/blocktube

YouTube™ content blocker

Primary LanguageJavaScriptGNU General Public License v3.0GPL-3.0

BlockTube

WebExtension for Chrome and Firefox.
Filter and block unwanted content from YouTube™.

Extension features

  • Block videos via: Video Title / Channel Name / Channel ID / Video ID
  • Block comments via User / Comment content
  • Block videos within YouTube using context menus
  • Blocked videos do not appear anywhere on the site
  • Block complete channels
  • Supports both keywords and raw Regex
  • Does not break or limit any features of YouTube like playlist or autoplay
  • Hide and block the Trending section
  • Protect extension options with a password
  • Filtering is done before any DOM rendering

Install

FAQ

  • I'm still using YouTube's old layout desgin, can I use this extension?
    No. Please switch to the new desgin here

  • What is the difference between "Channel ID" and "Channel Name"
    Channel names on YouTube are not unique and can be duplicated/changed
    whereas Channel ID is a unique identification string that never changes.
    If you want to block a specific single channel the preferred method is using it's ID,
    If you want to block multiple channels sharing similar name use it's name.

  • How can I get a channel's ID?
    Channel ID looks like this: UCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    To get it, simply browse to a channel page and look at the URL /channel/UCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
    If the URL is /user/BadChannelExample use This site to convert the username to the channel ID

  • How to block comments from specific user?
    Blocked channels comments are removed as well, so just add the user's name/channel ID to your filters

  • What is the behaviour when browsing blocked channel?
    User will be redirected to YouTube homepage.

  • What is the behaviour when browsing blocked video?
    You can choose between two options:

    • Block the entire page and leave a custom message
    • Auto redirect user to the next video

  • How can I ensure this extension cannot be bypassed?
    TODO

Development & Build

Ubuntu

# Install build requirements
sudo apt install nodejs npm
sudo npm install -g terser

# Clone Repo
git clone https://github.com/amitbl/blocktube

### Make your changes ###

# Build package
./tools/build.sh firefox
./tools/build.sh chrome

# Output packages locations
./dist/firefox/blocktube_firefox_VERSION.zip
./dist/chrome/blocktube_chrome_VERSION.zip

# Temporary installation / debugging
Firefox: https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/develop/temporary-installation-in-firefox/
Chrome: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv3/getstarted/development-basics/#load-unpacked

Future work

  • User-friendly options UI
  • Sync options to cloud provider / enterprise policies
  • Whitelist mode
  • Dynamic rules (match multiple rules to block a video)

License

This project is licensed under the GPLv3 License - see the LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments