Should I put hashtags in my YouTube description?

A few relevant ones are fine. Too many look spammy, and YouTube's policies prohibit excessive tags in descriptions.

What to Put in a YouTube Description (Template)

This page is about what to write. For link rules and why links sometimes aren't clickable, see links in YouTube descriptions.

The four-part description template

1. [Benefit first] Get the free [offer]: https://yoursite.com/offer

2. In this video, [what they'll learn, in the words they'd search].
   [One more sentence on who it's for.]

3. Chapters
   0:00 [The problem]
   1:12 [Step one]
   ...

4. [Benefit again] Get the free [offer]: https://yoursite.com/offer

Why lead with the benefit?

The first line or two show before viewers tap "more," so they do the heavy lifting. I call it "lead with greed": tell people what they get before you tell them where to go. "Get the free 5-minute client follow-up checklist" beats "Visit my website" every time.

What words should go in the summary?

The words your viewer would type into search. If YouTube's search suggestions show "how to get more piano students," use that phrase naturally. Don't stuff keywords; write for a person. More in YouTube SEO.

Should you add chapters?

For anything longer than a few minutes, yes. Chapters help viewers jump to what they need and can show up in search. List timestamps starting at 0:00.

What should you leave out?

A dozen links. One offer converts better than ten choices.
Hashtag piles. A few relevant ones at most; excessive tags in descriptions break YouTube's spam policies.
"In this video I talk about..." Start with value.

Why the description isn't enough on its own

I watch a lot of YouTube on the TV in my living room, from a recliner across the room. On a TV, you can read a description but you can't click it. That's why your offer also belongs inside the video itself, ideally with a QR code (how to add one). The description is one of four places to ask, not the only one.

Example

Worked example: a filled-in description

For a dentist's video "Do Electric Toothbrushes Really Work Better?":

Free guide: the 5-minute nightly routine that keeps checkups short → https://example.com/routine

Electric or manual toothbrush? In this video I explain what matters more than the brush, how to choose one, and the brushing mistake I see every day.

0:00 The short answer 0:45 What the brush can and can't do 2:30 How to choose 4:10 The most common brushing mistake

Book a checkup: https://example.com/book

The first line leads with the benefit and a full link. The summary uses the words people search. Chapters help viewers jump to what they need. The end repeats one clear next step.

Description checklist

First line: benefit plus full https link
Two or three sentences summarizing the video in plain words
Chapters starting at 0:00, checked by hand
One secondary link at most (booking, website)
No walls of hashtags or unrelated links
Same offer as the one mentioned in the video

AI shortcut

How can AI speed this up?

AI tools and plans checked October 18, 2026. They change often, so confirm on each tool's own page. No affiliate links.

Fill the template. Paste your transcript into ChatGPT or Claude and ask it to fill the four-part template above.
Chapters. Gemini, connected to YouTube, or any assistant with your transcript can suggest chapters. Check the timestamps.
First line. Ask for five benefit-first first lines under 100 characters.

Tools mentioned:

ChatGPT: free plan, Go ($8 a month in the US) and Plus ($20 a month).
Claude: free plan, Pro at $20 a month.
Gemini: free plan includes image generation and editing and Deep Research, and the app can connect to YouTube and other Google apps; Google AI Plus is $4.99 a month and Google AI Pro $19.99 a month (US).

AI is great for first drafts. Always edit the result so it sounds like you and is accurate for your business.

What to Put in a YouTube Description: A Template That Works