A self-hosted YouTube wrapper that parents control

The main idea

Instead of giving a child normal YouTube, this app gives them a filtered wrapper.

You deploy it yourself for free. You don't need to sign up. You don't need a database. You do not need to be technical to use the basic setup.

What you control

You control the rules in safe-youtube.config.jsonc. That file can do all of this:

• block obvious garbage by keyword
• only allow trusted channels
• only allow exact videos
• make rapid video-hopping less rewarding
• feature trusted channels and parent-picked videos on the home page
• deploy a private family version without building a complicated system

Two filtering styles

• blocklist mode: normal search, but hide results that match blocked words, channels, or videos
• allowlist mode: only show approved searches, approved channels, or approved videos

Rapid video switching guard

Constant video-hopping is less rewarding with a configurable pause. Use cooldown if you want something gentle, or confirm if you want rapid switching to feel more annoying and less rewarding.

Fastest setup

1. Fork this repo on GitHub
2. Copy one preset from sample-configs/ into safe-youtube.config.jsonc
3. Edit the words, channels, or videos to fit your child
4. Import your fork into Vercel and click Deploy
5. Open the site on the iPad in Safari, then Share → Add to Home Screen