# YTSort - full brief

Last updated: 2026-08-23
Home: https://ytsort.lunarwerx.com/
Source code: https://github.com/LunarWerxs/YTSort
Publisher: LunarWerx Studios (https://lunarwerx.com/)
License: GPL-2.0
Current build: v5 (a ground-up rebuild)

## What it is

YTSort reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest-first or longest-first,
using YouTube's own reorder API instead of dragging videos into place one at a time. It runs
entirely against your own YouTube login, in your own browser. Nothing is sent anywhere
except to YouTube itself. It is free, open source, and requires no account or sign-up beyond
your existing YouTube login.

## Who it's for

Anyone who owns a YouTube playlist (including Watch Later) and wants it ordered by video
duration rather than date added or manual order, for example watching shortest videos first
to clear a backlog, or longest-first for focused viewing sessions. Also useful for curators
who maintain long playlists and don't want to drag videos by hand.

## How it works

YTSort calls YouTube's own playlist-reorder API directly, the same mechanism YouTube's own
drag-and-drop UI uses internally, rather than simulating mouse drags. After sending the new
order it re-reads the playlist from YouTube's servers and only reports "done" once the order
is confirmed. If the fast reorder path is ever unavailable, it falls back to a verified
drag-and-drop engine so a sort still completes.

## Every feature

- Sorts a playlist you own shortest-first or longest-first, with an alphabetical tiebreaker
  for videos of equal length.
- Reads every video in the playlist, not just the ones currently loaded on screen.
- Dry run: preview the exact before/after order before applying anything.
- Length filters: only sort videos within a chosen duration range; everything else moves to
  the end.
- Stats panel (total, average, shortest, longest duration) with CSV export.
- Verifies every sort by re-reading the result from YouTube; never just assumes success.
- Matches YouTube's light/dark theme automatically, panel included.
- `?url=<playlist>` deep link: opens a specific playlist on YouTube and sorts it
  automatically on load, no panel, using your last-chosen direction and scope.

## Install (three ways, same engine)

1. Bookmarklet: drag a button to your browser's bookmarks bar. Always fetches and runs the
   latest version on click; nothing to install or update.
2. Userscript: install once via Tampermonkey or Violentmonkey from Greasy Fork
   (https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/552228); auto-updates; panel appears on every playlist
   page automatically.
3. Chrome/Edge extension: zero-permission install from the Chrome Web Store
   (https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/sort-youtube-playlist-by/aibpphcngilopehffbmfjmiakmhfpgec);
   panel appears on every playlist page automatically.

## How to use it

1. Open a playlist you own (including Watch Later).
2. Set the playlist's "Sort by" option to Manual. YouTube only allows reordering in Manual
   mode.
3. Open the YTSort panel that appears below the playlist header.
4. Choose shortest or longest first (and an optional length filter/scope), then hit Sort.
   YTSort verifies the new order before finishing and refreshes the page to show it.

Keep the playlist on "Manual" afterward. Switching to an automatic YouTube sort (Date added,
etc.) discards the custom order YTSort just built.

## Pricing

Free, $0, forever. Open source under GPL-2.0. No account, subscription, trial, or paid tier.
See /pricing.md for the machine-readable breakdown.

## Limitations

- Only reorders playlists you already own; it cannot reorder playlists owned by someone
  else.
- Requires an active connection to YouTube. Sorting calls YouTube's live reorder API and
  then re-reads the result, so it does not work offline. (The bookmarklet also fetches its
  script from GitHub on each use.)
- The Chrome/Edge extension listing is specific to Chromium-based browsers; other browsers
  use the userscript or bookmarklet instead.
- Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a product of YouTube or Google.

## How it compares

- YouTube's own sort options (date added, most popular, manual) have no by-length sort, and
  manual reordering means dragging every video individually. YTSort adds the missing sort
  and automates the whole playlist.
- Dragging videos by hand doesn't scale: a 300-video playlist is 300 individual drags.
  YTSort sorts it in seconds and verifies the result.
- Other playlist-sorting extensions/userscripts exist; YTSort's own approach is to call
  YouTube's reorder API directly and confirm the result before reporting success.

## FAQ

Q: Is YTSort free?
A: Yes, free and open source (GPL-2.0), no account required, no paid tier.

Q: Do I need to create an account to use it?
A: No. It runs against your existing YouTube login in your browser; nothing to register.

Q: Is YTSort safe to use?
A: Yes, the code is public on GitHub, it only talks to YouTube's own servers, and the
Chrome extension requests zero permissions beyond running on YouTube pages.

Q: Does YTSort work offline?
A: No, sorting needs a live connection to YouTube's reorder API to apply and verify the
new order.

Q: Is YTSort fast on large playlists?
A: Yes, a 300-video playlist finishes sorting in seconds via YouTube's reorder API, not
minutes of manual dragging.

Q: What's the difference between the bookmarklet, userscript, and extension?
A: Same sorting engine, three install methods. Bookmarklet: nothing installed, loads latest
on click. Userscript: installs once in Tampermonkey/Violentmonkey, auto-updates. Extension:
zero-permission Chrome/Edge install.

Q: Can I sort a playlist directly from a link?
A: Yes, `https://ytsort.lunarwerx.com/?url=<playlist>` jumps to that playlist on YouTube
and sorts it on load, using your last-chosen direction and scope. Requires YTSort already
installed and a signed-in YouTube session in that browser.

## Links

- Home: https://ytsort.lunarwerx.com/
- Source code: https://github.com/LunarWerxs/YTSort
- Chrome extension: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/sort-youtube-playlist-by/aibpphcngilopehffbmfjmiakmhfpgec
- Userscript (Greasy Fork): https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/552228
- Privacy: https://github.com/LunarWerxs/YTSort/blob/main/PRIVACY.md
- Report an issue: https://github.com/LunarWerxs/YTSort/issues
- Pricing (machine-readable): https://ytsort.lunarwerx.com/pricing.md
- Publisher / sibling products: https://lunarwerx.com/
- License: GPL-2.0 (https://github.com/LunarWerxs/YTSort)