📑 TabStash Documentation

🚀 Getting Started

Installation

From Chrome Web Store (Recommended)

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store
2. Search for "TabStash"
3. Click "Add to Chrome"
4. The TabStash icon will appear in your toolbar

Manual Installation (Developer Mode)

1. Download the extension files
2. Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions
3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top right)
4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the extension folder

First Steps

✨ Main Features

Auto-Save Closed Tabs

Every time you close a tab, TabStash automatically saves:

• URL - The web address
• Title - Page title
• Favicon - Website icon
• Timestamp - When you closed it
• Session - Which browser window it was in

Badge Counter

The number on the TabStash icon shows tabs saved today (resets at midnight).

📅 Timeline View

Browse your tab history organized by day and session.

Features

Organized by Day

• Click a day to expand/collapse sessions
• Summary shows: "3 sessions, 45 tabs"
• Most recent day shown first

Organized by Session

• Each browser window = one session
• Click a session to expand/collapse tabs
• Preview shows first 3 tabs when collapsed

Actions

• Restore Tab - Click any tab to reopen it
• Restore Session - Click "Restore All" to reopen entire session
• Delete Tab - Hover and click trash icon (with confirmation)

Use Cases

🔍 Search

Find any tab instantly with live search.

How It Works

1. Type in the search box
2. Results appear immediately (no need to press Enter)
3. Searches both title and URL
4. Click any result to restore it

Visit Counter

If you close the same URL multiple times, you'll see a badge:

• "3× visited" - You've closed this tab 3 times
• Helps identify frequently accessed pages
• Settings: Choose how duplicates are handled

🤖 AI Auto-Grouping Premium

Automatically organize your tabs into intelligent groups - no manual work required!

How It Works

1. Enable in Settings → Toggle "AI auto-grouping" ON
2. Wait - Every 10 minutes, AI analyzes your ungrouped tabs
3. View Groups - Go to the Groups tab to see results

What Gets Grouped

• Minimum 5 ungrouped tabs required
• AI creates 2-5 groups per run
• Assigns categories: Work, Shopping, Learning, Entertainment
• Groups by topic, project, or context

Groups Tab Features

Example Groups

🛍️ Shopping Research (5 tabs)
- Amazon: Laptop Comparison
- Best Buy: Electronics Sale
- Wirecutter: Laptop Reviews

📚 React Documentation (8 tabs)
- React Hooks Guide
- useEffect Tutorial
- State Management Patterns

💼 Work Projects (12 tabs)
- Jira: Sprint Planning
- GitHub: PR Reviews
- Figma: Design System

How Often Does It Run?

• Premium only (included in both monthly and yearly plans)
• Runs every 10 minutes when browser is active
• 50 tabs maximum per grouping run

⚙️ Settings & Preferences

Account Status

Preferences

Auto-save closed tabs

Toggle ON/OFF. Default: ON (recommended)

AI auto-grouping Premium

Automatically organize tabs every 10 minutes. Toggle ON/OFF. Default: OFF

Notifications

Enable/disable browser notifications. Default: ON

Duplicate Detection

Choose how to handle tabs you close multiple times:

1. Update existing (Recommended) - Updates timestamp, increments visit counter, shows "3× visited" badge
2. Skip duplicates - Skips if URL exists in last 24 hours
3. Save always - No deduplication, multiple entries for same URL

📤 Export Your Data

4 export formats - download your tab history anytime.

How to Export

1. Go to Settings tab
2. Scroll to "Export Data" section
3. Click the format you want
4. File downloads automatically with timestamp

🛡️ Crash Recovery (Panic Restore)

Never lose tabs to browser crashes - automatic snapshots every 5 minutes.

How It Works

Automatic Snapshots

• Created every 5 minutes in the background
• Captures ALL open windows and tabs
• Includes pinned tabs, active tab index, window state
• Keeps last 12 snapshots (1 hour rolling history)

Crash Detection

• TabStash detects unexpected browser closures
• Shows orange "Crash-Proof Restore" banner in popup
• Displays time since last snapshot

Using Panic Restore

What Gets Restored

💎 Premium Features

Pricing Plans

How to Upgrade

1. Go to Settings tab
2. Scroll to "Upgrade to Premium"
3. Choose Monthly or Yearly plan
4. Click "Upgrade Now"
5. Complete payment with Stripe
6. Premium activates immediately

🔒 Privacy & Security

Local-First Architecture

• All data stored locally in your browser (IndexedDB)
• No cloud storage by default (unless you upgrade to Premium)
• No tracking - no Google Analytics, no telemetry
• No accounts required for free tier

Minimal Permissions

TabStash only requests what it needs:

• tabs - Read tab titles/URLs when closed
• storage - Save tabs to local database
• unlimitedStorage - No limits on saved tabs
• alarms - Auto-snapshot every 5 minutes

What We DON'T Collect

Incognito/Private Mode

Never saved - tabs closed in incognito are ignored. Privacy by design. No exceptions.

Premium Cloud Sync (Optional)

• End-to-end encryption (coming soon)
• Zero-knowledge architecture - we can't read your data
• GDPR compliant - EU servers available

🐛 Troubleshooting

Tabs Not Saving?

Check Auto-Save Settings

1. Go to Settings tab
2. Ensure "Auto-save closed tabs" is toggled ON

Incognito Mode

Tabs closed in Incognito are never saved (by design). Use regular browsing for saved tabs.

Internal Pages

Chrome pages (chrome://, about:) are not saved. This is a browser limitation.

Badge Count Not Updating?

Badge shows today's count only (resets at midnight). Doesn't include previous days.

Force Refresh: Go to chrome://extensions → Find TabStash → Click circular arrow icon

Search Not Working?

Free tier: 7 days history only. Older tabs are auto-deleted. Try different keywords or clear search box.

Panic Restore Not Available?

Snapshots start after 5 minutes. Browser must run for 5+ minutes before first snapshot.

Check Settings tab for "Last snapshot: X minutes ago". If missing, wait for next snapshot cycle.

Export Not Working?

• Check browser downloads - file may be blocked by popup blocker
• Check Chrome's download bar (bottom of window)
• Try CSV format (smallest file size)

Extension Won't Load?

TabStash requires a recent version of Chrome. Update Chrome if needed.

Reinstall: Go to chrome://extensions → Click "Remove" → Reinstall from Chrome Web Store

💡 Tips & Best Practices

Maximize Value

Workflow Suggestions

Daily Review

1. Open Timeline tab each morning
2. Review tabs closed yesterday
3. Restore anything you need
4. Delete tabs you don't need

Weekly Cleanup

1. Go to Settings
2. Check storage usage
3. Delete old sessions (free tier auto-deletes after 7 days)

Monthly Archive

1. Export to JSON (full backup)
2. Export to Markdown (notes)
3. Store in cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)

📞 Support & Feedback

Need help? We're here for you:

• Documentation: This guide covers most common questions
• GitHub Issues: Report bugs and request features
• Email Support: support@tabstash.app (Premium users get priority)