Tab Automation | Auto Refresh & Workflows

Create automations that reload open tabs on a timer, or walk through links with steps, from the Chrome side panel.

Tab Automation is a Chrome extension for automations on the tabs you leave open. Refresh an open tab on a timer, or walk matching links with steps, from the Chrome side panel on this computer. Built for a dashboard or queue you leave open. You can auto-refresh a tab on a timer. It does not detect when a page looks stale. Launch Custom automations are free. For a limited time, claim six months of Explorer access to the full Dashboard. Help shape the product: each distinct useful bug report, workflow need, suggestion, or translation earns three more months after review, even if it never ships. Each key supports one active Chrome installation/profile for personal use. Release the previous activation in My Orders before moving to another profile. The six months starts when the key is issued. Explorer includes 30 days of grace and keeps verified access during service outages. Your saved data stays exportable without a license. Future pricing is undecided; there is no automatic charge. Learn more at tabautomation.app/blog/launch-license. How it works A Chrome extension. Open the side panel, add a tab you already have open, and build an automation around it. 1. Open the side panel. The Chrome toolbar action titled Tab Automation opens it. There is no separate options page. 2. Choose New automation. Turn off Run in a new tab to pick an existing tab. You can run more than one automation at a time. 3. Add steps. New automations run once by default. Enable Repeat for timed refreshes, or walk matching links with For Each Link. What it does - Start, Pause, Resume, or Restart one automation, or Pause all / Resume all / Remove all. - Refresh runs the Refresh page step when the automation has one. Optional Bypass cache on that step. - For Each Link collects matching http(s) URLs on the page you assign. - If / Else compares a page element, URL, text, or a saved Values name when the runner reaches that step. - Wait / Delay can pause for a duration, or wait Until a selector appears, disappears, text changes, or a condition matches. - Set value reads an element into a Values name. Use {{name}} in Type Text and mid-flow Go To. - Save Text collects named fields into a table you can export, with sidebar previews. - Save Images previews and saves specific images, a container’s images, or all main-page images, including CSS backgrounds. Both saving steps work in regular flows and For Each Link. Download saved files, or export data, images and screenshots from the Dashboard when ready. - Send Alert fires a desktop notification, optional sound, or a webhook when that step runs. Repeat can also alert on Each cycle or When it stops — both off until you enable them. Webhooks are a Settings library of Slack, Discord, ntfy, or any HTTPS URL; Chrome POSTs directly from this computer. Chrome must be running. - Take a Screenshot saves the visible area as a PNG in the local Dashboard. Enable Full page to scroll and load content before saving one PNG, keeping the sidebar open and restoring scroll afterward. Very long or changing pages may save a -partial.png with a warning; the job continues. Test saves a retained Test run in the Dashboard. - If the tab is gone, the automation can sit parked and you can Restore it later. - The toolbar badge shows how many automations are running. - Activity records each step in a session from Start to stop. Filter by status or step type. History stays on this computer. - Dashboard lists, search, filters, exports, downloads and deletion are free. Explorer unlocks record details, previews, analysis and metadata recovery. Google Search is coming soon, including with Explorer. - Dashboard → Pages & SEO brings together on-page metadata from Save Page. Export selected or filtered captures as JSON, CSV or Markdown. Explorer adds detailed inspection of titles, descriptions, headings and other declarations. Capture limits and run provenance stay visible. - The Dashboard has six views: Automations for each automation and its runs, Run history for execution status, Data for saved tables, Files & screenshots for saved files, Pages & SEO for captured pages, and Exports for requested exports. One Export dialog covers selected results, all matching results or a whole run; ZIP exports let you include or leave out each content type, such as data, images and screenshots. Retry metadata only when retained HTML is available; completed recovery stays in collapsed history. - Automations are saved on this computer. Optionally enable Start when browser opens in Tab & startup for a saved custom automation: each browser launch starts a fresh run in a new inactive tab at its saved Start URL, including paused or completed jobs. The option defaults off; it does not run while Chrome is closed. What it does not do - No cloud or device sync. - It does not access Chrome’s browsing-history database. Assigned page URLs and captured source URLs are retained locally with automations and results. It does not detect when a page looks stale. - Timers do not fire after you quit Chrome. Firefox and Safari are not supported. - Chrome UI pages, extension pages, and the Chrome Web Store cannot be automated. - It does not reload every tab in a window by itself. Requirements Google Chrome. The extension uses the Chrome side panel, tabs, alarms, and storage. The required debugger permission captures viewport/full page screenshots and delivers configured clicks, double-clicks, hover, supported text entry, and key presses to the assigned tab. Screenshot capture does not switch tabs or focus windows. Chrome displays its debugging notice while attached. Images are processed and saved locally. Languages The side panel, notifications, and picker can run in English, Japanese, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese (Brazil), Korean, Chinese (Traditional), or Chinese (Simplified). Change the language in Settings, or Match Chrome. The toolbar name follows Chrome’s language. Translations are a best effort — we will keep improving them.