How to order photo editing tutorials by duration for photography learners in 2026

A practical guide to ordering photo editing tutorials by duration, with steps, sorting options and common mistakes to avoid.

By XP Daily · 2026-10-29

XP Daily is published by the makers of DaysAid, QuickDictate and YTSort, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Write the length of each photo editing tutorial, order the list from shortest to longest, then start at the top. You can do it by hand on paper or in a spreadsheet.

Option	How it orders videos
Paper list or sticky note	You rank by hand
Spreadsheet	You sort by a length column you fill in
YTSort	Reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first ^[1]

What you need before you start

Ordering photo editing tutorials by length takes only a few things.

A playlist to organize. Choose the YouTube playlist containing the photo editing tutorials you want to order. If you plan to change its order directly, check the tool's requirements before starting. Make sure you can access the playlist and check the displayed duration of each tutorial before ranking them.
The length of each video. Check the displayed duration for every tutorial in the playlist. Record the title and duration so you can rank the tutorials accurately.
A reason for going short first. It might be to fit a free half hour or start with shorter tutorials. Know which, because it decides what you do with the long ones.
A place to keep the order. The playlist itself, a paper list or a spreadsheet all work. What matters is that the order lives in one place.
A web browser. Only needed if you want a tool to do the sorting. Add the tool to your browser once, before you start, following its own instructions.

Set aside a short block before you begin a course module. Sorting while you are already watching tends to break your flow.

Step by step

These steps work with any tool, including a pen and a sheet of paper.

Open the playlist you want to sort. Make sure you can access the playlist before choosing a way to put shorter tutorials first.
List every tutorial with its length. Write the title and the time shown on the thumbnail. Do not sort yet.
Mark tutorials that must stay in order. Some courses build on earlier lessons. If a later tutorial needs an earlier one, keep the two together.
Rank the rest from shortest to longest. Put the shortest at the top.
Decide what happens to the very long tutorials. Leave them at the end or schedule them for a longer free block.
Check the order before you commit. Read the new list once from top to bottom and look for tutorials that now sit in a confusing place.
Apply the order. Reorder the playlist by hand, or use a tool that does it for you.
Watch from the top. Start with the first tutorial and move down the list.
Keep notes as you go. Short tutorials pass quickly, so a line or two per tutorial helps the technique stick.
Review after the first few sessions. If the order is not helping you learn, change it.

Tools that can do it

You do not need software for this. Here are options to consider.

Paper list or sticky note. You write each title and length and rank them by hand. Nothing is published here about price or limits because it depends on what you already own.

A spreadsheet. A column for the title, a column for length and a sort on the length column gives you a shortest-first list. Check how it behaves on your phone if you plan to use it away from your desk. Facts about specific spreadsheet apps are not provided here, so check their own pages for limits and cost.

YTSort. YTSort is made by the team that publishes this site. YTSort is one option. Reorders a YouTube playlist you own by video length, shortest or longest first. ^[1]

You can get YTSort through a bookmark, a browser script, or a Chrome Web Store extension. ^[1] The extension needs Chrome or Edge, and the script version works in any browser, including Firefox, with Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey installed. ^[1]

YTSort reorders videos by sending requests to YouTube's own system using your existing session, with no dragging or scrolling. ^[1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick. ^[1] It sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. ^[1] YTSort can sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1] YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Sorting a course that builds tutorial by tutorial. If later tutorials rely on earlier ones, a pure shortest-first order can leave you confused. Keep dependent tutorials together.

Trusting the order without a look. Read the new order once before you start. A quick check catches tutorials that ended up in an odd spot.

Forgetting the long tutorials. Moving them to the end is fine, but set aside time for them in your schedule so they do not keep getting postponed.

Trying to reorder a playlist that is not yours. Check who owns it first. If it is not yours, copy the videos into your own playlist or keep a written list.

Watching without notes. Short tutorials go by fast, so notes can help you keep track of what you watched.

Never reviewing the order. If the order is not working for your schedule, change the approach instead of sticking with it.

Frequently asked questions

How to put the shortest photo editing tutorials first in a YouTube playlist?

List each tutorial with its length, rank them from shortest to longest, then apply that order to the playlist by hand. A spreadsheet or a paper list works the same way. If a later tutorial builds on an earlier one, keep the two together before you sort.

Which browsers work with YTSort?

The add-on needs Chrome or Edge. The script works in any browser, including Firefox, once you add a script manager such as Tampermonkey, Violentmonkey or Greasemonkey, a small add-on that runs scripts for you. ^[1] It can also be run from a bookmark. ^[1] YTSort is free, so all options carry the same features. ^[1]

Can the new playlist order be checked before it is applied?

With YTSort, yes. It shows the before and after order so you can check it before applying. ^[1] With a paper list or spreadsheet, you see the order as you write it, so read it through once before you start watching.

Does YTSort sort the whole playlist?

YTSort sorts the full playlist, not just the videos loaded on screen. ^[1] After sorting, it reads the playlist back from YouTube and re-applies any moves that did not stick. ^[1] It can also sort only videos within a length range and move the rest to the end. ^[1]

Should photography learners always watch the shortest tutorials first?

Not always. If a course builds tutorial by tutorial, keep dependent tutorials in order. Shortest first can suit a free half hour. For long courses, review the order after a few sessions and change it if needed. Match the order to the free time you have before a session.

YTSort is free; all install options include the same features. ^[1]

Try YTSort

Sources

YTSort's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)