Many online video platforms, like YouTube, allow users to skip ads after a few seconds, but repeatedly clicking the "Skip Ad" button can be tedious. This friction reduces user experience, even for viewers who tolerate ads. One way to address this would be to create a Chrome extension that automatically skips ads by detecting and clicking the "Skip Ad" button as soon as it appears, removing the need for manual interaction.

The Core Functionality

The extension would work by monitoring YouTube’s webpage for ad containers and programmatically clicking the skip button the moment it becomes available. Unlike traditional ad blockers, it wouldn’t prevent ads from playing entirely—just automate the skip action after the mandatory initial viewing period. This makes it a middle ground between full ad blocking and manual skips. For users, it would mean less annoyance without completely disrupting the ad-supported model that funds creators.

Why This Approach Makes Sense

Traditional ad blockers remove ads entirely, which can hurt platform and creator revenue. In contrast, this extension still allows ads to serve their initial purpose (e.g., exposure to the first few seconds) while reducing user frustration. Key stakeholders could benefit:

• Users save time without resorting to aggressive ad blockers.
• Platforms & Advertisers still capture partial impressions.
• Creators may retain more ad-tolerant viewers.

Getting Started and Scaling

A simple MVP could start with basic automation for YouTube, using DOM manipulation to detect and skip ads reliably. If successful, it could expand to other platforms with similar skip-ad mechanics (Twitch, Hulu) or offer customizable features like skip-delay adjustments. Since YouTube’s UI may change, the extension would need regular updates to maintain compatibility.

Overall, this approach targets a small but meaningful gap—reducing user annoyance while minimally impacting revenue streams, making it a potentially sustainable compromise.