{"id":15133,"date":"2010-09-12T12:00:03","date_gmt":"2010-09-12T06:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=15133"},"modified":"2026-10-15T12:58:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:28:14","slug":"youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/","title":{"rendered":"YouTube Instant: The 2010 Real-Time YouTube Search and What to Use Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>YouTube Instant<\/strong> was a tiny web app from September 2010 that searched YouTube as you typed and started playing the best match straight away. This article recalls what it was, who built it, and the fastest ways to find and watch YouTube videos today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> YouTube Instant was a real-time YouTube search built in a few hours by Stanford student Feross Aboukhadijeh after Google launched Google Instant. It went viral and YouTube&#8217;s CEO offered him a job over Twitter. Today YouTube&#8217;s own search suggestions, keyboard shortcuts and browser site search give you most of that speed.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad94d2ee2663\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ad94d2ee2663\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#What_was_YouTube_Instant\" >What was YouTube Instant?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Built_in_a_few_hours_on_a_bet\" >Built in a few hours on a bet<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Is_YouTube_Instant_still_around\" >Is YouTube Instant still around?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Faster_ways_to_search_and_watch_YouTube_today\" >Faster ways to search and watch YouTube today<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#1_Use_YouTube_search_suggestions\" >1. Use YouTube search suggestions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#2_Search_YouTube_from_the_browser_address_bar\" >2. Search YouTube from the browser address bar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#3_Learn_the_player_keyboard_shortcuts\" >3. Learn the player keyboard shortcuts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#4_Use_the_right_tools\" >4. Use the right tools<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Why_YouTube_Instant_still_matters\" >Why YouTube Instant still matters<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Who_created_YouTube_Instant\" >Who created YouTube Instant?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#How_did_YouTube_Instant_work\" >How did YouTube Instant work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#Does_YouTube_have_an_instant_search_now\" >Does YouTube have an instant search now?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/youtube-instant-fastest-way-to-watch-youtube-videos\/#What_is_the_fastest_way_to_watch_a_YouTube_video_today\" >What is the fastest way to watch a YouTube video today?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_was_YouTube_Instant\"><\/span>What was YouTube Instant?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>How fast can you find and watch a YouTube video? In 2010, <a href=\"http:\/\/ytinstant.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube Instant<\/a> promised to be the fastest way: you typed a few letters and a video began playing before you even pressed Enter, with a few other matches shown below it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15134\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-instant.jpg\" alt=\"YouTube Instant real-time video search page playing a result while typing\" width=\"500\" height=\"307\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-instant.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-instant-150x92.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/youtube-instant-300x184.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It was built on the YouTube API and YouTube search suggestions. You could not pause, seek or embed from the app itself, but a YouTube button took you to the full video page. It worked in a jiffy and was a perfect time waster.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Built_in_a_few_hours_on_a_bet\"><\/span>Built in a few hours on a bet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>YouTube Instant was the creation of Feross Aboukhadijeh, then a computer science student at Stanford University. Right after Google launched <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/09\/google-instant-search-fastest-search-ever\/\">Google Instant<\/a>, he made a bet with his roommate and built a real-time YouTube search in about three hours.<\/p>\n<p>The buzz was huge. YouTube CEO Chad Hurley offered Feross a job, over Twitter, and Feross became one of the web celebrities of that month.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_YouTube_Instant_still_around\"><\/span>Is YouTube Instant still around?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The ytinstant.com domain still shows the old project page, but it is a 2010 experiment and you should not rely on it today. The good news is that you no longer need it: YouTube and modern browsers have built most of its speed into everyday tools.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Faster_ways_to_search_and_watch_YouTube_today\"><\/span>Faster ways to search and watch YouTube today<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Use_YouTube_search_suggestions\"><\/span>1. Use YouTube search suggestions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Start typing in the search box on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YouTube<\/a> and suggestions appear as you type. Pick one with the arrow keys and press Enter, which is close to the YouTube Instant experience.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Search_YouTube_from_the_browser_address_bar\"><\/span>2. Search YouTube from the browser address bar<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most browsers let you search a site directly from the address bar. In Chrome you can set up YouTube as a site search shortcut, so you type a short keyword, then your query, and land on the YouTube results page. See our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2012\/05\/site-search-google-chrome-search-engine\/\">adding site search to Chrome<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/09\/how-i-created-my-first-firefox-search-plugin-in-20-minutes\/\">adding a custom search engine to Firefox<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Learn_the_player_keyboard_shortcuts\"><\/span>3. Learn the player keyboard shortcuts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Once a video is playing on a computer, a few keys save a lot of clicks:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>K<\/strong>: play or pause<\/li>\n<li><strong>J \/ L<\/strong>: jump back or forward 10 seconds<\/li>\n<li><strong>F<\/strong>: full screen<\/li>\n<li><strong>M<\/strong>: mute or unmute<\/li>\n<li><strong>Shift + ?<\/strong>: show the full list of shortcuts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Use_the_right_tools\"><\/span>4. Use the right tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For playlists, parental controls and creator tools, see our roundup of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2006\/10\/the-amazing-youtube-tools-collection\/\">best YouTube tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_YouTube_Instant_still_matters\"><\/span>Why YouTube Instant still matters<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YouTube Instant showed how quickly a small side project can go viral when it lands at the right moment. A student saw Google Instant, asked &#8220;why not YouTube?&#8221;, built it over an evening, and got a job offer from the CEO within days. For developers, it remains a good reminder that a simple idea, shipped fast, can beat a big plan.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_created_YouTube_Instant\"><\/span>Who created YouTube Instant?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Feross Aboukhadijeh, a Stanford computer science student, built it in September 2010.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_did_YouTube_Instant_work\"><\/span>How did YouTube Instant work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>It used the YouTube API and search suggestions to guess the video you wanted as you typed and played it immediately.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_YouTube_have_an_instant_search_now\"><\/span>Does YouTube have an instant search now?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>YouTube shows search suggestions as you type, but it does not auto-play a result before you choose it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_fastest_way_to_watch_a_YouTube_video_today\"><\/span>What is the fastest way to watch a YouTube video today?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Search from your browser&#8217;s address bar with a YouTube site search shortcut, pick a suggestion, then control playback with keyboard shortcuts like K, J and L.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>YouTube Instant was a tiny web app from September 2010 that searched YouTube as you typed and started playing the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":15134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15133","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15133","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15133"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15133\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66909,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15133\/revisions\/66909"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}