Overview
YouTube Comments Sidebar Extension is a Chrome browser extension that enhances the YouTube viewing experience by relocating the comments section into a convenient sidebar. Instead of scrolling past recommended videos to find comments, users can now access them in a dedicated sidebar that appears above the recommended section. The extension preserves all native YouTube comment functionality - users can like, reply, post new comments, and load more comments, all while maintaining YouTube's original design aesthetic and supporting both dark and light modes.
Why I Built This
- •
Got tired of scrolling past recommended videos every time I wanted to read or interact with comments
- •
Wanted to improve the YouTube viewing experience by making comments more accessible
- •
Wanted to learn Chrome extension development and understand how browser extensions work
Features
- •
Moves YouTube comments to a dedicated sidebar on the right side of the page
- •
Preserves all native YouTube comment functionality (like, reply, post, load more)
- •
Clean UI that seamlessly matches YouTube's original design
- •
Supports both dark and light mode themes
- •
Toggle button to show/hide the sidebar
Tech Stack
Frontend
Tools & Services
Challenges & Solutions
Challenge: Understanding Chrome extension architecture and manifest configuration
Used Chrome's content scripts to inject JavaScript into YouTube pages
Challenge: Finding and relocating YouTube's comments section without breaking functionality
Leveraged DOM manipulation to physically move the comments section rather than copying it
Challenge: Ensuring all comment features continue to work after moving the DOM element
Preserved all event listeners and functionality by moving the actual element
Challenge: Handling dynamic content loading when switching between videos
Implemented refresh functionality to handle dynamic content loading