Sorting Tabs

VertiTab provides multiple ways to organize and sort your tabs, from simple drag-and-drop arrangements to automatic sorting by various criteria. You can sort tabs temporarily for viewing or permanently reorganize them in your browser.

What is Tab Sorting?

Tab sorting allows you to organize your tabs in different orders based on criteria like title, URL, access time, or domain. VertiTab offers both temporary visual sorting (affects only the VertiTab display) and permanent sorting (changes the actual browser tab order).

1. Drag and Drop Sorting

Manual Tab Arrangement

The most direct way to sort tabs is by dragging and dropping them:

Important: For drag and drop sorting to work properly, you must set the view sorting to "Tab Index" in the toolbar first.

Single Tab Dragging:

• Click and drag any tab to a new position
• Release to place the tab in the new location
• Changes the actual browser tab order immediately

Multiple Tab Dragging:

• Select multiple tabs using:
  • Click and Drag - Drag across multiple tabs to select a range
  • Ctrl/⌘ + Click - Add individual tabs to your selection
  • Shift + Click - Select a range of tabs
• Drag any selected tab to move all selected tabs together
• Maintains the relative order of selected tabs

Drag and Drop Features

Between Groups:

• Drag tabs between different tab groups
• Drag entire groups to reorder them
• Drag tabs out of groups to ungroup them

Cross-Window Dragging:

• Drag tabs between different browser windows
• Maintains tab relationships during moves

2. View Sorting (Toolbar)

Sort Options Toolbar

Click the Sort icon in the toolbar to access view-only sorting:

Available Sort Options:

• Latest - Show newest tabs first
• Earliest - Show oldest tabs first
• Last Accessed - Show recently accessed tabs first
• Website - Sort alphabetically by domain
• Title - Sort alphabetically by page title
• Tab Index - Show tabs in browser order
• Tab Reverse - Show tabs in reverse browser order

View-Only Sorting Features

• Visual Only - Changes only the VertiTab display, not browser order
• Temporary - Resets when you change grouping mode or restart
• Instant - No waiting time, immediate visual feedback
• All Modes - Works with list, tree, and group views

3. Permanent Browser Sorting

Quick Sort Options (Free Version)

Access basic sorting through the bottom-right menu (three dots):

Free Sort Options:

• Sort Tabs by Domain - Groups tabs by website domain
• Sort Tabs by URL - Arranges tabs alphabetically by URL

These options permanently reorder your browser tabs.

Advanced Sort Options (Premium)

Access comprehensive sorting through the window header menu:

1. Right-click on the window header (top bar of VertiTab panel)
2. Select "Sort Tabs" from the context menu
3. Choose from advanced options:

Title Sorting:

• Sort by Title (A-Z) - Alphabetical order by page title
• Sort by Title (Z-A) - Reverse alphabetical order by title

URL Sorting:

• Sort by URL (A-Z) - Alphabetical order by web address
• Sort by URL (Z-A) - Reverse alphabetical order by URL

Access Time Sorting:

• Sort by Last Accessed (Old-Recent) - Oldest accessed tabs first
• Sort by Last Accessed (Recent-Old) - Most recently accessed tabs first

4. Keyboard Shortcuts

You can set up keyboard shortcuts for sorting operations:

1. Go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts
2. Find VertiTab in the list
3. Assign shortcuts for:
   • Sort Tabs by Domain - Group tabs by website
   • Sort Tabs by URL - Arrange tabs by web address

These shortcuts perform permanent browser sorting.

Premium Features

Free Version:

• Manual drag and drop sorting
• Basic domain and URL sorting
• View-only toolbar sorting
• Keyboard shortcuts for domain/URL sorting

Premium Version:

• Advanced window-wide sorting options
• Multiple sort criteria (title, access time, URL)
• Both ascending and descending order options
• Enhanced sorting in all view modes

Tips for Effective Tab Sorting

1. Use toolbar sorting for quick visual organization without permanent changes
2. Use domain sorting to group related work or research topics
3. Use title sorting when you know what you're looking for by name
4. Use access time sorting to find recently used or forgotten tabs
5. Combine with grouping for maximum organization efficiency
6. Use drag and drop for precise manual control

Common Use Cases

• Project Organization - Group tabs by project using domain or manual sorting
• Research Sessions - Sort by access time to prioritize active research
• Content Review - Sort by title for systematic content review
• Workspace Cleanup - Sort by domain to identify and close unnecessary tabs
• Daily Workflow - Use access time sorting to focus on current tasks

Troubleshooting

Sorting not working?

• Check if you have Premium features for advanced options
• Ensure tabs aren't protected or system tabs
• Try refreshing the VertiTab panel

Drag and drop issues?

• Make sure you're not dragging system tabs
• Check if tab selection is active before dragging
• Verify you're not in a restricted sorting mode

View sorting not persisting?

• Toolbar sorting is temporary by design
• Use menu options for permanent changes
• Check your grouping mode settings

The sorting functionality provides flexible organization options to match your workflow, whether you need quick visual organization or permanent tab restructuring.