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How to use the Continue watching and other content rows

This feature is available with all Vimeo OTT plans. 

The Continue Watching feature is designed to enhance the viewing experience by providing seamless continuity. It allows viewers to effortlessly resume any video they have previously started, picking up exactly where they left off, regardless of when they paused or if they navigated away from the platform. This article summarises how to make the best use of this feature.

The article also covers how to make use of other content rows such as the My List row and automatically created rows for Movies, Series, Playlist and Product categories

 

Where does the Continue Watching row appear?

The Continue Watching row appears as the first row under the Featured Category carousel on the web, mobile, and TV apps. It displays up to 12 items in reverse chronological order, with the newest items on the left and the oldest on the right.

Regardless of the device on which a viewer starts a video, it will appear in the Continue Watching row across all devices logged in with the same account.
A row of three video thumbnails under the heading "Continue Watching."

How to move the Continue Watching row

By default, the Continue Watching row appears as the first row under the Featured Category carousel. You can move it to any position on your browse page, the same way you reorder any other category.

To move the Continue Watching row:

  1. In your admin panel, go to Content > Hubs > Browse.
  2. Find the Continue Watching row in your list of categories.
  3. Click and drag it to the position you want.
  4. Changes will be applied automatically

All your viewers will see the Continue Watching row in the position you choose, on web, mobile, and TV apps.

What is displayed in the Continue Watching row?

  • In Progress videos: If a viewer starts watching a video and completes less than 90% of it, a thumbnail for that video, along with the title and minutes remaining, will appear in the Continue Watching row.
  • Up Next videos: If a viewer completes a video that is part of a playlist or series collection, a thumbnail for the next video in the collection, along with the collection title, will appear in the Continue Watching row.

 

How to configure automatic cleanup of the Continue Watching row

You can set items to be automatically removed from a viewer's Continue Watching row after a specified number of days since they last opened them. This keeps each viewer's dashboard clean and focused on content they're actively watching, rather than cluttered with abandoned titles.

To configure automatic cleanup:

  1. Log in to your Vimeo OTT admin.
  2. Navigate to Manage > Site in the navigation bar.
  3. Select the Content tab.
  4. Scroll to the Continue Watching section.
  5. From the dropdown, select how long items should remain in the Continue Watching row after a viewer last opened them:
    • Never remove — Items remain in the row indefinitely (default).
    • 15 days / 30 days / 60 days / 90 days — Items are automatically removed after the selected number of days since the viewer last opened them.
  6. Click Save to apply your changes.

Tip: If your content library is large or frequently updated, a shorter cleanup window (such as 15 or 30 days) helps ensure the Continue Watching row surfaces content viewers are actively engaged with.

 

How can I disable Up Next functionality?

You can disable the Up Next functionality of Continue Watching if your content is not episodic or sequential in nature. Consider whether it makes sense to recommend the next video in a collection, and if not, you can turn off Up Next.

To disable Up Next functionality:

  1. Log in to your Vimeo OTT admin.
  2. Navigate to Manage > Site in the navigation bar.
  3. On the General tab, scroll to the section titled Continue Watching.
  4. Toggle which Collection Types you would like to be included in the Up Next recommendations.
    A screenshot from a settings or preferences page, showing options related to the "Continue watching" feature. The main text says: "Choose which collection types show 'Up next' recommendations in the Continue watching row. Learn more" Below this, there are two checkboxes, both of which are checked (selected): Series Playlist

How to add and remove the continue watching row

Turning off Up Next doesn't remove the Continue Watching row. Videos your viewers have started will keep appearing in it. To hide the row completely, remove it from your Browse hub.

You can remove and add back the Movies, Series and My Watchlist rows the same way.

To remove the Continue Watching row:

  1. In your admin panel, go to Content > Hubs > Browse.
  2. Find the Continue Watching row in your list of categories.
  3. Click the three dots (…) next to it and select Remove.

You can add the Continue Watching row back at any time.

To add a row back:

  1. In your admin panel, go to Content > Hubs > Browse.
  2. Find the Add row button.
  3. Select the category to add.

How to manage other content rows

You manage the Movies, Series and My List rows in your Browse hub the same way as the Continue Watching row.

How My List behaves differently

You can reorder the My List row in your Browse hub, but the new position only applies on web. On the apps, My List keeps its own dedicated tab:

  • TV apps: the Library tab
  • Mobile apps: the My List tab

⚠️ Note: My List only appears for viewers who have saved at least one video.

Playlists and Buy and Rent Products rows

The Playlists and Buy and Rent Products rows aren't managed in the Browse hub. To turn them on or off, go to Manage > Site > Content rows. When they're turned on, these rows always appear at the bottom of your browse page.

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