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Chrome side panel tab manager

You open a popup tab manager, start scanning your saved sessions, then click the page behind it to copy a URL — and the popup snaps shut, dropping you back to the start so you reopen it and scroll down again. A chrome side panel tab manager removes that friction by living in Chrome's native side panel instead of a transient popup: Tabwell uses the chrome.sidePanel API, which shipped in Chrome 114, to stay open beside the page while you save the current window as a snapshot, browse and restore earlier snapshots, or search your saved tabs. Clicking into the page does not dismiss it, so the manager stays visible as you navigate tabs rather than vanishing the moment focus leaves it. This guide covers why a side-panel surface beats a popup for session work, what Tabwell does in the panel, how to open it quickly, and where the Free tier ends and Pro begins.

Why a side panel beats a popup for tab management

A toolbar popup is a temporary surface: Chrome closes it the moment you click anywhere outside it, including into the page itself. That is fine for a quick toggle, but session work is not quick — you are reading saved titles, comparing two snapshots, or copying a URL out of one tab into the page you are on. Every one of those actions clicks away from the popup and closes it. The chrome.sidePanel API gives Tabwell a panel docked to the side of the window that stays open while you work in the page, so saving, restoring, and searching all happen beside the page instead of in a layer that disappears on the next click.

What Tabwell does in the side panel

The side panel is the main Tabwell surface. From it you can:

  • Save the current window as a snapshot — a local record of each tab's title and URL plus its group's name, color, and collapsed state, written to IndexedDB through the chrome.tabs and chrome.tabGroups APIs.
  • Browse your earlier snapshots and restore any of them, rebuilding the saved window and tab groups from their recorded fields.
  • Run Pro search across indexed saved tab titles, URLs, and native group names; the Free tier keeps manual save and restore but does not index saved tabs for search.

Because the panel stays open, you can restore a snapshot, click into one of the reopened tabs, and come back to the panel to restore another — all without reopening the manager. For the full save and restore mechanics, see the guides linked below rather than repeating them here.

How to open the side panel

After you install Tabwell from the Chrome Web Store, the side panel is a click away.

  1. Click the Tabwell toolbar icon, or open Chrome's side panel button and pick Tabwell from the list.
  2. Use Chrome's pin control if you want Tabwell's action icon kept on the toolbar for quick reopening. Pinning the icon does not guarantee that the panel will open automatically in a new window.

While it is open, the panel remains beside the page as you navigate tabs, so there is no popup to reopen after every click into page content.

Free and Pro in the side panel

Every install starts with a 14-day Pro trial. After it, the Free tier keeps your latest 5 snapshots with manual save and restore in the side panel, JSON export in Settings, and a 60-minute auto-snapshot, with no account required. Pro lifts the cap to unlimited snapshots, indexes saved tab titles, URLs, and group names, and offers configurable 5, 15, 30, or 60-minute auto-snapshot intervals; current prices, purchase options, and terms are listed on the pricing page.

FAQ

Does the Chrome side panel work on older Chrome?

No. The side panel relies on the chrome.sidePanel API, which Chrome introduced in version 114, so that is the minimum version Tabwell supports. On older releases the API is not available and the panel cannot dock. Edge and other Chromium browsers may run the extension but are not officially supported, and Firefox and Safari are not supported.

Why use a side panel tab manager instead of a popup?

A toolbar popup closes the moment you click outside it, including into the page, which interrupts any task longer than a quick toggle. A chrome side panel extension stays docked beside the page, so saving, restoring, and searching sessions continue without the surface vanishing. You keep your place in the panel through a whole work session.

Can I save and restore tabs without leaving the page?

Yes. Because the side panel stays open beside the page, you can save the current window as a snapshot, restore an earlier one, and click into the reopened tabs without the manager closing. Each snapshot records every tab's title, URL, and group name, color, and collapsed state. Restoring rebuilds the windows and tab groups as they were saved.

Is searching saved tabs in the side panel free?

Search across indexed saved tab titles, URLs, and group names is a Pro feature. The Free tier keeps manual save and restore in the side panel and JSON export in Settings but does not index saved tabs for search. Every install begins with a 14-day Pro trial, so you can try search before deciding.

How do I reopen the side panel quickly?

Open Tabwell from the toolbar icon or Chrome's side panel button. Chrome's pin control keeps Tabwell's action icon on the toolbar for quick reopening; it does not guarantee that the panel will open automatically in a new window. While the panel is open, it stays beside the page as you navigate tabs.

How much does Tabwell cost after the trial?

Every install starts with a local 14-day Pro trial. Free remains available afterward within its documented limits; Pro adds unlimited history, search across indexed saved tab titles, URLs, and group names, importers, and configurable auto-snapshot intervals. Current prices, purchase options, and terms are listed at https://tabwell.org/pricing.html.