Hulu Ad Countdown Overlay

WHAT IT DOES

Hulu Ad Countdown Overlay detects ad countdown timers on the Hulu video player and displays a compact, always-visible overlay badge showing exactly how many seconds remain until the ad break ends. The badge updates in real-time, counting down second by second with color-coded urgency — green for longer ads, yellow for medium, orange for short, and red for the final seconds. When the ad finishes, the tool can optionally show a notification and automatically dismiss the badge, letting you know when your content is back without staring at the screen.

WHERE IT RUNS

This extension works exclusively on Hulu at www.hulu.com. It functions on the video player during ad playback, including TV shows, movies, and any content with commercial breaks. The tool works across all Hulu regions and adapts to the player's dynamic interface.

HOW TO USE

Install the extension and start playing any content on Hulu with ads. A compact countdown badge appears showing the remaining ad time. Use the overlay panel to customize the experience: toggle the countdown badge on or off, choose the badge position (Top Right, Top Left, Bottom Right, or Bottom Left), toggle notifications on or off for when ads finish, and toggle auto-dismiss on or off to automatically remove the badge after ads end. Click "Refresh Countdown" to manually re-sync the timer. The status area shows whether the ad countdown is active.

TECHNICAL SECTION — AD COUNTDOWN DETECTION AND REAL-TIME TRACKING

The extension uses a multi-strategy detection engine to find ad countdown timers on Hulu's video player. It queries known countdown selectors including .ad-countdown, .ad-timer, .countdown-timer, and pattern-matching class names. It also scans the page for numbers that appear near ad-related containers, and looks for "Ad" text followed by a number. When a countdown is detected, the tool extracts the remaining seconds and starts a setInterval-based countdown that updates the badge every second. The badge color changes based on the remaining time, providing visual urgency cues. A MutationObserver monitors DOM changes to detect when new ads start or existing ones end, and the countdown is automatically reset or cleared accordingly. Notifications are sent via GM_notification when ads finish and notifications are enabled.

THE PANEL — DRAG / PER-SITE POSITION / SNAP / COLLAPSE / RESIZE / ESCAPE

The overlay panel is fully interactive and designed for seamless multitasking. Drag it anywhere on the screen using the handle at the top of the panel; the position is saved per site so it stays where you left it across sessions. The panel includes a snap-to-edge feature that gently anchors the overlay to the nearest screen edge when released. Click the collapse button to minimize the panel to a compact pill showing the current ad status; expand it again with a single click. Resize the panel vertically by dragging the bottom-right corner to view more controls. Press the Escape key at any time to instantly close the overlay; it reappears on the next page navigation or refresh.

PLEASE NOTE

This extension requires the free BotGentz companion extension to function, as it provides the underlying content script injection and cross-origin communication framework. No personal data, browsing history, or Hulu activity is stored, transmitted, or shared. Settings are stored locally in your browser using GM_setValue and are never sent to any external server. The extension does not access or store login credentials, financial data, or personally identifiable information. The tool reads countdown information visible on the page and does not access Hulu's API or any private data. Hulu may update its video player interface; the extension includes multiple detection strategies to maintain compatibility, but major redesigns may temporarily affect countdown detection. The countdown is an estimate based on visible data and may occasionally desync; the "Refresh Countdown" button can be used to re-sync the timer.