Automatically Skip Sponsored Segments in YouTube Videos: A Guide

Ads can be quite frustrating, especially when you’re forced to wait for 30 seconds before your YouTube video starts. However, with YouTube Premium, you can bypass these interruptions. Even more irritating are mid-video ads, commonly known as sponsored segments. While sponsorships are an essential part of the online creator ecosystem, they can deter some viewers. If you find yourself among this group, there’s a nifty trick to automatically skip these sponsored parts in YouTube videos.

Understanding SponsorBlock

Although YouTube permits users to skip ads at the beginning of a video, it does not inherently allow skipping sponsored segments. This is where a third-party tool, termed SponsorBlock, comes into play.

SponsorBlock is a browser extension that functions discreetly in the background. Whenever you play a YouTube video, this extension utilizes crowd-sourced information to automatically bypass sponsored segments. Basically, users can report which sections of a video contain sponsorships, enabling SponsorBlock to skip these portions for all users. Isn’t that impressive?

How to Utilize SponsorBlock for Skipping Sponsored Content

The incredible aspect of SponsorBlock is its smooth integration with YouTube’s interface. There’s no need to manually activate it or press any buttons. To start, visit the service’s website and download SponsorBlock for your respective web browser.

After installation, simply open YouTube on your computer and play any video—you will notice that the sponsored segments are automatically skipped. The portions that have been bypassed will be highlighted in green on the seek bar. If you want to revisit a skipped sponsor segment, just press the Enter key on your keyboard.

If you still encounter sponsored sections while watching videos, you may need to activate the extension by following these steps:

Select the SponsorBlock extension icon next to the address bar in Chrome. In the emerging pop-up, check that the toggle next to Skipping is enabled is active. Should you continue to see sponsored segments despite the toggle being turned on, try disabling it and then re-enabling it.

Finally, ensure to restart your browser for the updates to take effect.

Additional Features of SponsorBlock

In addition to skipping sponsored segments, SponsorBlock offers several other handy functionalities:

• Complete Sponsored Showcases: Occasionally, a video may serve as a full sponsored showcase for a specific product or service. In such cases, the entire video seek bar will turn green and display the SponsorBlock logo in the thumbnail.

• Customizability: By visiting the Options section through the extension, you can customize various settings to suit your preferences.

Devices Compatible with SponsorBlock

Currently, SponsorBlock is compatible with web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari, and Opera. Unfortunately, it does not function with the native YouTube application on Android and iOS. For mobile usage, you’ll need to access YouTube through your phone’s browser, which may not be the most user-friendly experience.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that certain YouTube extensions are indispensable. SponsorBlock is one of those extensions; it enhances your viewing experience and saves a significant amount of time if you watch YouTube regularly.

Image by DALL-E 3. All screenshots by Sumukh Rao.