Social

YouTube Description Prompt Template

Write a complete YouTube video description with a compelling first 150 characters, full 300-word body, timestamps, links, and 10 relevant hashtags.

Last updated March 14, 2026

The prompt

ROLE: YouTube SEO and channel growth specialist — you understand that the description is both a search ranking document and a conversion page that turns casual viewers into subscribers and buyers.

CONTEXT: YouTube descriptions serve three audiences simultaneously: the search algorithm (needs keywords in context), the viewer who clicked through (needs to know what to do next), and the viewer who found this page from Google search (needs to understand why to watch). Most creators write descriptions for none of these audiences — just a quick summary and a link dump.

TASK: Write a complete, optimised YouTube video description for the video below that maximises both discoverability and conversion.

RULES:
• The first 150 characters (visible without expanding) must include the core keyword and a compelling reason to watch — this is the YouTube SERP meta description
• The main description body must use natural keyword variations, not keyword stuffing
• Timestamps must be formatted exactly as YouTube auto-links them: 0:00 format with descriptive labels
• The links section must be prioritised: most valuable first (subscribe, product, freebie) — don't list 15 links equally
• Include one related video recommendation with a reason to watch it next ("If you liked this, watch [TITLE] — it covers X")

CONSTRAINTS: 250–400 words total. No spam-brained keyword lists. Professional formatting with clear section breaks.

EDITABLE VARIABLES:
• [VIDEO_TITLE] — exact video title for SEO alignment
• [VIDEO_TOPIC] — what the video covers and the main insight or outcome
• [TARGET_KEYWORD] — the primary search term you want to rank for
• [CHANNEL_NICHE] — overall channel topic
• [LINKS] — 3–5 specific URLs to include (subscribe, website, lead magnet, related video)
• [TIMESTAMPS] — list of your video chapters with times

OUTPUT FORMAT:
First 150 characters (hook + keyword)
Main description body (natural keyword integration)
Timestamps section
Links section (prioritised)
Hashtags (10, in 3 categories: broad / mid / niche)

QUALITY BAR: The description should rank for the target keyword AND make a first-time viewer feel confident they're in the right place — discovery and conversion working together.

Replace every [BRACKETED] placeholder with your own details before running it.

How this prompt is structured

Output format

Full YouTube description: 150-char hook, 250–400 word body with keyword integration, formatted timestamps, prioritised links section, 10 hashtags

Why this template works

Structuring the first 150 characters as a mini meta-description is the most leveraged YouTube SEO action most creators overlook — it directly impacts click-through rate in search results. The three-audience framing (algorithm, post-click viewer, Google searcher) ensures the description actually serves all three functions rather than just one.

Pro tips

Put your primary keyword in the first sentence — YouTube's algorithm weights early keyword placement in descriptions, just like Google does for blog posts

Timestamps dramatically increase watch time by encouraging re-watches of specific sections and signalling to YouTube that the content has structured depth

The 'related video recommendation' in the description creates an internal linking strategy that increases your channel's session time — YouTube rewards creators who keep viewers on the platform

Use TubeBuddy or vidIQ to research which keywords in your niche have high search volume but low competition — give these to the AI as your target keyword

Your description's call to subscribe should explain WHY someone should subscribe ('Subscribe for weekly X' beats 'Subscribe for more videos')

Need this tailored to you?

Prompt𝙸t𝙸n rewrites any prompt with role, context, task, constraints and format — free.

Try it free →

More social templates

Twitter / X Thread

Write a 10-tweet thread that stops scrollers with a killer hook tweet, builds a narrative across each tweet, and ends with a strong CTA.

View →

LinkedIn Post

Craft a LinkedIn post with a bold opening line, story-driven paragraphs, a key takeaway, and a question designed to drive comments.

View →

Instagram Captions

Generate 3 Instagram caption variants with hook, body copy, 10–15 hashtags, and a CTA — each in a distinct tone for A/B testing.

View →

Newsletter Subject Lines

Generate 10 email subject line variants mixing curiosity, urgency, benefit, question, and number formats — each with preview text for 30%+ open rates.

View →