YouTube Summarizer

A Chrome extension that automatically summarizes YouTube videos by analyzing their transcript/captions using OpenAI's language models.

Features

• One-Click Summaries: Adds a "Summarize" button directly to the YouTube video player interface
• AI-Powered: Uses OpenAI's powerful models (like GPT-4o-mini by default) to generate concise summaries
• View Original Transcript: Access the complete transcript without leaving YouTube
• Chat Interface: Engage in a conversation about the video content with the AI
• Markdown Support: Displays summaries with proper formatting (headings, bullet points, etc.)
• Customizable: Choose different AI models and customize the system prompt
• Language Selection: Choose from available transcript languages for videos with multiple language options
• Resizable Summary Window: Adjust the summary overlay to your preferred size
• Draggable Summary Window: Move the summary overlay anywhere on the screen
• Minimizable Window: Minimize the summary overlay to keep it out of the way when not needed
• Copy Functionality: Easily copy summaries to your clipboard
• Regenerate Option: Get a new summary with a single click if needed

How It Works

The extension:

1. Extracts the transcript from the YouTube video
2. Sends the transcript to OpenAI's API
3. Displays a nicely formatted summary directly on the YouTube page
4. Allows you to copy, regenerate, or dismiss the summary

Installation

You can install YouTube Summarizer in two ways:

Option 1: Download and Load Unpacked Extension

1. Download the latest release here (when available)
2. Unzip the downloaded file to a location on your computer
3. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions
4. Enable "Developer mode" by toggling the switch in the top-right corner
5. Click "Load unpacked" and select the unzipped folder
6. The extension should now be installed and visible in your Chrome toolbar

Option 2: Build from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or newer)
• Yarn package manager
• Git (optional, for cloning the repository)

Steps

1. Clone or download the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Mark7888/youtube-summarizer.git
   # or download and extract the ZIP file from GitHub

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd youtube-summarizer

3. Install dependencies:

   yarn install

4. Build the extension:

   yarn build

5. Load the extension in Chrome:

   • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions
   • Enable "Developer mode" by toggling the switch in the top-right corner
   • Click "Load unpacked"
   • Select the dist folder that was created in the project directory

For more detailed instructions on loading unpacked extensions, see the Chrome Developer documentation.

Setting Up Your OpenAI API Key

Why Do You Need an API Key?

YouTube Summarizer uses OpenAI's API to generate high-quality summaries of video content. Since these API calls incur costs, OpenAI requires each user to use their own API key. This ensures:

• You have control over your own API usage
• Your summaries are generated using your own account
• The extension doesn't need a backend server

How to Get an API Key

1. Go to OpenAI's Platform website
2. Create an account or log in if you already have one
3. Navigate to the API Keys section
4. Click "Create new secret key" and give it a name (e.g., "YouTube Summarizer")
5. Copy your new API key (you won't be able to see it again)

Adding Your API Key to the Extension

1. Click the YouTube Summarizer icon in your Chrome toolbar to open the settings
2. Paste your API key in the "OpenAI API Key" field
3. Click "Save Settings"

Alternatively, the extension will prompt you to enter your API key when you first try to summarize a video.

Usage

1. Navigate to any YouTube video with available captions/transcript
2. Click the "Summarize" button that appears next to the Like/Dislike buttons
3. If the video has multiple language options for transcripts, you can select your preferred language from the dropdown menu
4. Wait a moment while the extension processes the transcript
5. Read the summary in the popup window that appears
6. Use the tabs at the top to switch between:
   • Summary: AI-generated summary of the video
   • Transcript: Complete transcript of the video
   • Conversation: Chat about the video content

Customization Options

In the extension settings, you can:

• Change the AI model being used (e.g., GPT-4o, GPT-4, etc.)
• Customize the system prompt to change how summaries are generated
• Enter a custom model name if you want to use a different model

Future Plans

We're constantly working to improve YouTube Summarizer. Here are some features we're planning to add:

• Summary customization: Choose between brief, detailed, or bullet-point summaries
• Multilingual support: Get summaries in different languages
• Timestamps: Include important timestamps in the summary, allowing to jump directly to that part of the video by clicking on them
• Theme options: Light and dark mode for the summary overlay
• Add more AI models: Support for more model providers
• Firefox support: Port the extension to Firefox
• Advanced language preferences: Set your preferred default language for transcripts

Privacy

YouTube Summarizer sends video transcripts to OpenAI's API using your personal API key. No data is stored on any server except during the processing of your request with OpenAI. The extension operates entirely in your browser and only accesses YouTube video transcripts when you explicitly click the "Summarize" button.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues or pull requests on our GitHub repository.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.