Keep a browser source ledger for each draft

Open tabs can show the path through a story, but they are not a bibliography. A writer can use one current Chrome window as a source ledger: groups for interviews, primary documents, background reading, fact checks, and unresolved questions. Saving that window with Tabwell records the URL and title of each tab plus order, pinned state, and the group's native name, color, and collapsed state. It does not quote the source, preserve an article revision, capture a paywalled page, or prove which sentence a link supports. Put citations, excerpts, permissions, and archived evidence in the editorial system. Use the snapshot as a navigable map that can be restored for a correction or follow-up. A named manual checkpoint before filing is more useful than relying on whichever periodic recovery point happened most recently.

Build the ledger around editorial questions

Primary: Official records, datasets, filings, and direct statements.
Interviews: Scheduling, transcripts, and approved notes stored in their proper tools.
Corroboration: Independent sources used to test a claim.
Open questions: Pages that still need verification before publication.

Use these labels as native Chrome group names, then save the current window under the draft slug and revision.

Separate link recovery from evidence retention

A restored snapshot can reopen the recorded addresses and rebuild the group map. It cannot freeze the source page or recover unsaved copy. Export JSON for the browser ledger, and preserve quoted material under the publication's retention and copyright rules.

Return for a correction

Pro search can query indexed title, URL, and group-name tokens across local snapshots. Search a publication, document number, author, or draft slug, open the matching ledger, and verify the live sources again before relying on them.

Checkpoint routine

Save manually before filing or closing a reporting window.
Compare the snapshot tab and group counts.
Export JSON with the draft's other backup material.
Restore a disposable sample before removing the live window.

Install from the Chrome Web Store. Current prices, purchase options, and terms are listed on the pricing page.

Snapshots, tab titles, and URLs stay in local IndexedDB. Billing and license requests use Tabwell's billing service and Polar without sending tab data. Optional redacted crash diagnostics can be enabled; they are off by default. See the privacy policy.

FAQ

Is a saved browser window a bibliography?

No. It is a navigational ledger. Keep citations, excerpts, permissions, archived copies, and fact-check decisions in the editorial system.

Can restore reproduce an earlier version of a web article?

No. It reopens the saved URL and cannot freeze page content. Preserve required evidence separately.

How can I retrieve a ledger for a correction?

On Pro, search tokens found in saved titles, URLs, or group names, then verify the live sources before using them again.

When should a writer save manually?

Before filing, a major revision, a planned relaunch, or closing the reporting window. A periodic capture may not include the latest changes.

What can be exported?

Tabwell snapshots can be exported to JSON. Page bodies, documents, and unsaved writing are outside that file.