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Add strategic product assessment and pivot roadmap to README#12
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- Replace Python Flask API with 'youtube-transcript-lib.js' for direct transcript fetching in the service worker. - Update background.js to use the new library, handle ES module imports, and improve offscreen document/clipboard logic. - Modify manifest.json for v1.4, background module type, and remove local API host permission. - Overhaul popup UI (HTML/CSS) for modern look and feel. - Enhance popup.js for better button state management and communication with background script. - Expand YouTube URL matching for context menus and ID extraction (shorts, embed).
This commit introduces a fallback mechanism for fetching YouTube video transcripts. The primary method uses an unofficial client (`youtubei.js`). If this method fails, the extension now attempts to fetch the transcript using the official YouTube Data API v3. This involves: - A new function `fetchTranscriptWithOfficialApi` that uses the `captions.list` and `captions.download` endpoints. - Updated handler functions (`handleCopyTranscript` and `handleSummarizeInStudio`) to include the fallback logic. - A placeholder for the user's YouTube Data API key, as this is required for the official API and cannot be managed within this environment.
feat: Add official YouTube Data API as a transcript fallback
Update youtubei.js to the latest version to ensure access to the most recent API features and bug fixes. Refactor the fetchTranscriptWithApi function in background.js to use the simpler and more stable yt.getTranscript(videoId) method. This removes the need for manual multi-step API calls, making the code cleaner and more maintainable.
Update youtubei.js to the latest version to ensure access to the most recent API features and bug fixes. Refactor the fetchTranscriptWithApi function in background.js to use the simpler and more stable yt.getTranscript(videoId) method. This removes the need for manual multi-step API calls, making the code cleaner and more maintainable.
Refactor transcript fetching to use `youtubei.js` `getTranscript` method
- Deleted the incorrect, manually-copied `youtubei.js` file which was causing dependency issues. - Updated `background.js` to import the correct, self-contained browser bundle of `youtubei.js` from `node_modules`. This resolves the `Failed to resolve module specifier` errors and allows the service worker to register correctly.
Fix: Resolve Module Import Errors by Using Browser Bundle
This commit removes the `fetchTranscriptWithOfficialApi` function and its usage as a fallback mechanism in `background.js`. The extension will now exclusively use the `youtubei.js` library for fetching video transcripts, simplifying the logic and removing the need for a user-provided API key.
Remove Official YouTube API Fallback
…PI changes. The previous `yt.getTranscript` function call was causing an error because it is no longer available in the library. This commit replaces the old method with the correct multi-step process for fetching transcripts, which involves getting video info to find caption tracks and then executing a `get_transcript` action. This change restores the transcript fetching functionality and adds more specific error handling for private videos or videos without captions.
Fix: Update youtubei.js Transcript Fetching Logic
…functionality by adopting the recommended `youtubei.js` API and improving URL parsing. The key changes are: 1. **Replaced `fetchTranscriptWithApi` with a stable implementation**: The function now uses the high-level `info.getTranscript()` helper from `youtubei.js`. This avoids relying on fragile internal API response structures, which were causing the `Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'caption_tracks')` and subsequent `400 Bad Request` errors. 2. **Improved `getYouTubeVideoId` function**: The URL parsing logic has been updated to correctly extract video IDs from standard (`/watch`), shortened (`youtu.be`), and embed (`/embed/`) URLs, making the extension more robust. 3. **Added missing `offscreen.html`**: A minimal `offscreen.html` file has been created to support the extension's clipboard operations, which was a latent bug. These changes restore the core functionality of the extension and make it more resilient to future API changes.
Fix: Update YouTube transcript fetching to use stable API
This commit fixes a bug where the extension would report a clipboard copy failure even when the operation succeeded. The issue was caused by unreliable message passing between the background script and the offscreen document.
The fix implements a more robust communication flow:
1. **`background.js` Changes:**
- A new `ensureOffscreenReady()` function now pings the offscreen document until it's responsive before any messages are sent.
- The `copyToClipboardViaOffscreen()` function was updated to use this readiness check and now includes a retry mechanism, attempting the copy operation twice before failing.
2. **`offscreen.js` Changes:**
- The `onMessage` listener now correctly returns `true` to handle asynchronous `sendResponse` calls, preventing the message port from closing prematurely.
- A new 'ping' message handler was added to confirm when the document is ready.
- The clipboard logic is wrapped in an async IIFE to ensure `sendResponse` is always called.
- The `document.execCommand('copy')` fallback now properly checks its boolean return value.
Fix: Make clipboard success reporting reliable
The YouTube API client was being initialized asynchronously in the background script. This created a race condition where functions could attempt to use the client before it was fully initialized, leading to intermittent errors. This commit resolves the issue by wrapping the client initialization in a promise (`ytInitializationPromise`). Functions that depend on the client now await this promise, ensuring that the client is always ready before being used.
Fix YouTube API Client Race Condition
…ates. The selectors for the model selection card and the thinking mode toggle have been updated to match the new HTML structure. The logic has been adapted to handle the new sliding panel for model selection and the persistently visible run settings panel. A Playwright verification script and a mock HTML file were created to test the new selectors and ensure the content script's DOM manipulation functions work as expected.
Fix: Update AI Studio content script selectors
Co-authored-by: labib2002 <84257269+labib2002@users.noreply.github.com>
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changed the title
[WIP] Analyze project scope and user engagement for relevance
Add strategic product assessment and pivot roadmap to README
Mar 1, 2026
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The project needed a clear assessment of viability after YouTube’s native Gemini summary feature and a concrete direction for what to build next. This update adds a focused strategic analysis and a prioritized pivot path so roadmap decisions can be made from a single source of truth.
What this PR adds
README.mdcovering:Recommended product direction
Platform strategy clarity
### Is Briefly still useful after YouTube + Gemini “Summarize this video”? Yes — but the core value has shifted. A single-video summary button is becoming a commodity. Briefly still has room if it focuses on workflow depth rather than just “one-click summarize.”Original prompt
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