Create a receipt

Creating a receipt is how you pin notes to specific moments in a video. Whether you're highlighting a key moment, adding context, or fact-checking a claim, the process is quick and straightforward.

Before you start, make sure you're signed in to your Vid Receipts account. You'll need an account to create receipts.

How to create a receipt

1. Navigate to a video: Paste any YouTube URL into the search bar, or browse videos that already have receipts.
2. Click "Add Receipt": This opens the receipt editor. On a computer it sits beside the video, which keeps playing so you can reference it while writing. On a phone it takes the whole screen and the video pauses behind it (see "The working tray" below).
3. Write your content: Use the rich text editor to craft your receipt. You can format text with bold, italic, headings, lists, code blocks, blockquotes, and more (see "Formatting Options" below).
4. Check the timestamp: The editor automatically captures the timestamp from wherever the video is currently playing. You can adjust it manually if needed.
5. Add media (optional): Embed images, GIFs, video clips, or documents directly in your content using the toolbar buttons at the top and bottom of the editor.
6. Choose a feed: The publish button shows where your receipt will go:
   • Post to Public @ HH:MM: Visible to everyone
   • Save to Private @ HH:MM: Only visible to you
   • Save Draft @ HH:MM: Save a finished receipt for later publishing
   • Post to [Feed Name] @ HH:MM: Post to a specific community or group feed you belong to
7. Click Save: Your receipt is now live and tied to that moment in the video.

Formatting options

The receipt editor is a full rich-text editor with a formatting toolbar and keyboard shortcuts:

Text formatting

• Bold: Click the Bold button or type **text**
• Italic: Click the Italic button or type *text*
• Underline: Click the Underline button
• Strikethrough: Click the Strikethrough button or type ~~text~~
• Links: Click the Link button to add a hyperlink

Block formatting

• Headings (H1, H2, H3). Click a heading button or type #, ##, ### at the start of a line
• Bullet lists: Click the Bullet List button or type - at the start of a line
• Numbered lists: Click the Numbered List button or type 1. at the start of a line
• Code blocks: Click the Code Block button or type ``` on a new line
• Block quotes: Click the Block Quote button or type > at the start of a line

Media in content

You can embed media directly inside your receipt content using the toolbar buttons:

• Images: Click the Image button to upload a photo (JPEG, PNG or WebP, up to 25 MB), or paste/drag an image directly into the editor
• GIFs: Click the GIF button to search for GIFs using the built-in GIF picker (powered by Klipy), or paste a direct link to a GIF image from Klipy, Tenor, media.giphy.com, or i.imgur.com
• Video embeds: Click the Video button to embed a clip from YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. YouTube clips can be trimmed to an in and out point and set to loop. See Embed video clips.
• Documents: Click the Document button to attach a PDF (up to 25 MB)

Uploading your own images and documents takes a paid plan, because both put a file in storage. GIFs and video embeds are saved as links rather than uploads, so they're open to everyone.

All media is embedded inline in the receipt content, there's no separate attachment area. You can include multiple media items in a single receipt.

Paste a video link to embed it. When you paste a YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram URL straight into the editor, Vid Receipts asks whether to Embed it as a playable clip or Keep as link as plain text. Pick Embed to play the moment in place. See Embed video clips for trim and loop controls.

Here's a receipt with media embedded in its body. Videos, GIFs, and images all sit inline the same way:

GIFs hold still if you've asked them to. If your device is set to reduce motion, a GIF in a receipt shows a single frame instead of playing. The card above does the same thing, so you can check your own setting against it. GIFs also wait until they've scrolled into view before they start, and stop again when they leave, so a feed isn't playing the ones you can't see. Older receipts, written before we started saving that still frame, keep playing.

The working tray

When you click "Add Receipt," the receipt editor opens in the Working Tray: your active workspace for composing receipts. It holds up to 20 drafts per video, with draft tabs for switching between the ones you're writing.

The Working Tray is different from the Drafts feed. The tray holds receipts you're actively writing right now. The Drafts feed holds finished receipts you've saved for later.

Good to know

• Receipts must be at least 10 characters long, unless you include an image, a GIF, or a video clip.
• The maximum length is 1,500 characters.
• Public receipts go through AI content moderation to keep feeds helpful and on-topic. See Content guidelines for details.
• You can always start with a draft and move it to a public or custom feed later.
• All links in receipts are automatically tagged as user-generated content for safety.

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