Hey guys
Thanks for considering using this extension. Like all browser extensions, this too is totally free. Basically, this is a keyword filter for youtube. Please do read these instructions before you use this.
I wrote this to be used for my kids and ended up publishing it on the chrome web store. It should work on Chrome as well as Brave browsers.
So, if you are a parent trying to control the content on the youtube.com website, then this would work well for you. You will have a decent shot at controlling what videos come up based on the keywords in the title of the video.
Here are some notes on how you can get this to work for you.
This is the link to the extension:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/nliplgjopjamijmhgoanbgngddiignaj
- Install this extension as you would any extension on your browser.
- Setup an admin password once you have installed the extension.
- Come up with the keywords that you want to use to block or allow youtube videos. You can choose blacklist or whitelist mode. On whitelist mode, the videos that have these keywords in the title will be shown. On blacklist mode, the videos that don’t have the blacklist keywords will be shown.
- You can add keywords one by one. Only a person who has the admin password can change the keywords.
- You can also import or export the keywords.
Keywords
Here is a sample .json file that you can use to start with. In this file, the focus is on using the whitelist mode. So if you are focused on allowing your child to allow all educational content including chess, then you can proceed to use this. Add and remove as per your individual requirements.
Right click on the link above – choose “Save link as” and save the file. It will be saved as a .json file. You can then go to the extension and use the Import Keywords button and import this json file.
Ensuring the Extension is always Installed and Enabled.
But here is another very important point to keep in mind. It is very elementary to uninstall this extension by anyone. Similarly this extension can be switched off (disabled) by anyone. So how do you overcome this? If you are on Windows, then you have a few options. But the simplest is the to make a simple entry in your registry.
You can write your own little reg file or you can edit your registry directly. There’s plenty of material online to help you write your own reg file.
But if you don’t want to write your own file, you can use the following .reg files – choose one (or more) of the following options.
If you are using chrome browser:
Right click on the following file – choose “Save link as” and save the file. I will save as a .reg file. If you are logged into Windows as an admin double click this .reg file – say yes when it asks you if you are sure etc.
This would ensure that Chrome always has this extension, and no one can uninstall it or turn it off!
If you are using Brave browser:
Right click on the following file – choose “Save link as” and save the file. I will save as a .reg file. If you are logged into Windows as an admin double click this .reg file – say yes when it asks you if you are sure etc.
This would ensure that Brave always has this extension, and no one can uninstall it or turn it off!
Only youtube.com
Keep in mind this only controls content on the single website – youtube.com. You MUST complement this extension with other parental controls to ensure your children only browse safe websites. There’s a plethora of options for you – from free and open source to freemium software. When I get the time I will drop a few lines on that.