SlopBlock Help & User Guide

Welcome to SlopBlock! This guide will help you understand how to use the extension effectively.

Table of Contents

What is SlopBlock?

SlopBlock is a community-driven Chrome extension that helps identify AI-generated (“slop”) content on YouTube. Using crowdsourced reporting with a trust-based system, it warns users about videos that the community has identified as AI-generated, allowing you to make informed viewing decisions.

Key Features

How It Works

The Trust System

SlopBlock uses a sophisticated trust-based approach that prevents abuse while staying responsive to the community:

  1. You report videos you identify as AI-generated
  2. Your reports build trust over time (new users start with lower trust, building to full trust over 30 days)
  3. Your accuracy matters - correct reports increase your trust score
  4. Videos get marked when they reach a community trust threshold (weighted by reporter credibility)
  5. Warning indicators appear on marked videos across YouTube

Why Trust-Based?

The trust system prevents coordinated attacks (like botnets or brigading) where fake accounts mass-report videos. New accounts have lower influence, while established accounts with good accuracy carry more weight. This keeps the system fair and reliable.

How Fast Is It?

Super fast! The extension caches marked videos locally on your device and syncs updates in the background. Checking videos is instant - no waiting for servers. Updates happen automatically every 30 minutes, so you’ll see newly marked videos without doing anything.

Getting Started

Installation

  1. Install SlopBlock from the Chrome Web Store
  2. Click the extension icon in your Chrome toolbar to open settings
  3. The extension is now active on YouTube

First Time Setup

No setup required! SlopBlock works immediately:

Reporting Videos

How to Report a Video

On Watch Page (while watching a video):

  1. Look for the SlopBlock button in the YouTube player controls (bottom right, near settings)
  2. Click the triangle icon to report
  3. The button instantly changes to a green checkmark

Button States:

Batched Reporting:

Reports are queued locally and uploaded in batches for better performance. If your connection drops temporarily while reporting, your reports are safely stored and will sync automatically when connection resumes.

What to Report

Report videos when you identify:

What NOT to Report

Don’t report:

Settings

Access settings by clicking the extension icon in your toolbar.

Your Trust Score

Your trust score (0-100%) determines how much weight your reports carry. New users start at 30% trust and build to 100% over 30 days based on:

Trust Score Colors:

Your accuracy is evaluated after 30 days when the community consensus becomes clear.

Auto-Hide Marked Videos

Default: OFF

When enabled, marked videos are completely hidden from:

When disabled (default), videos show warning icons and blur effects instead.

To Toggle:

  1. Click extension icon
  2. Toggle “Auto-hide marked videos” switch
  3. Changes apply immediately

Cache Management

The extension caches marked videos locally for instant performance. You can:

Cache updates automatically every 30 minutes in the background.

Understanding the Interface

Warning Icons on Thumbnails

When a video reaches the community trust threshold, you’ll see:

Visual Indicators:

Hover Effects:

Statistics in Popup

Videos Marked:

Your Reports:

Trust Score:

Player Control Button

Look for the triangle icon in the YouTube player (bottom right area, near the settings gear).

The button changes based on your report status:

Cache & Sync

How Caching Works

SlopBlock uses advanced caching to make everything super fast:

  1. Local Storage: Marked videos stored on your device in IndexedDB
  2. Background Sync: Updates every 30 minutes automatically
  3. Instant Checks: No waiting for servers - lookups are local
  4. Smart Updates: Only downloads changes, not everything each time

When Does Sync Happen?

What If I’m Offline?

No problem! The extension works offline:

Cache Storage

The cache stores the last 48 hours of marked videos. Older entries are automatically pruned to save space. This keeps your device storage clean while maintaining fast performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Is SlopBlock free? A: Yes, completely free and open-source.

Q: Do I need to create an account? A: No. The extension works anonymously with no account required.

Q: Can other users see my reports? A: No. Reports are anonymous and aggregated. Only the weighted community consensus is visible.

Q: Does it work on YouTube mobile app? A: No, only on desktop Chrome browser (youtube.com website).

Q: How is this different from YouTube’s dislike count? A: SlopBlock specifically identifies AI-generated content, not video quality. It’s a specialized tool for transparency about content creation methods.

Privacy & Data

Q: What data does SlopBlock collect? A: Only:

Q: Where is my data stored? A: In a secure Supabase (PostgreSQL) database with encryption. Plus, marked videos are cached locally on your device for performance.

Q: Can I delete my reports? A: Yes, click the player button again to remove your report. However, once removed, you can’t report that video again.

Q: Does SlopBlock track what videos I watch? A: No. We only know about videos you actively report. Your viewing habits are completely private.

