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How to use the Continue Watching row

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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.

 

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."

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.

⚠️ Note: Videos in Movie Collections or videos placed directly into Categories are excluded from Up Next.

 

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

Videos that are currently being watched will always appear in the Continue Watching row. This feature cannot be turned off.

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