TLDW - Too Long Didn't Watch

Summarizes YouTube video using various AI models

TLDW - Too Long Didn't Watch is a Chrome extension that turns any YouTube video into a fast, readable summary - so you can grasp the key points without watching the whole thing. Key features of TLDW include: 1. Automatic Transcript Extraction: Locates and pulls the transcript straight from the YouTube page, including videos where you haven't opened the transcript panel yourself. 2. Choice of AI Provider: Bring your own API key for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google. TLDW fetches each provider's current model list live, so newly released models show up automatically instead of waiting on an update. 3. Summary Styles: Choose how the video gets summarized - Standard summary, Tutorial/how-to, Chapter by chapter, Key points only, Key quotes, Action items, or Explain simply - or write your own custom style in Settings and it appears right in the dropdown. 4. Real-Time Streaming: Watch the summary get written as it comes in, with a step-by-step progress indicator while TLDW works. 5. Clickable Timestamps: Summaries cite the moment in the video each point comes from - click a timestamp to jump the video straight there. 6. Chapter-Aware Summaries: When a video has chapters, TLDW uses them to structure the summary around the creator's own sections. 7. Follow-Up Questions: Keep the conversation going after the summary lands - ask about anything in the video and TLDW answers from the actual transcript. 8. History Tab: Every summary is saved with the video's title, link, and cost. Search past summaries, reopen one to pick a follow-up conversation back up, export your whole history to a folder of Markdown files, or back it up to a single file you can restore later. 9. Cost Transparency: TLDW shows an estimated cost as soon as you hit "Go!", then updates it with the real, measured cost once the summary finishes. 10. Side Panel Interface: Everything happens in Chrome's side panel, right next to the video - no new tab, no losing your place. Just click the icon on any YouTube video page to open it. /!\ Bring Your Own Key: You supply your own API key(s) - for OpenAI, Anthropic, and/or Google - in Settings, so you're always in control of your own usage and billing. TLDW is perfect for researchers, students, professionals, or anyone who needs to quickly assess a YouTube video's content, pull out its actionable steps, or decide whether it's worth watching in full - without spending the runtime to find out. Change log: 11/1/2024 v1.1 - Added light theme - Improved UI 4/20/2025 v1.2 - Added settings tab accessible by clicking the cog on the top left. - 3 different AI providers and 6 different models - Removed API key field, now in the settings tab - Added a chat function to ask more details about the video - Added a "Tutorial mode" check box - Current AI model in use is displayed on the right hand side of the "Go!" button. - Improvement: reloading the youtube page is not needed anymore for the extension to work - Various bug fixes 9/7/2026 v1.3 - Added Summary Styles: pick from 7 built-in styles (Standard, Tutorial, Chapter by chapter, Key points, Key quotes, Action items, Explain simply) or write your own in Settings - Model lists for OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are now fetched live from each provider, so new models show up automatically - Summaries now stream in as they're written instead of appearing all at once - Added a History tab: every summary is saved and searchable, can be reopened to continue the conversation, exported to Markdown, or backed up/restored as a single file - Summaries now cite timestamps you can click to jump the video to that moment - Summaries use the video's chapter list to structure themselves when one is available - Added a cost estimate shown as soon as you hit Go!, alongside the real cost once the summary finishes - Fixed transcript extraction breaking on YouTube's redesigned transcript panel - Various other bug fixes