Research as you browse
Automatic metrics on video pages and visible cards. The panel follows the current video and shows published tags and recent channel uploads. Missing counts stay unavailable.
HookSignals for Chrome
Stay on YouTube.
Research with context.
Open a video. The public metrics appear automatically. See views, likes and comments on visible search and channel cards, then compare references and keep your research notes.
From a reference
to a better question.
Keep the useful details together. Understand what you are looking at before bringing an idea into your own work.
Compare the context
Put up to three videos side by side. Compare two of your own title and thumbnail drafts next to a reference, entirely in your browser.
Save what you learned
Keep a video link with your own note. Export your research as a CSV when it is time to plan.
Know where
the numbers come from.
Public YouTube data is a starting point. Good research also needs an honest account of what is missing.
Read our methodology- Public metrics
- YouTube Data API values, with the original snapshot time.
- Hidden or missing data
- Shown as unavailable. Never replaced with a zero.
- CTR and retention
- Private channel analytics. The extension does not claim to know them.
- Research notes
- Written by you and stored in your browser.
Ready to try it?
This download is an unpacked developer build. It is not yet listed in the Chrome Web Store.
- Download and extract the ZIP.Keep the extracted folder in a permanent location.
- Open Chrome's extension manager.Visit
chrome://extensionsand enable Developer mode. - Choose Load unpacked.Select the extracted folder containing
manifest.json. - Open a YouTube video.Use the HookSignals toolbar icon or an Inspect button beside a video.
Chrome 120 or later. You review and approve the extension's permissions during installation.
A few useful details.
Does this cost HookSignals credits?
Public research lookups do not spend AI credits. Lookup limits protect the shared YouTube data quota. Website AI tools retain their existing credit rules.
Do I have to connect my account?
No. Public lookups work without an account. Connecting provides a higher lookup allowance and grants only public research access.
Is this real-time YouTube Analytics?
No. It uses public data snapshots, usually cached for 30 minutes. A dated snapshot up to 24 hours old may be shown during an outage. Private YouTube Studio analytics are not included.
What data does it collect?
Automatic mode sends the current and visible video IDs to HookSignals; you can pause it in Settings. Notes and saved links remain local. It does not upload your browsing history or collect YouTube cookies. Read the extension privacy details.
Is it affiliated with YouTube?
No. HookSignals is an independent creator tool. YouTube and Chrome are trademarks of Google LLC.