Want to hide videos by keyword on YouTube? FeedTamer hides videos whose titles contain a word or phrase you add as a Hide rule in Settings. With filtering enabled, matching video cards are hidden on supported YouTube pages in desktop browsers compatible with Chrome Web Store. Keyword rules are part of the free version.
This is useful when the same unwanted subject keeps appearing from different channels. You can keep other recommendations and change your rules whenever you need to.
Can you hide keywords on YouTube?
Yes, with FeedTamer. It adds word rules in desktop browsers compatible with Chrome Web Store: add a word and videos with it in the title are hidden on supported YouTube pages.
Set up your first keyword rule
- Install FeedTamer in a compatible desktop browser. Use the official Chrome Web Store listing. Current free trial length: 14 days. The trial starts only when you choose Start free trial in Settings and needs an internet connection to confirm the offer. The free trial needs no account or credit card, and there is no obligation to buy: nothing is charged when it ends.
- Open Settings. Click the FeedTamer extension icon. All rule editing happens there.
- Add a rule to hide a keyword. Enter one word or phrase in the Hide a word or channel box and select Hide. Start with one specific term so you can judge the result. Detailed match options are under More options.
- Return to YouTube. Keep FeedTamer enabled. Check a home, search, or watch-recommendation page containing that term. Matching titles should be hidden.
- Adjust the rule if needed. Edit or remove it in Settings if it catches videos you wanted to keep. Check allowed rules and your filtering mode if a video remains visible unexpectedly.
Choose words that match the titles you actually see
A keyword rule works best when the unwanted titles share a recognizable term. A show's full name is more precise than a broad word such as news. A person's name may work for recurring coverage, but it will also match unrelated videos with that same name in the title.
For example, a Contains rule for celebrity can hide a title such as “Celebrity interview highlights.” It cannot identify the same subject in a title that never uses that word. These are examples of matching behavior, not a guarantee that every video about a subject will disappear.
Add rules gradually. Broad lists can hide useful results and make it harder to understand which rule matched.
More matching options
The Hide a word or channel box makes a Contains rule that searches video titles and ignores capital letters. More options has the choices below.
- Match mode. Contains finds the text anywhere in a title. Exact finds the whole word or phrase only, so a rule for Man matches "a Man." but not "Human". Regex reads the pattern as a regular expression.
- Text searched. Video titles by default. A rule can also search the channel name and the description when one is available.
- Case sensitive. Off by default, so Celebrity and celebrity match the same titles.
- Group of similar terms. One rule with a list of related terms. Any listed term triggers the rule, and terms match whole words.
- Ready lists. Choosing a ready list fills the form with its terms and its Hide or Show action. Nothing is saved until you add the rule.
When a channel rule is a better choice
If the unwanted videos all come from one creator, use a channel rule. A keyword rule follows matching title text across channels; a channel rule follows the channel identity available on the page. Use the channel's identifier when possible to avoid confusing similarly named channels.
YouTube also provides built-in recommendation controls. If its own controls solve your problem, you may not need an extension. FeedTamer is an option when you want to maintain explicit keyword and channel rules in one Settings page.
What keyword filtering does not do
- It does not understand every video. Title rules do not analyze spoken words, transcripts, or everything shown inside a video.
- It does not guarantee spoiler protection. A spoiler can appear in an image or in wording that does not match your rules.
- It does not change YouTube's recommendation system. FeedTamer changes what is visible in the supported browser pages where it runs.
- It does not filter the YouTube mobile or TV app. This installation is for desktop browsers compatible with Chrome Web Store.
- It is not a lock. A person who knows the browser's extension settings can turn FeedTamer off or remove it.
Can I hide Shorts too?
Yes. FeedTamer has a separate Shorts control, enabled by default. You can turn Shorts hiding off in Settings if you still want to see them. A keyword rule and a Shorts control solve different problems: one matches titles, while the other hides the Shorts surfaces it supports.
Is FeedTamer free?
Word and channel hiding and Hide Shorts are free with no time limit. The 16 ready-made subjects, Show rules, recommendation and section switches and the other features come with a subscription. New installs get the paid filters during a free trial without a card. The cloud settings backup comes with a paid plan. See the plans before installing.
Does my watch history leave the browser?
Feed matching happens in your browser. FeedTamer's trial, license, and optional settings-backup requests do not contain your watch history or the video titles being filtered. If you choose settings backup, that copy contains your rules. The browser may also sync rules when browser sync is enabled. See the privacy policy for the separate storage and network behaviors.
What if a rule stops working?
First check that FeedTamer is enabled and, for subjects or other subscription features, that the trial or plan is active. Confirm the title matches your keyword and review any allowed rules. YouTube layout changes can also affect filtering. Contact support@thefeedtamer.com with the page type, browser version, and the result you expected. Do not send your license key or private watch history.
For the implementation details, read how FeedTamer handles changing YouTube pages.
