Video Topics (Chapters) – Guide for Lecturers

How to add and edit topics that help viewers navigate within a video (jump by time) without editing the video file itself.

← Back to guides list
Language

What topics are and why to use them

Topics (also called chapters) are time points within a video, each with a name (e.g. «Introduction», «First example»). For viewers this enables quick navigation to the relevant part — on the watch page, markers appear on the progress bar and a topic list is shown, depending on system settings.

Topics are defined at the video level (on the video settings screen), not as part of a channel or general course.

Who can edit

  • Video owner (the user the video is assigned to).
  • Administrators in the system.
  • Users with management permission on the video (if configured in the system).

Topics can be edited only when the video is in published status (ready for viewing) — so a player is shown on the settings screen.

Opening the settings screen

  1. Go to video management or the watch page.
  2. Choose Edit / Video settings (path like /videos/edit/video-id).
  3. In the Video area, the player appears with topic buttons (see below).
Video settings screen – player area and navigation
Video settings screen – quick navigation on the side and the main player area.

Adding a new topic

  1. Start the player and seek to the moment in time where the topic should begin (e.g. start of a slide or transition to a new subject in a lecture).
  2. Click the «New topic» button next to the video (chapter divider icon).
  3. In the dialog that opens: verify the displayed time matches the current player position.
  4. Enter the topic name in the text field.
  5. Click «Add» — the system saves the settings (video update).
Important: the topic time is set from the player position when adding. Always pause/seek to the correct point before clicking «New topic».

Topic list, jump, and delete

  1. Click «Topics» (list icon) next to the video.
  2. A list of all topics by time appears.
  3. Clicking a topic moves the player to the matching time (for verification).
  4. You can delete a topic from the list using the delete button next to the item (if shown).

Close the dialog with «Close» when finished.

Changing topic time (progress bar)

For videos uploaded to the system (not embedded YouTube-only videos), markers appear above the custom progress bar on the edit screen for each topic. You can drag a marker to change the topic’s start time on the timeline.

Note: if you do not see a progress bar with markers, the video may be from YouTube or the interface may show a different player — in that case adjust topic times mainly by adding topics again at the correct times or via the topic list as needed.

What viewers see

  • On the watch page, viewers can move between topics via a topic list (e.g. on the side or in a panel button), depending on system layout.
  • On the player progress bar, markers appear; hovering shows the topic name; clicking jumps to the matching time.

Extended watch page guide: Video watch page – options.

Tips

  • Choose short, clear topic names — they appear in the player and lists.
  • Order topics by start time — the system syncs by times.
  • After significant changes to lecture timing, review the topic list and verify everything matches.
  • Saving all settings (title, privacy, etc.) is done with Save buttons at the bottom of the settings screen; adding a topic via the «New topic» dialog saves topics as part of that process.