condensed by default, interested viewers can read the whole description by clicking 'more'. YouTube video descriptions usually include:
Brief video synopsis
Website links
Social media handles
Chapters and timestamps
CTA (Call to action)
What is the best YouTube description length?
A description for a YouTube video has a maximum character limit of 5000 characters (approximately 800 words). Anything past the first 150 characters (25-30 words) is hidden by the ‘more’ button. It’s highly recommended to include the most crucial information within the first 150 characters, as many viewers won’t expand and see the full description.
A description for a YouTube channel has a maximum character limits of 1000 characters. There is no ‘more’ button, so you don’t need to worry about text being hidden.
Why are YouTube descriptions important?
YouTube video and channel descriptions are where you play the video SEO (Search Engine Optimization) game on YouTube. It’s important for audience discovery. But it’s also important for YouTube algorithms.
Writing keyword-rich descriptions for YouTube videos and channels will ensure your video pops up when users search YouTube and on other search engines and web browsers. YouTube algorithms scan the video and channel descriptions for metadata relevant to user search queries. That makes writing solid YouTube descriptions a crucial way to grow your YouTube view count and channel awareness.
How to write a YouTube description for more views
The text underneath your video performs two functions. Firstly, it attracts viewers with SEO before they press play. Secondly, it converts viewers into repeat viewers and subscribers after they’ve pressed play.
Your video descriptions need to be written with the viewer’s experience at the front of your mind, no different to when you’re shooting and editing your video. Here’s how to optimize YouTube descriptions.
1. Target video SEO keywords
Don’t write your description without researching SEO keywords. Take some time to discover the long-tail and short-tail search queries people are using to find the kind of content in your video. Fear not, you don’t need to be an SEO expert to do this.
Start with your competitors and use YouTube analytics to view insights for other channels. You can also use tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner and Google Trends to research high-volume keywords. Once you’ve researched, include the top relevant keywords in your copy. Make sure to repeat each keyword 2-3 times and add them as YouTube tags.
2. Speak your audience’s language
Even when writing for SEO algorithms, you should still sound authentic. Don’t write robotically or use click-bait to trick viewers. Your YouTube descriptions should sound like you and your audience. If you want to go a step further, look at the comments of your videos and competitors to see how your viewers speak.
3. Make videos user-friendly with chapters and timestamps
Timestamping can be time-consuming, but users and algorithms love them. You can stop viewers from leaving your video early by including a timestamp to a particular topic or idea they’re searching for. Chapter your videos with SEO-researched keywords too and you’ve unlocked more search queries your content will rank for in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).
4. Build your brand
Always assume every viewer is new. Ensure they can find you wherever they need and that they instantly learn your brand. So, link to own website and social media handles. You can also tag and accredit your partners and affiliates accordingly. They’ll love you for it and it lends you more credibility. You can further polish your YouTube branding by creating custom YouTube intro and outro videos using YouTube video templates in Clipchamp.
5. Convert with a call to action
You always want your audience to perform an action. Even if it’s just as simple as watching another video. The bread and butter of YouTube call to actions is to hit the like and subscribe buttons and to allow notifications. By doing this, creators are promoting their content while aiming for returning viewers. Some other popular YouTube CTAs include asking viewers to comment and watch previous videos. Don’t just put these CTAs in your video, write them in your descriptions too.
How to make a good YouTube description with templates and AI
YouTube description best practices begin with providing context to your viewers: what is the video about and who you are? Whenever you’re stuck with where to begin, search your competitor’s descriptions for inspiration or look at other channels in your niche. Remember those first 150 characters should contain the most crucial information. Then provide a pleasant user experience by adding all the further context after the ‘more’ button.
If you’ve got bullet points and ideas but aren’t confident with writing copy, use an AI YouTube description generator. Speed up your workflow and create a YouTube description template for future videos using generative AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot. Follow these steps to generate a description with Copilot:
Log into Copilot in Bing.
In the text box, type your AI prompt, for example, ‘Help me write a YouTube video description’.
Provide the basic details of your video, specifying the tone and how many different versions you’d like.
Hit enter.
Never forget that your descriptions represent your brand the same as your video. Even when using templates and AI, take a second to humanize the copy by adding your own flair. Use a conversational tone so your audience connects with you as a person. You can also generate a video script with AI, then personalize it.
Great YouTube description examples to inspire you
YouTube description formatting is just as unique and personal as video content. Your approach will depend on how you want to represent your brand and what your overall goals are for your channel. Here are some inspiring examples of YouTubers who don’t overlook the importance of the description box for achieving their content goals.
1. Ali Abdaal – Productivity expert
Productivity YouTuber and podcaster Ali Abdaal squeezes every drop out of his YouTube video descriptions. He includes a lot of information but it's cleverly formatted in a digestible fashion using emojis as bullet points. Everything has a call to action and the entire description is designed to introduce you to his content, brand, and affiliates. He promotes his entire brand via newsletters and additional resources which is a smart approach for newbie and veteran creators to increase reach and build authenticity.
You can read the full description here.
2. Lisa Crosbie – Tech evangelist
Business technology YouTuber and content creator Lisa Crosbie knows she doesn’t need to use all 5000 characters. She ticks off the major components concisely without being too brief. She leads with three lines all about the current video and then she follows the best practices of timestamping and CTAs.
Read the full YouTube description here.
3. Vox – Media outlet
News and opinion outlet Vox focuses on explaining the individual video first then sparingly sprinkles in CTAs and brand awareness. They’ve gone back to basics and written this description like an old school movie blurb. But it cleverly combines prose with the digital buying journey elements found in the bullet point style. This makes the video content the hero while still creating stickability to reach channel goals.
Read the full description here.
How to add a description to a YouTube video
Step 1. Click the Content tab in YouTube Studio
Where is the description on YouTube? First, you need to go to YouTube Studio. Click the content tab on the left sidebar, then select the video you want to add a description for.
Step 2. Type in your video’s description
Click the details tab then the description box and type your video’s description.
Step 3. Save your video
Proofread your video description for any typos or formatting errors then click the save button.
How to add a description to your YouTube channel
Step 1. Click on the customization tab in YouTube Studio
In YouTube Studio, click the customization tab on the left sidebar.
Step 2. Click the basic info tab
Under channel customization header, click the basic info tab.
Step 3. Type your channel description
Type your YouTube channel description in the text box, then click publish.
Frequently asked questions
How long should my YouTube descriptions be?
You can write up to 5000 characters which are about 800 words for YouTube video descriptions. YouTube channel descriptions have a 1000 character limit. For videos, we recommend using the first 150 characters for the most important information to capture your audience's attention above the fold for better click-through rates.
How do I put links in YouTube descriptions?
When editing your video YouTube description in YouTube Studio, just copy and paste the link into the description box.
How to add a timestamp to a video description?
Well-written YouTube descriptions usually include YouTube chapters or timestamps. Head over to YouTube Studio, click on the video you would like to add a timestamp to. In the Description, add a list of YouTube timestamps and titles, starting at 00:00 with your YouTube intro.
A YouTube description is one cog in the machine of your YouTube video production. YouTubers who spend time on writing careful and considered descriptions for channels and videos receive the benefits in views and subscribers. If you want your YouTube production quality to match your newfound talent in YouTube description writing, use our royalty-free YouTube intro and outro templates.
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