How to add Linked Timestamps and HTML in Content Descriptions

Adding Linked Timestamps in Video Descriptions

Using timestamp links in your video descriptions on SproutVideo-hosted landing pages can be an easy and powerful way to optimize the experience for your viewers, especially if the purpose of your video content is to educate the viewer.

No HTML, or coding of any sort, is required to add a linked timestamp to your video description. Simply type your timestamp as MM:SS or HH:MM:SS, and we will automatically link to the corresponding time in your video. For example, if you added 00:15 to your description, this would link to 15 seconds.

Here’s an example of how you may add timestamps in your video description field on your video’s detail page:

An example of a video description with timestamps

NOTE: Linked timestamps will only appear on your SproutVideo-hosted landing pages, so the preview you see on the video detail page while editing the description does not include links. If you are embedding videos on your own site, please contact us for help creating linked timestamps.

Save your updated video description and visit your video’s landing page (the “share video” link) to see your linked timestamps! The example shown here uses the Oak theme, so your site might look different based on your theme and settings:

Rendered example of timestamps in a video description on a SproutVideo video landing page using the Oak theme

Using HTML to Customize Descriptions for Videos, Live Streams, and Playlists

Description fields for videos, live streams, and playlists all support a limited amount of HTML when using our hosted video website, whether you are using the full site, or just individual landing pages.

The supported tags are as follows:

Bold OR
Italic OR
Underline
Ordered List <ol>
Unordered List <ul>
List Item <li>
Links <a>

Note: For the <a/> tag, the only attribute we support is href; we automatically add rel=nofollow to all links; and the target attribute is set to _blank, so it will open a new window. We support ftp, http, https, mailto, and protocol relative urls.

Simply add your HTML in-line in the content description. Here is an example for a video:

An example of HTML in a video description field

This is how it will appear on your content landing page (this will vary according to your selected theme, the example shown here uses the Oak theme):

Rendered example HTML in a video description on a SproutVideo video landing page using the Oak theme

Combining HTML with Timestamps

If you’re feeling comfortable with HTML and want to get a little more advanced, you can absolutely combine HTML in your video description with the linked timestamps.

Here’s an example:

An example of a video description using HTML and timestamps