How to use the Reaction Timeline on YouTube videos

Last updated May 13, 20263 min read
Quick answer

The Reaction Timeline overlays community reaction data directly on the video progress bar — spikes show the moments viewers rewound, replayed, or screenshotted most. It is a fast way to find the highlight of any video without scrubbing.

  1. 1
    Step 1

    Install VidBar

    Add the VidBar extension from the Chrome Web Store. The Reaction Timeline is available on YouTube.

    InstallChrome Web StoreSiteYouTube
  2. 2
    Step 2

    Open any YouTube video

    Play a video. The VidBar toolbar appears at the bottom of the player automatically.

    SiteYouTube
  3. 3
    Step 3

    Enable Reaction Timeline in the toolbar

    Click the timeline icon in the VidBar toolbar to turn on the Reaction Timeline overlay.

  4. 4
    Step 4

    Read the reaction spikes

    Yellow or coloured spikes on the progress bar mark moments of high viewer engagement — replays, pauses, and rewinds.

  5. 5
    Step 5

    Click a spike to jump to that moment

    Clicking directly on a reaction spike scrubs the video to that timestamp instantly.

  6. 6
    Step 6

    Turn it off for a clean timeline

    Toggle the Reaction Timeline off any time to restore the standard progress bar.

Frequently asked questions

  • Does the Reaction Timeline work on Netflix?

    Currently the Reaction Timeline is available on YouTube. Support for additional sites is planned.

  • Where does the reaction data come from?

    VidBar aggregates anonymous playback behaviour — rewinds, pauses, and replays — to generate the heatmap.

Try VidBar on a live video

Open the interactive demo to test karaoke, speed, filters, audio tools, and export before installing.

Try the demo

Related

Play, Pause & SeekBookmarksVidBar on YouTube

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