WatchNow

A Chrome extension that removes YouTube Watch Later queue parameters from video URLs, letting you watch videos now without playlist interference.

Problem

When you open a video from YouTube's Watch Later playlist into a new tab, YouTube appends query parameters to the URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID&list=WL&index=3

These list=WL and index parameters tell YouTube to automatically play the next video in your Watch Later queue when the current video ends. This can be annoying when you just want to watch a single video without triggering the auto-play queue behavior.

Solution

Click the WatchNow extension icon while on a YouTube video page. The extension will:

1. Remove the list=WL parameter (Watch Later playlist reference)
2. Remove the index parameter (position in playlist)
3. Reload the page with a clean URL

The video will now play as a standalone video without auto-advancing to the next item in your Watch Later queue.

Installation

1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
2. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top right)
3. Click "Load unpacked"
4. Select this extension's folder
5. The extension icon will appear in your toolbar

Usage

1. Open a video from your Watch Later playlist
2. Click the WatchNow extension icon (red "W")
3. The page reloads with a clean URL - no more auto-play queue

Permissions

• activeTab: Required to read and modify the current tab's URL

License

MIT