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Tab Grouping Feature: A Step-by-Step Tutorial

The Tab Grouping feature in Octab is designed to help you manage your browser tabs effortlessly by organizing them into groups, sorting them, and applying custom rules. This tutorial provides a detailed guide to using the feature effectively.

How to Access Octab's Tab Grouping Feature in Chrome​

In-App:​

  1. Open the Octab app.
  2. Click on the Tab Grouping Icon to navigate directly to the Tab Grouping feature page.
  3. Or press the shortcut 'r' on your keyboard to quickly access the Tab Grouping feature.

Tab Grouping Icon

Via Chrome Toolbar:​

Step 1: Pin the Extension to the Chrome Toolbar

  1. Click on the puzzle piece icon (Extensions) in the top-right corner of your Chrome browser to open the Extensions Menu.
  2. Locate the Octab - Smart Tab Manager extension in the list and click the pin icon next to it. This will add the extension to your Chrome toolbar for quick access.

Step 2: Pin Extension

Step 2: Open the Sidebar

  1. Once pinned, you’ll see the Octab icon on your toolbar.
  2. Click the Octab icon to open the extension's sidebar.

Step 3: Navigate to the Tab Grouping Feature

  1. In the sidebar, locate the Group Icon, which represents the Tab Grouping feature.
  2. Click on the Group Icon to directly access the Tab Grouping page.

Step 4: Tab Grouping in Sidebar

Proceed with Caution​

"Caution: The selected actions may modify your existing tab groups and rearrange your tabs. Please proceed carefully to avoid unexpected changes."

Using Actions to Group Chrome Tabs​

The Actions section contains buttons for various tab operations to streamline your workflow. Below are the available actions:

Actions Section

1. Group Tabs by Domain:​

Organizes all open tabs by their website domain.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Group Tabs by Domain button.
    2. Wait for the tabs to reorganize.
  • Example: All youtube.com tabs are grouped together.

2. Sort Groups by Title:​

Arranges tab groups alphabetically.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Sort Groups by Title button.
    2. Your groups will be sorted alphabetically.

3. Ungroup All Tabs:​

Removes all tabs from their groups and returns them to their original state.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Ungroup All Tabs button.

4. Sort Tabs by Domain:​

Orders tabs based on their domain.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Sort Tabs by Domain button.

5. Sort Tabs by Last Accessed:​

Arranges tabs by their most recent access time.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Sort Tabs by Last Accessed button.

6. Close Duplicate Tabs:​

Detects and closes tabs with the same URL to reduce clutter.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Close Duplicate Tabs button.

7. Suspend All Tabs:​

Suspends inactive tabs to save memory.

  • Steps:
    1. Click the Suspend All Tabs button.

Configuring Tab Grouping Settings​

In the Settings section, you can toggle options for more customized tab grouping:

Settings Section

1. Enable Group Tabs:​

  • On: Automatically organizes tabs into groups.
  • Off: Disables tab grouping and all related settings.

2. Auto-Group Tabs:​

Automatically groups tabs based on their domains or custom rules.

3. Auto-Collapse Unfocused Groups:​

Collapses groups that are not currently in use to save space on the tab bar.

4. Auto-Activate Tab in Focused Group:​

Automatically opens the first tab in a group when it is focused.

Using Regex to Create Custom Tab Groups in Octab​

What is Regex?​

Regex (Regular Expression) is a pattern-matching tool used to match tab URLs for grouping.

How to Add a Custom Group:​

  1. Click Add Group.
  2. Fill in the following fields:
    • Group Name: Enter a descriptive name for the group.
    • Regex Pattern: Enter a regex to match tab URLs.
      • Examples:
        • ^https?:\/\/(www\.)?youtube\.com : Matches YouTube tabs.
        • .*shopping.* : Matches any tab with "shopping" in the URL.
  3. Save your configuration by clicking Save.

Example:​

Group and Regex Configuration

Tips for Efficient Tab Management with Octab​

  • Regularly review and update your regex configurations to match new websites.
  • Use the Close Duplicate Tabs feature to declutter.
  • Toggle Auto-Collapse Groups to save space on your tab bar.
  • Create custom regex patterns for specific workflows to group tabs automatically.
  • Use the Suspend All Tabs feature to free up memory when working with many open tabs.
  • Sort tabs by Last Accessed to quickly revisit recently used tabs.
  • Experiment with different settings in the Auto-Group Tabs option to find the best fit for your browsing habits.
  • Bookmark frequently used groups and organize them into folders for quick access.
  • Assign color-coded labels to groups for quicker visual identification of tab categories.
  • Use the "Sort Groups by Title" feature to maintain an organized view of your tabs.
  • Set a daily or weekly routine to review open tabs and decide which ones to keep, group, or close.
  • Create dedicated tab groups for projects or tasks to streamline your workflows.
  • Combine tab grouping with bookmarks to save and restore tab sets easily during different sessions.