I'm Recreating YouTube's Clipping Feature as my First Chrome Extension
Why did I start developing this?
Back in April of 2026, YouTube removed one of my favorite features: clipping. A few weeks ago I've been working an extension that emulates that clipping feature.
What is the state of development right now?
So far I have a working version that allows me to create clips and share them as links. Some goals I have in mind is to create a saved clips section, a feedback/uninstall page, a settings menu, and to add a timeline zoom for selecting more precise start and end times in longer videos.
How does it work?
I added the highlighted clip button into YouTube's UI and when you click it then it brings up the Create Clip section on the top right. There you can create the clip and generate a shareable link. This link goes to my website which uses YouTube's embedded player to play the start and end times of the clip.
What are the benefits?
The main benefit to mine is that anyone can view any clip at any time. There are similar extensions, but I had problems with each of them: their button clashes with YouTube's page, their clipping functionality is clunky, and most importantly is that they don't save/share well.
Why did I make the post now?
I want feedback from users who would be interested in using this chrome extension. What features would you want to see in a fully shipped version? Is there a better way to create a clip? Is the design of having the clip send you to a different site too intrusive and if so, is there a way you'd rather have it implemented?