YouTube Highlighting - How To Highlight & Annotate Any Youtube Video
Our YouTube Highlighting feature lets you highlight and take notes on any YouTube video transcript while watching. It automatically extracts video transcripts, syncs them with video playback, and provides a distraction-free study environment for educational content.
Browser Extension Required
YouTube highlighting requires the Web Highlights browser extension to be installed. The feature works by adding a highlight button directly to YouTube's video player and opening videos in our reader mode.
Don't have the extension? Install Web Highlights or use our free Youtube Highlighter tool to start highlighting YouTube videos.
How It Works
YouTube highlighting transforms any video into an interactive study session. Here's what happens:
- Automatic Transcript Extraction - We fetch the video's transcript from YouTube's captions
- Seamless Integration - A highlight button appears in YouTube's video controls
- Reader Mode Activation - Clicking opens the video in our distraction-free reader
- Real-time Synchronization - Transcript scrolls and highlights as the video plays
- Full Highlighting Support - Highlight text, add notes, and create study materials
How to Use
Method 1: YouTube Video Player Button
- Navigate to any YouTube video with captions available
- Look for the highlight button in the video player controls (next to play/pause)
- Click the highlight button to open the video in reader mode
- Start highlighting and taking notes on the transcript
Method 2: Browser Extension Icon
- Click the Web Highlights extension icon while on a YouTube video
- The video automatically opens in our reader mode
- Begin highlighting and studying the transcript
Key Features
Video-Transcript Synchronization
- Auto-scroll - Transcript automatically follows video playback
- Time markers - Click any part of the transcript to jump to that video moment
- Current sentence highlighting - The spoken text is highlighted in real-time
- Manual control - Toggle auto-scroll on/off as needed
Multi-language Support
- Automatic detection - Tries to load transcript in your preferred language
- Language switching - Easily switch between available transcript languages
- Fallback handling - Uses original language if translation isn't available
Study-friendly Customization
- Font size adjustment - Make text larger for better readability
- Color themes - Choose from light, dark, or sepia modes
- Width control - Adjust transcript width for optimal reading
- Line spacing - Customize spacing for comfortable reading
Full Highlighting Capabilities
- Color-coded highlights - Use different colors to categorize information
- Personal notes - Add your own annotations and insights
- Tags and organization - Organize highlights with custom tags
- Export options - Save as PDF, Markdown, or send to Notion
Supported Video Types
YouTube highlighting works with most videos that have:
- Auto-generated captions - YouTube's automatic speech recognition
- Manual captions - Creator-uploaded subtitle files
- Multiple languages - Videos with captions in various languages