TubeStack
Get TubeStack
Save tabs fast
Popup or right-click on YouTube to save left, right, all, or all except current—watch and Shorts included.
Chrome extension · Local-first
Turn YouTube tab chaos into a library you control
Save watch and Shorts tabs into organized local playlists. Close tabs to free RAM, resume where you left off, and manage queues from Chrome’s side panel or the full dashboard—like iTunes, not a browser graveyard.
No Chrome History permission
Data stays on your device
Watch + Shorts support
Optional queue sidebar
Features
Built for YouTube power users
Inspired by OneTab, designed for watch pages and Shorts. Everything lives in Chrome extension storage on your machine—not on a TubeStack server.
Library & playlists
Artist · Album · Category browsing, local playlists, tags, notes, and Watch States for real workflows.
Resume progress
Local progress on /watch pages; best-effort on Shorts. No History API, no cloud upload.
Focus sessions
Queues, priorities, and focused playlists so you watch intentionally instead of drowning in tabs.
Queue sidebar
Open Chrome’s optional side panel from the popup (Open queue sidebar): pick a queue, drag to reorder, add window tabs, then Play one video at a time or Shuffle the queue order locally.
Optional YouTube API
Bring your own API key or OAuth for imports, playlist sync, and subscription helpers—only if you want it. Setup guide →
Optional AI organize
OpenAI categorization runs only when you trigger it, on metadata you already saved locally.
How it works
Three steps to a calmer browser
No account required. No TubeStack login. Install, save, organize.
Open your YouTube tabs
Research rabbit holes, Shorts, tutorials—whatever is eating your RAM right now.
Save to TubeStack
Capture titles, channels, URLs, and thumbnails into a new local playlist. Close tabs if you want.
Come back anytime
Use the queue sidebar for quick playback, or open the dashboard or library to restore videos, track progress, and stay organized.
What's included
Core features vs optional integrations
Everything you need to save and organize tabs works offline and locally. Connect Google or OpenAI only if you choose to.
Core (always local)
- Save & restore watch and Shorts tabs
- Queue sidebar — reorder, play one at a time, shuffle queue order
- Local playlists, tags, and Watch States
- Progress on
/watch(best-effort on Shorts) - Focus sessions and library views
Optional integrations
- YouTube Data API key (your Google Cloud project) — setup guide
- Google OAuth for playlist export & sync — setup guide
- OpenAI API for AI-assisted categorization
- Requested at runtime—never required to save tabs
Install
Load unpacked in Chrome
TubeStack is distributed as open source. Clone or download the repo, then load it in Developer Mode.
- Clone github.com/jdepew88/TubeStack or download a ZIP
- Open chrome://extensions
- Enable Developer mode
- Click Load unpacked and select the folder containing manifest.json
- Pin TubeStack from the extensions menu
Privacy
Local-first by design
TubeStack does not request Chrome History, the broad tabs permission, or
windows. Your library, progress, and settings stay in extension storage on your device
(unlimitedStorage only raises the local quota). Google and OpenAI are contacted only when
you enable and use those optional features.
Limited Use: TubeStack uses permissions and data only for its single purpose—saving and organizing YouTube tabs locally. It does not sell data or use it for interest-based ads. See the privacy policy for the full Chrome Web Store Limited Use disclosure.