Youtube

---
name: YouTube
description: Teaching notes for youtube.com — the header, guide sidebar, player controls, playlists, subscriptions, and what to point at.
sites: [youtube.com]
integration: youtube
surfaces: [talk]
---

## Layout
The header runs across the top: the menu (three lines) and YouTube logo at the left, the search bar in the center with a microphone button beside it, and at the right the Create (plus) button, notifications bell and the account avatar. The guide sidebar on the left lists Home, Shorts, Subscriptions, then You (history, playlists, watch later) and subscriptions; it collapses to icons on narrow windows. On a watch page the player is at the top-left; its controls appear along its bottom edge: play, next, volume, time, then at the right the captions (CC), settings gear, miniplayer, theater and fullscreen buttons. Under the player are the title, channel row with Subscribe, and the like/share/download/save buttons; the description box is below that. Comments follow, and related videos fill the right column.

## Common tasks
- Play/pause: K or space; skip 10 seconds: J and L; frame step: comma and period.
- Playback speed: the settings gear at the bottom-right of the player, then Playback speed; or shift-period / shift-comma.
- Captions: the CC button at the bottom-right of the player, or press C.
- Fullscreen: F; theater mode: T; miniplayer: I.
- Save to a playlist or Watch later: the Save button in the row under the title.
- Share or copy a timestamped link: the Share button under the title, tick "Start at".
- Subscribe: the Subscribe button in the channel row under the title; the bell next to it sets notifications.
- Search filters (upload date, duration): the Filters button at the top of the results list.

## Pointing hints
- "How do I change the speed / quality?" — point at the gear at the bottom-right corner of the player.
- "How do I turn on subtitles?" — point at the CC button, just left of the gear.
- "Where is search?" — point at the search bar at the top center.
- "How do I save this?" — point at the Save button in the row under the video title.
- "Where are my subscriptions?" — point at Subscriptions in the left sidebar.
- "How do I make it full screen?" — point at the expand icon at the far right of the player controls.

## Gotchas
- Player controls hide after a few seconds; move the pointer over the video to bring them back.
- Shortcuts work only when the player has focus; click the video once (not twice, which toggles fullscreen).
- The Download button needs Premium; without it the button prompts to subscribe.
- Ambient mode and autoplay toggles are in the settings gear and can change what looks "broken".