I built Sanctum after noticing that my problem wasn t YouTube itself. It was the moment when one intentional video quietly turned into 30 minutes of recommendations, Shorts, or aimless browsing.
Sanctum doesn t completely block YouTube. Instead, it adds small pauses at the moments when you re most likely to slip into autopilot, so you can decide whether you actually want to keep watching.
Sanctum is a Chrome extension for people who want to use YouTube more intentionally. Instead of completely blocking content, it adds gentle pauses before impulsive clicks, Shorts loops, and endless recommendations. Features such as calmer thumbnails, intention prompts, mindful breaks, and flow reflections help you notice where your attention is going and choose what to do next. Sanctum is not about control—it is about restoring a moment of choice.
