diff --git a/src/watches/handlers.rs b/src/watches/handlers.rs
index 80e53e0..0798c94 100644
--- a/src/watches/handlers.rs
+++ b/src/watches/handlers.rs
@@ -19,10 +19,7 @@ use crate::{
 //-************************************************************************
 
 const GET_SAVED_WATCHES_QUERY: &str = "select * from watches inner join watch_quests quests on quests.user = $1 and quests.watch = watches.id";
-const GET_QUEST_WITH_PUBLICITY_QUERY: &str =
-    "select * from watch_quests where user = ? and watch = ? and public = ?";
-const GET_QUEST_WITH_WATCHED_QUERY: &str =
-    "select * from watch_quests where user = ? and watch = ? and watched = ?";
+const GET_QUEST_QUERY: &str = "select * from watch_quests where user = ? and watch = ?";
 
 const GET_WATCH_QUERY: &str = "select * from watches where id = $1";
 
@@ -82,11 +79,6 @@ pub struct SearchQuery {
     pub year: Option<i64>,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
-pub struct StatusQuery {
-    pub public: bool,
-}
-
 // kinda the main form?
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Deserialize, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub struct PostAddNewWatch {
@@ -106,7 +98,6 @@ pub struct PostAddNewWatch {
 pub struct PostAddExistingWatch {
     pub watch: String,
     pub public: bool,
-    pub watched_already: bool,
 }
 
 //-************************************************************************
@@ -139,7 +130,7 @@ pub async fn post_add_new_watch(
             let quest = WatchQuest {
                 user: user.id,
                 public: !form.private,
-                watched: form.watched_already,
+                watched: false,
                 watch: watch_id,
             };
             add_watch_quest_impl(&pool, &quest)
@@ -182,7 +173,7 @@ pub async fn post_add_watch_quest(
             user: user.id,
             watch: Julid::from_string(&form.watch).unwrap(),
             public: form.public,
-            watched: form.watched_already,
+            watched: false,
         };
         add_watch_quest_impl(&pool, &quest)
             .await
@@ -288,29 +279,26 @@ pub async fn get_search_watch(
 pub async fn get_watch_status(
     auth: AuthSession,
     State(pool): State<SqlitePool>,
-    query: Query<StatusQuery>,
     Path(watch): Path<String>,
 ) -> Result<impl IntoResponse, ()> {
     if let Some(user) = auth.user {
         let watch = Julid::from_string(&watch).unwrap();
-        let public = query.public;
-        let quest: Option<WatchQuest> = query_as(GET_QUEST_WITH_PUBLICITY_QUERY)
+        let quest: Option<WatchQuest> = query_as(GET_QUEST_QUERY)
             .bind(user.id)
             .bind(watch)
-            .bind(public)
             .fetch_optional(&pool)
             .await
             .map_err(|e| {
                 tracing::error!("Got error from checking watch status: {e:?}");
             })?;
+        let checkmark = "&#10003;";
         match quest {
-            Some(_) => Ok("&#10003;".into_response()),
-            None => Ok(AddWatchButton {
-                watch,
-                public,
-                watched_already: false,
+            Some(quest) if quest.watched => Ok(format!("{checkmark} watched").into_response()),
+            Some(quest) => {
+                let public = if quest.public { "public" } else { "private" };
+                Ok(format!("{checkmark} ({public})").into_response())
             }
-            .into_response()),
+            None => Ok(AddWatchButton { watch }.into_response()),
         }
     } else {
         Ok("<a href='/login'>Login to add</a>".into_response())
diff --git a/src/watches/templates.rs b/src/watches/templates.rs
index 7e11b17..15529ce 100644
--- a/src/watches/templates.rs
+++ b/src/watches/templates.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,4 @@ pub struct AddNewWatchPage {
 #[template(path = "elements/add_watch_button.html")]
 pub struct AddWatchButton {
     pub watch: Julid,
-    pub public: bool,
-    pub watched_already: bool,
 }
diff --git a/templates/elements/add_watch_button.html b/templates/elements/add_watch_button.html
index abf012b..fbd05b3 100644
--- a/templates/elements/add_watch_button.html
+++ b/templates/elements/add_watch_button.html
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 <form id="add-watch-{{self.watch}}">
+    <button hx-post="/add/watch" hx-target="#add-watch-{{watch}}" hx-trigger="click" hx-swap="outerHTML">add</button>
+    <select name="public" id="add-public-watch">
+        <option value="true">public</option>
+        <option value="false">private</option>
+    </select>
     <input type="hidden" name="watch" value="{{self.watch}}">
-    <input type="hidden" name="public" value="{{self.public}}">
-    <input type="hidden" name="watched_already" value="{{self.watched_already}}">
-    <button hx-post="/add/watch" hx-target="#add-watch-{{watch}}" hx-trigger="click" hx-swap="outerHTML">wanna
-        watch?</button>
 </form>
diff --git a/templates/search_watches_page.html b/templates/search_watches_page.html
index 6493fcf..c082c4c 100644
--- a/templates/search_watches_page.html
+++ b/templates/search_watches_page.html
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
                 <th>Title</th>
                 <th>Type</th>
                 <th>Year</th>
-                <th>Public watchlist?</th>
+                <th>Watching?</th>
             </tr>
         </thead>
         <tbody>
diff --git a/templates/watch-search-result.html b/templates/watch-search-result.html
index 1ffeca4..37022b0 100644
--- a/templates/watch-search-result.html
+++ b/templates/watch-search-result.html
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
     <td> {% call m::get_or_default(watch.year(), "when??") -%}</td>
     <td>
         <span id="add-watch-{{watch.id}}">
-            <span hx-get="/watch/status/{{watch.id}}?public=true" hx-target="this" hx-trigger="load, reveal"
-                hx-swap="outerHTML">wanna watch?</span>
+            <span hx-get="/watch/status/{{watch.id}}" hx-target="this" hx-trigger="load, reveal"
+                hx-swap="outerHTML">???</span>
         </span>
     </td>
 </tr>