# Make smart playlists sort automatically by airdate
**URL:** https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605
**Category:** Feature Suggestions
**Created:** [January 14, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605 "2018-01-14T22:39:48Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@janngobble](https://forums.plex.tv/u/janngobble)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/1 "2018-01-14T22:39:48Z")
My smart playlist sorts by my TV Shows by season…thus putting all “specials” in front of everything else in that show, instead of in order of air-date. This is not hard at all…and should be the default, else why even HAVE airdate? As it is right now, if I play my Downton Abbey smart playlist it plays all the specials first, then series 01, then 02, etc… and I know Matthew died before I know Mary ever met him!
Perturbed.
I know Downton Abbey is over and I could just use a normal playlist to give me the ability to re-order the episodes, but then Live TV/DVR recording becomes useless for those shows that are having the same issue.
This needs to be changed ASAP!
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/2 "2018-01-14T22:42:05Z")
If you sort your episodes by Airdate before you create the smart playlist, the playlist will inherit the sorting.
see [https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/299318/watch-crossover-episodes-of-several-series-in-order#top](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/299318/watch-crossover-episodes-of-several-series-in-order#top)
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### Author:  [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/3 "2018-01-14T22:42:10Z")
From my recent experience, Plex includes not only filter but also sort criteria when creating a smart playlist. So you should be able to do what you want
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### Author:  [@janngobble](https://forums.plex.tv/u/janngobble)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 10:56pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/4 "2018-01-14T22:56:19Z")
I am not seeing this anywhere.
I go to TV Shows, select “Filtered” then enter my criteria. Where is “Sort criteria?”
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/5 "2018-01-14T22:57:04Z")
> @janngobble said:
> I am not seeing this anywhere.
> I go to TV Shows, select “Filtered” then enter my criteria. Where is “Sort criteria?”
Please take a look at my link
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### Author:  [@janngobble](https://forums.plex.tv/u/janngobble)
#### Post date: [January 14, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/6 "2018-01-14T23:01:55Z")
> @OttoKerner said:
> If you sort your episodes by Airdate before you create the smart playlist, the playlist will inherit the sorting.
> see [https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/299318/watch-crossover-episodes-of-several-series-in-order#top](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/299318/watch-crossover-episodes-of-several-series-in-order#top)
This is GREAT!
Why did I not know this… The interface certainly needs tweaking. I’ve used Plex for years and didn’t know only certain things would “stick” in TV Show vs Episode Name views…
Thanks Otto!
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### Author:  [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2018, 10:39am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/make-smart-playlists-sort-automatically-by-airdate/221605/7 "2018-08-14T10:39:59Z")