Trust & Accuracy

Q: How do I increase my trust score? A:

  1. Time: Your trust naturally increases over your first 30 days
  2. Accuracy: Report correctly - wait 30 days and if the community agrees, your accuracy improves

Q: How is accuracy measured? A: After 30 days, if a video you reported reaches the community threshold, that’s marked as accurate. If it never reaches threshold (community disagreed), that’s inaccurate.

Q: What if I accidentally report a video? A: Remove your report immediately by clicking the button again. This won’t hurt your accuracy since the report is withdrawn.

Q: Can my trust score go down? A: Yes, if many of your reports are found inaccurate over time. But don’t worry - everyone makes mistakes occasionally. The system evaluates overall patterns.

Q: Why do new users have lower trust? A: This prevents abuse from fake accounts and bots. As you use the extension legitimately, your trust naturally increases over 30 days.

Reporting

Q: How many videos can I report? A: Unlimited. Report as many as you identify.

Q: Can I undo a report? A: Yes, click the player button again to remove your report. But note: you can’t report that same video again later.

Q: Why can’t I report a video again after removing my report? A: This prevents gaming the system by repeatedly adding/removing reports. Each video gets one decision per user.

Q: Do my reports work offline? A: Yes! Reports queue locally and automatically sync when you’re back online. You’ll get a confirmation toast when they upload.

Q: How long until my report affects the video’s status? A: Your report contributes immediately, but whether a video gets marked depends on reaching the community trust threshold (combination of report trust weights).

Technical

Q: Why doesn’t the icon appear on some videos? A: Icons only appear when a video reaches the community trust threshold. If it hasn’t reached that yet, no icon shows.

Q: The extension isn’t working. What should I do? A: See the Troubleshooting section below.

Q: Does SlopBlock slow down YouTube? A: No. The extension is heavily optimized with local caching, making it faster than most YouTube extensions.

Q: Can I use SlopBlock with other extensions? A: Yes. SlopBlock is compatible with most YouTube extensions (SponsorBlock, uBlock Origin, Return YouTube Dislike, etc.).

Q: What’s IndexedDB and why does SlopBlock use it? A: IndexedDB is a browser storage system. SlopBlock uses it to cache marked videos locally on your device, making checks instant without hitting servers.

Q: How much storage does the cache use? A: Very little - typically under 1MB. The cache is pruned automatically to keep only the last 48 hours of data.

Troubleshooting

Icons Not Appearing

Possible causes:

  1. Not marked yet: Video hasn’t reached community trust threshold
  2. Cache not synced: Wait for automatic sync or manually refresh cache
  3. Extension not loaded: Check if extension icon is visible in Chrome toolbar

Solutions:

Statistics Not Loading

Solutions:

  1. Open extension popup
  2. Wait 5 seconds for data to load
  3. Check “Last Synced” time - if it’s old, click “Refresh Cache”
  4. Check your internet connection
  5. Try closing and reopening the popup

Trust Score Shows 0%

This is normal if:

Solution: Keep using the extension normally. Your trust will build over time.

Auto-Hide Not Working

Checklist:

Solutions:

Player Button Not Appearing

Possible causes:

Solutions:

Reports Not Syncing

Symptoms:

Solutions:

Cache Issues

Problem: Cache seems stuck or showing wrong videos

Solutions:

  1. Open extension popup
  2. Click “Clear Cache” button
  3. Click “Refresh Cache” button
  4. Refresh YouTube page

Extension Completely Not Working

Step-by-step diagnosis:

  1. Check extension is enabled:
    • Go to chrome://extensions/
    • Find “SlopBlock”
    • Ensure toggle is ON
  2. Check for errors:
    • Right-click extension icon → “Inspect popup”
    • Check Console tab for red errors
    • Screenshot errors and report on GitHub
  3. Reload extension:
    • Go to chrome://extensions/
    • Click reload icon (↻) on SlopBlock
    • Refresh YouTube
  4. Clear all data and reinstall:
    • Open extension popup → Click “Clear Cache”
    • Go to chrome://extensions/
    • Remove SlopBlock
    • Restart Chrome
    • Reinstall from Chrome Web Store
  5. Check browser compatibility:
    • SlopBlock requires Chrome or Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera)
    • Firefox is not supported (different extension API)

Still Need Help?

Get Support

Provide Feedback

Found a bug? Have a suggestion? Open an issue on GitHub!

Version Information

Current Version: 1.0.0 (Phase 4 Complete)

Latest Changes:

Completed Phases:

Future Roadmap:

Thank you for using SlopBlock and contributing to a more transparent YouTube experience!