The latest articles on Forem by Sarthak (@saaarthak_01). https://forem.com/saaarthak_01 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3799488%2Fd461c1c2-b05f-43ed-b22f-2400b5f5ef2e.jpg https://forem.com/saaarthak_01 en Sarthak Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:02:47 +0000 https://forem.com/saaarthak_01/i-built-a-chrome-extension-to-finally-stop-wasting-time-on-youtube-playlists-2lid https://forem.com/saaarthak_01/i-built-a-chrome-extension-to-finally-stop-wasting-time-on-youtube-playlists-2lid <h2> <strong>What is PlanYT?</strong> </h2> <p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Frw3u1o16n415hx3hrmcd.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Frw3u1o16n415hx3hrmcd.png" alt="Image 1" width="800" height="500"></a></p> <p><a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/planyt/lpkjbjagggemcmdafjhmomcmddggceif" rel="noopener noreferrer">PlanYT</a> is a Chrome extension that turns YouTube playlists into structured daily learning plans.</p> <p>Instead of binge-watching randomly, you:</p> <p>Select a playlist<br> Choose how many days you want to finish it in<br> Get a clean daily breakdown<br> Track progress automatically</p> <p>No spreadsheets.<br> No manual tracking.<br> No friction.</p> <h2> The Problem: </h2> <p>As a student, I use YouTube for:</p> <p>DSA<br> Core subjects<br> Dev tutorials<br> Hackathon prep</p> <p>But playlists are messy.<br> 80 videos.<br> No schedule.<br> No structure.<br> No completion tracking.<br> **<br> So I either:**</p> <p>Overwatch in one day<br> Or never finish it<br> There was no middle ground.</p> <h2> The Idea: </h2> <p>What if YouTube playlists behaved like:<br> A structured course<br> With daily targets<br> And auto progress tracking<br> That’s where PlanYT started.</p> <h2> How It Works: </h2> <ul> <li>Open any YouTube playlist</li> <li>Click the PlanYT extension</li> <li>Set number of days</li> <li>Get an instant daily breakdown</li> </ul> <h2> It calculates: </h2> <ul> <li>Time per day</li> <li>Overall completion timeline</li> <li>And remembers your active plan.</li> </ul> <h2> Tech Behind It: </h2> <ul> <li>Chrome Extension (Manifest V3)</li> <li>YouTube DOM integration</li> <li>Local storage for state persistence</li> <li>Smart daily split logic</li> <li>Lightweight and fast</li> </ul> <p>No login required.<br> No backend.<br> Privacy-friendly.</p> <h2> What Makes It Different? </h2> <p>Zero setup<br> Works directly inside YouTube<br> Designed for students<br> No feature bloat<br> Clean minimal UI</p> <h2> I focused heavily on: </h2> <p>Performance<br> State persistence<br> Smooth UX<br> Simple logic</p> <p>Current Goal: I’m trying to hit 100 real users.</p> <p>If you:</p> <p>Learn from YouTube<br> Use playlists for study<br> Or want structured learning<br> Try it out and let me know what feels broken.</p> <p>I genuinely want feedback.</p> <p>Install PlanYT</p> <p><strong>Chrome Web Store:</strong><br> <a href="https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/planyt/lpkjbjagggemcmdafjhmomcmddggceif" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/planyt/lpkjbjagggemcmdafjhmomcmddggceif</a></p> <p>If you’re building a Chrome extension or working on something similar, I’d love to connect.</p> <p>Also - honest feedback &gt; praise.</p> <p>Let’s build better tools for learners.</p> webdev productivity extensions opensource