You'd think grabbing a link would be the easiest thing in the world. Copy, paste, done. Right? Well, usually. But then you’re on a smart TV trying to share a documentary with your dad, or you’re buried three levels deep in a mobile app, and suddenly finding that specific string of characters feels like a digital scavenger hunt. Honestly, figuring out how to get the url from youtube shouldn't require a computer science degree, yet the platform's UI changes so often that people get tripped up.
Most folks just want to send a funny cat video to a group chat. Others are trying to embed a tutorial into a WordPress site or cite a lecture for a university paper. The "how" changes depending on what device you're holding.
If you are sitting at a laptop, it’s cake. You look at the top of the browser. That long line of text starting with "https" in the address bar? That’s it. Highlight it. Right-click. Copy. You're golden. But what if you want the link to start at a specific time? What if you're using the YouTube Shorts player, which looks totally different? It gets weirdly specific.
Grabbing Links on Desktop Without the Headache
On a standard desktop browser like Chrome or Firefox, you have two primary ways to handle this. The address bar is the most obvious, but the "Share" button is actually "smarter."
When you click "Share" underneath the video player, YouTube gives you a shortened URL (usually starting with youtu.be). This is generally better for texting or Twitter because it saves space.
There is a killer feature here that most people miss: the "Start at" checkbox.
If you’re watching a twenty-minute video but the only important part is at the 12:45 mark, check that box before you copy the link. YouTube appends a little snippet of code—usually something like ?t=765—to the end of the URL. When your friend clicks it, the video jumps straight to that second. It saves everyone time. Nobody wants to sit through a three-minute intro about "smashing that like button" just to see the one piece of information they actually need.
The Right-Click Magic Trick
Did you know you can right-click directly on the video itself? Try it.
A black context menu pops up. You’ll see "Copy video URL" and "Copy video URL at current time." This is the fastest way to do it if you hate moving your mouse all the way to the bottom of the screen. It works even if the video is in full-screen mode.
What About YouTube Shorts?
Shorts are the bane of the "traditional" URL. They use a specific format: youtube.com/shorts/[ID]. If you need the regular video URL for a Short (perhaps for a third-party downloading tool or a specific embed player that doesn't recognize the Shorts format), there is a workaround.
- Open the Short.
- Click on the "Comments" section.
- Often, if you refresh or navigate through the channel, you can "force" it into the regular player, but the easiest way is to just use the "Share" button on the side of the Short. It will give you that
youtu.belink that works everywhere.
How to Get the URL From YouTube on iPhone and Android
Mobile is where things get messy. You don't have an address bar in the app.
You’re staring at the video, and the URL is invisible. To find it, you have to tap the "Share" icon (it looks like a curved arrow pointing right). A menu slides up from the bottom. "Copy link" is usually the first option.
It’s easy, but there’s a catch.
The mobile app doesn't naturally let you "copy at current time" like the desktop version does. If you need a timestamp on mobile, you have to do it manually. It's annoying, but it works. You copy the link, paste it into your message, and then manually type ?t=XmYs at the end (where X is minutes and Y is seconds).
For example: https://youtu.be/example?t=2m30s.
The Browser Workaround on Mobile
Sometimes the app glitched out. Or maybe you want the desktop-style URL.
Open Safari or Chrome on your phone. Go to YouTube. Your phone will probably try to force you back into the app. Fight it. Long-press the link or open it in a new tab to stay in the browser. Once you are in the mobile browser version of YouTube, the URL is right there in the search/address bar at the top of the screen.
Finding Channel URLs and Playlist Links
Sharing a single video is one thing. Sharing an entire channel or a curated playlist is another.
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If you want a channel URL, you need to click on the creator’s name. This takes you to their homepage. On desktop, just grab the URL from the bar. It’ll usually look like youtube.com/@username. This "@" handle system replaced the old, clunky "channel/UC..." strings a while back, making things way cleaner.
Playlists are slightly trickier.
If you copy the URL while watching a video inside a playlist, the URL will be massive. It’ll contain the video ID and the playlist ID.
If you only want to share the playlist itself:
- Go to the "Library" or "View Full Playlist" page.
- Click the "Share" arrow there.
- This ensures the person you send it to starts at the beginning of the list, rather than whatever random video you happened to be watching.
Why the URL Format Actually Matters
You might notice YouTube URLs look different depending on where you get them.
youtube.com/watch?v=...(Standard desktop)youtu.be/...(Mobile/Share button)m.youtube.com/...(Mobile browser)
These all lead to the same place. However, if you are a developer or someone trying to embed video into a specific software, the watch?v= version is usually the "safest" bet. Some older forums or website builders don't recognize the shortened youtu.be format.
Troubleshooting: Why Can't I Copy the Link?
Occasionally, the "Share" button disappears. This happens most often on "Made for Kids" content or videos with heavy copyright restrictions in certain regions. If the button is missing, the address bar on desktop is your only friend.
On mobile, if the share button is gone, you can try tapping the three dots in the corner of the video player. If that fails, the video might be "unlisted" or "private." You can't get a working URL for a private video unless you are the owner or have been granted specific access.
Practical Steps for Managing YouTube Links
Now that you know how to get the url from youtube across different platforms, here is how to use that knowledge effectively.
First, always use the Share button rather than the address bar if you're on a computer. It generates a cleaner link that's less likely to break when pasted into apps like Discord, Slack, or WhatsApp.
Second, if you're sharing a long educational video, use the timestamp feature. It’s a courtesy. It shows you value the other person's time.
Third, keep an eye on the "ID." Every YouTube URL has a string of about 11 characters (like dQw4w9WgXcQ). That is the video's unique DNA. If you ever see a URL that doesn't have that 11-character string, it’s probably a link to a channel or a search result, not the video itself.
To make this actionable:
- Open a video you like.
- Practice right-clicking the player to see the hidden "at current time" menu.
- Try adding
&t=1mto the end of a desktop URL manually to see how the player reacts. - Check your mobile "Share" settings to see which apps you can "One-Tap" share to, which saves you from having to copy and paste entirely.
Understanding these small UI quirks makes navigating the web feel a lot less like a chore and more like a tool you actually control.