Warning
This project is currently under development and may contain bugs.
YouTube Shorts Limiter is a Chrome extension that helps users control how many YouTube Shorts they watch per day.
The extension counts watched Shorts and blocks the Shorts feed when the configured daily limit is reached.
- Counts watched YouTube Shorts
- Allows users to configure a daily limit
- Prevents duplicate counting of the same video
- Automatically resets the counter every day
- Blocks YouTube Shorts when the daily limit is reached
- Stores settings and statistics locally in the browser
- Does not collect or send personal data
The extension is not currently available in the Chrome Web Store. You can install it manually.
- Download this repository by clicking Code → Download ZIP.
- Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
- Open Google Chrome.
- Go to
chrome://extensions. - Enable Developer mode in the upper-right corner.
- Click Load unpacked.
- Select the extracted project folder.
The extension should now appear in the list of installed Chrome extensions.
- Click the YouTube Shorts Limiter icon in the Chrome toolbar.
- Enter the maximum number of Shorts you want to watch per day.
- Click Save.
- Open YouTube Shorts and start watching.
A Short is counted after it has been watched for at least 3 seconds. When the daily limit is reached, the extension pauses the video and displays a blocking screen. The counter automatically resets on the next day.
youtube-shorts-limiter/
├── manifest.json
├── content.js
├── popup.html
├── popup.js
├── popup.css
└── README.md
The extension uses a content script that runs only on YouTube. It detects Shorts pages with URLs in the following format:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VIDEO_ID
The content script monitors the active video. When the video has been playing for at least 3 seconds, its ID is registered as watched.
The extension stores the current date, daily limit, number of watched Shorts and IDs of Shorts that have already been counted. All information is stored locally using the Chrome Storage API. The same Short is not counted more than once during the same day.
The storage permission saves the daily limit, viewing count, current date and IDs of previously watched Shorts.
Access to https://www.youtube.com/* is required to detect YouTube Shorts, monitor video playback, count watched Shorts and display the blocking screen. The extension does not request access to other websites.
YouTube Shorts Limiter does not collect personal information. The extension does not:
- Send viewing history to external servers
- Track activity on other websites
- Display advertisements
- Use analytics
- Sell or share user data
All settings and statistics remain in the user's browser.
After changing any project file:
- Open
chrome://extensions. - Find YouTube Shorts Limiter.
- Click the reload button on the extension card.
- Reload the YouTube tab.
To test the blocking functionality, set the daily limit to 1 and watch a new Short for at least 3 seconds.
- Improve active Shorts detection
- Add a manual reset button
- Add daily and weekly statistics
- Hide Shorts sections on the YouTube homepage
- Add a strict blocking mode
- Add PIN protection for settings
- Add Firefox support
- Add synchronization between devices
- Investigate Android support
- Investigate Safari and iOS support
- The extension currently works only in Chromium-based desktop browsers.
- Users can manually disable or remove the extension.
- YouTube interface changes may affect Shorts detection.
- The extension does not currently support the YouTube mobile application.
- Browser data is not synchronized between different devices.
- Previously counted Shorts are not counted again on the same day.
Suggestions, bug reports and pull requests are welcome.
When opening an issue, please include what happened, what you expected, your browser version and the steps required to reproduce the problem.
Created as a personal project for reducing time spent watching YouTube Shorts.
No license has been selected yet.