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Fix redirect rules to target youtube-nocookie embeds #2

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Fix redirect rules to target youtube-nocookie embeds #2

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4 changes: 2 additions & 2 deletions FreeYT Extension/Resources/background.js
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ async function updateBadge() {
if (chrome.declarativeNetRequest?.onRuleMatchedDebug) {
chrome.declarativeNetRequest.onRuleMatchedDebug.addListener(async (info) => {
try {
// Count only our redirect rules (1,2,3)
if ([1, 2, 3].includes(info?.rule?.ruleId)) {
// Count only our redirect rules (1-5)
if ([1, 2, 3, 4, 5].includes(info?.rule?.ruleId)) {
await incrementRedirectCounter();
// Notify popup (if open)
const ping = chrome.runtime.sendMessage({ type: "statsUpdated" });
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3 changes: 1 addition & 2 deletions FreeYT Extension/Resources/manifest.json
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
],
"host_permissions": [
"*://*.youtube.com/*",
"*://youtu.be/*",
"*://yout-ube.com/*"
"*://youtu.be/*"
],
"icons": {
"48": "images/icon-48.png",
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46 changes: 40 additions & 6 deletions FreeYT Extension/Resources/rules.json
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": { "regexSubstitution": "https://yout-ube.com/\\2" }
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/\\1"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "^https?://([a-z0-9-]+\\.)?youtube\\.com/(.*)$",
"regexFilter": "^https?://(?:[a-z0-9-]+\\.)?youtube\\.com/watch\\?[^#]*v=([\\w-]{11})(?:[&#].*)?$",
"resourceTypes": ["main_frame", "sub_frame"]
}
},
Expand All @@ -16,10 +18,12 @@
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": { "regexSubstitution": "https://yout-ube.com/watch?v=\\1&\\2" }
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/\\1"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "^https?://youtu\\.be/([\\w-]{11})\\?(.*)$",
"regexFilter": "^https?://(?:[a-z0-9-]+\\.)?youtube\\.com/shorts/([\\w-]{11})(?:\\?[^#]*)?$",
"resourceTypes": ["main_frame", "sub_frame"]
}
},
Expand All @@ -28,10 +32,40 @@
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": { "regexSubstitution": "https://yout-ube.com/watch?v=\\1" }
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/\\1"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "^https?://youtu\\.be/([\\w-]{11})$",
"regexFilter": "^https?://youtu\\.be/([\\w-]{11})(?:\\?[^#]*)?$",
"resourceTypes": ["main_frame", "sub_frame"]
Comment on lines 32 to +41
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@chatgpt-codex-connector chatgpt-codex-connector bot Oct 21, 2025

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P1 Badge Preserve query parameters when rewriting YouTube URLs

The new redirect rules rewrite any matched YouTube URL to https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId> but they drop the original query string entirely. Share links such as watch?v=<id>&t=90, watch?v=<id>&list=…, or https://youtu.be/<id>?t=30 now redirect to an embed that always starts from the beginning and loses playlist or other context. Prior to this commit, regexSubstitution forwarded the entire path and query (\2), so start times and other parameters were preserved. This regression affects any link that depends on query parameters for desired playback behaviour.

Useful? React with 👍 / 👎.

}
},
{
"id": 4,
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/\\1"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "^https?://(?:[a-z0-9-]+\\.)?youtube\\.com/embed/([\\w-]{11})(?:\\?[^#]*)?$",
"resourceTypes": ["main_frame", "sub_frame"]
}
},
{
"id": 5,
"priority": 1,
"action": {
"type": "redirect",
"redirect": {
"regexSubstitution": "https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/\\1"
}
},
"condition": {
"regexFilter": "^https?://(?:[a-z0-9-]+\\.)?youtube\\.com/live/([\\w-]{11})(?:\\?[^#]*)?$",
"resourceTypes": ["main_frame", "sub_frame"]
}
}
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10 changes: 9 additions & 1 deletion README.md
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Expand Up @@ -117,7 +117,15 @@ FreeYT/
Defines extension permissions, background worker, toolbar action, and declarativeNetRequest rules.

### rules.json
Contains regex patterns for matching and redirecting YouTube URLs. All redirect rules use priority 1 and apply to youtube.com domains.
Implements the declarativeNetRequest redirects that make the extension useful. The five rules cover the most common YouTube entry points and convert them to their privacy-respecting embeds on `youtube-nocookie.com`:

1. `youtube.com/watch` (including `m.youtube.com`) → `https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId>`
2. `youtube.com/shorts/<videoId>` → `https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId>`
3. `youtu.be/<videoId>` → `https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId>`
4. `youtube.com/embed/<videoId>` → `https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId>` (ensures existing embeds shed tracking cookies)
5. `youtube.com/live/<videoId>` → `https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/<videoId>`

All rules target both `main_frame` and `sub_frame` resource types so that navigation, links, and inline iframes receive the same privacy upgrade.

### background.js
Service worker that:
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