I Built a Tool to Break Free from YouTube's Addictive Algorithm
I built Watchlist to solve a problem that's been nagging at me (and I suspect many others): YouTube's addictive nature and its impact on productivity. The Problem: YouTube is an incredible source of knowledge, but its homepage is an unending scroll of rabbit holes. The algorithm is designed to maximize watch time, often at the expense of our intentions and productivity. I found myself wasting hours, jumping from video to video, and then blaming myself for the lack of self-control. The Solution: Watchlist! Watchlist is essentially YouTube playlists on steroids. Here's how it works: 1. Create…
In plain words
Watchlist is a tool designed to help users manage YouTube consumption by creating organized, curated lists of channels instead of relying on YouTube's algorithm-driven homepage. Users can organize channels by topic, receive automatic notifications on custom schedules when new videos are posted, and access their content through email rather than YouTube's endless feed. The tool is intended for anyone seeking to reduce time wasted on algorithmic rabbit holes while still accessing educational video content.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
I built Watchlist to solve a problem that's been nagging at me (and I suspect many others): YouTube's addictive nature and its impact on productivity. The Problem: YouTube is an incredible source of knowledge, but its homepage is an unending scroll of rabbit holes. The algorithm is designed to maximize watch time, often at the expense of our intentions and productivity. I found myself wasting hours, jumping from video to video, and then blaming myself for the lack of self-control. The Solution: Watchlist! Watchlist is essentially YouTube playlists on steroids. Here's how it works: 1. Create custom "lists" for different topics (e.g., AI, Science, Programming) 2. Add relevant channels to each list 3. Watchlist automatically adds new uploads from these channels to your lists 4. Set custom notification schedules for each list (e.g., every morning at 8 AM, every Sunday at 5 PM) 5. Receive email or push notifications (your choice) when there are new unwatched videos The result? You stay updated on the content you care about without falling into the YouTube homepage trap. Tech Stack: Built with Python, JavaScript, Supabase & Google Cloud Run. (Took six weeks) Why I Built This: As an electrical engineer turned software developer, I've always been fascinated by programming. This project combines my love for coding with a real-world problem I've experienced firsthand. Try It Out: To make it as easy as possible for you to try Watchlist, I've set up a 1-click dummy login: http://watchlist.so/login/dummy This generates a dummy email and password for you, valid for 14 days. Although this account has full access, please note some restrictions: - You cannot reset the password - Email notifications are disabled - Data cannot be migrated to another account - The account will be deactivated after 14 days For those who prefer a proper account, you can register normally at: https://watchlist.so/signup Feedback: I've seen many people struggle with YouTube addiction without realizing the root cause. If you've faced similar issues or have thoughts on this approach, I'd love to hear your feedback. Your thoughts and suggestions are crucial for improving Watchlist. There's a dedicated feedback page at: https://watchlist.so/settings/feedback I'm eager to hear your experiences and ideas! Thanks! PS: This is my first Show HN. So, please excuse me if I made any mistakes. I tried my best to follow the guidelines.
Does the same job
all alternatives →- SYSearch YouTube without stopping the video, and make your own playlists2016 · chrome.google.com · ▲295
- IBI Built a Site That Curates Weird YouTube Rabbit Holes Daily2025 · yourabbit.com · ▲59
I built Yourabbit.com — a site that curates hand-picked YouTube rabbit holes grouped by themes like quirky psychology, obscure tech, weird facts, and binge-worthy oddities. It’s not driven by the YouTube algorithm — every collection is themed and curated manually (for now), with a backend I’m automating to fetch and organize new rabbit holes daily. Built as a hybrid Astro + Next.js project, optimized for static generation and speed. I’m also pairing videos with custom summaries and commentary (using AI), and would love feedback from the HN crowd on: Content model (too wide? not specific…
- RYReversing YouTube’s “Most Replayed” GraphJan 2026 · priyavr.at · ▲87
Hi HN, I recently noticed a recurring visual artifact in the "Most Replayed" heatmap on the YouTube player. The highest peaks were always surrounded by two dips. I got curious about why they were there, so I decided to reverse engineer the feature to find out. This post documents the deep dive. It starts with a system design recreation, reverse engineering the rendering code, and ends with the mathematics. This is also my first attempt at writing an interactive article. I would love to hear your thoughts on the investigation and the format.
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