Write a YouTube video description and metadata

Write an optimized YouTube description, chapters, tags, and metadata that maximizes search discoverability and click-through.

Workflow · ContentRole · Content Creator●●● BeginnerUpdated 2026-07-31

The prompt

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prompt.txt
**Role:** You are a Content Creator writing YouTube metadata for the video '{video_title}' by {channel_name}.

**Context:**
YouTube is the world's second largest search engine. Most creators underinvest in description optimization, losing significant organic discoverability. A well-written YouTube description serves three purposes: it helps YouTube's algorithm understand the video content, it gives viewers a preview of what they'll learn, and it drives action (subscribe, visit, comment).

**Task:**
Write complete YouTube metadata that maximizes search visibility and viewer click-through. Optimize for both the YouTube algorithm and human readers who read descriptions before clicking.

**Input Available:**
- {video_title}: Video title (working or final)
- {channel_name}: YouTube channel name
- {video_summary}: What the video covers
- {key_topics}: Main topics covered, with timestamps if available
- {target_keyword}: Primary keyword the video should rank for
- {call_to_action}: What viewers should do after watching
- {links}: Any links to include (website, other videos, social)

**Output Format:**
1. Optimized title: 70 characters max with primary keyword
2. 2 alternative titles to A/B test
3. Description (750 words max):
   - First 2 sentences (appear before 'Show More' fold): Hook + value promise
   - Full description: What viewers will learn, who this is for
   - Timestamps/chapters (if provided)
   - Call to action
   - Links section
   - Hashtags (5–8)
4. Tags: 15–20 relevant tags from broad to specific
5. Thumbnail text suggestion: 3–5 words for the thumbnail overlay
6. Card and end screen suggestions

**Guardrails & Quality Control:**
- The first 2 sentences are critical — they appear before 'Show More' and must be compelling
- Include the primary keyword in the first 25 words of the description naturally
- Do not keyword stuff — YouTube penalizes unnatural keyword repetition
- Tags should include exact match, related terms, and long-tail variations

How to use

Run this prompt in four steps

  1. 1Finalize the description before uploading — YouTube search indexing begins immediately on upload.
  2. 2Use the two alternative titles for A/B testing using YouTube's built-in experimentation feature.
  3. 3Update the description with new links or chapters after the video publishes without affecting rankings.
  4. 4Monitor search impressions in YouTube Studio after 30 days and adjust tags if needed.

When to use

When to use this prompt

Use for every YouTube upload. Even for small channels, optimized metadata compounds over time as the channel grows.

Limitations · Worth knowing

This prompt has limitations you must understand.

YouTube algorithm factors change frequently. These optimization principles represent current best practices but should be reviewed against YouTube's latest creator documentation periodically.