Acid Tabs adds rule-based auto tab groups to Google Chrome

Martin Brinkmann
May 2, 2021
Google Chrome, Google Chrome extensions
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Google introduced support for tab groups in the Chrome browser in 2020, a feature , designed to improve the manageability of tabs in the company's browser. Tab Groups enable users to bundle tabs together for better visual distinction. The ability to collapse tab groups was added as well to free up space on the browser's tab bar. Google is testing auto-create functionality and other feature add-ons currently to improve the functionality further.

Acid Tabs is a new browser extension for Google Chrome that adds rule-based automatic tab groups creation to the Chrome browser. The extension comes with several presets, for mail, news, entertainment and social; sites that match rules are grouped automatically.

The entertainment group groups reddit, youtube and pinterest pages by default. All default presets can be edited or deleted, and it is possible to create custom presets for auto tab group creations.

acid tabs chrome auto groups tabs

Creating a new group is simple. Just click on the plus-icon in the extension's interface, pick a custom name and color, and add URL patterns. Patterns can be partial, e.g. ghacks or google, or complete, e.g. https://www.ghacks.net/. You may add multiple patterns by separating each with a space character. The pattern youtube twitch netflix would group all sites that match the partial patterns together.

Once you have done that, you will notice that all matching sites open in Chrome are moved into the new tab group. New sites that match a pattern are moved to the group automatically when they are opened in the web browser.

The extension uses priorities to determine groups to avoid conflicts if multiple patterns match a site that is open in Chrome.  The groups may be collapsed to free up room on the browser's tab bar. Groups are stored between sessions and remain in use whenever Chrome is opened.

The extension comes with a collapse all button to collapse all tab groups in one swift operation.

Closing Words

Acid Tabs is a useful browser extension for Google Chrome that improves the browser's native tab grouping feature further. Patterns are easily created to group sites automatically in Chrome, and everything else is handled in the background by the extension and the browser.

Chrome users who open lots of tabs in the browser may benefit from the extension the most, those who like things in orderly fashion may like it as well.

Now You: do you use tab grouping functionality in your browser of choice?

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Acid Tabs
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Comments

  1. Anonymous said on April 7, 2022 at 12:07 pm
    Reply

    Really nice, though bit buggy extension.

    The filter is a bit aggressive as while I’m writing the filter it’s already automatically categorizing everything usually ripping out my pinned tabs and destroying my existing groups before I’m even finished.

    Also when I’m moving items down with the arrow on the list, if I move it more than few at a time it starts duplicating some items in the list until I close and reopen the view.

    Wouldn’t also mind having a bit more rules such as ! or even regexp. Currently I have to exclude some rules as I want to group some items together by context.

  2. Anonymous said on May 2, 2021 at 10:11 pm
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    Should you REALLY have so many tabs open that you need this?
    Try Ctrl/Shift/Escape. Click the details tab. Look at the number of times it lists your browser and CPU consumed. Each time you open a web page or Extension up goes your CPU overheads.

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