Auto Tab Discard (Suspend)
What is Tab Discard?
Tab discard (suspension) terminates inactive tabs to free memory while keeping them visible in your tab bar. When you click a discarded tab, it reloads automatically, preserving your browsing session just like browser forward/backward navigation.
How Tab Discard Works
Automatic Suspension Process
- Monitoring: The extension tracks tab activity and inactivity periods
- Evaluation: Checks if tabs meet suspension criteria based on your settings
- Protection Check: Verifies tabs don't match skip rules or whitelist entries
- Suspension: Terminates qualifying tabs while maintaining their visual presence
- Restoration: Reloads tabs when clicked, restoring content and scroll position
Suspension Criteria
Tabs are considered for suspension when they:
- Haven't been accessed for the configured time threshold
- Exceed the maximum inactive tab count limit
- Don't match any protection rules or whitelist entries
Configuration Options
Time-Based Suspension
Set how long tabs remain inactive before being suspended:
- Threshold: Configure minutes of inactivity (0 to disable)
- Applies to: All tabs not protected by skip rules
Count-Based Protection
Protect your most recently accessed tabs:
- Protected Count: Number of recent tabs to keep active
- Logic: When inactive tabs exceed this count, older tabs get suspended
- Example: Set to 5 to always keep your 5 most recent tabs active
Detailed Logic Explanation
"When inactive tabs exceed X, suspend tabs that haven't been visited for more than N minutes":
Example Scenario: Suppose you have 30 tabs open and set "exceed 10 tabs, suspend after 30 minutes":
- Tab Sorting: System sorts all tabs by recent access time
- Protected Range: Top 11 (10+1) most recently accessed tabs are protected from suspension
- Suspension Range: Remaining 19 tabs will be suspended if not accessed for 30+ minutes
- Dynamic Updates: When you access any tab, the sorting updates and protection range adjusts accordingly
Real-world Scenario:
- Tab A: Just accessed (rank #1) → Protected
- Tab B: Accessed 5 minutes ago (rank #3) → Protected
- Tab C: Accessed 2 hours ago (rank #20) → Meets suspension criteria, will be suspended
- Tab D: Accessed 1 hour ago (rank #15) → Meets suspension criteria, will be suspended
Key Features:
- Protects "most recently accessed N+1 tabs", not "tabs accessed within N minutes"
- As long as you're in the top 11 most recently accessed tabs, you won't be suspended
- System ensures your most frequently used tabs remain always available
Skip Rules
Choose which tab types to never suspend:
- Pinned Tabs: Keep essential pinned tabs always active
- Playing Media: Protect tabs with audio/video playback
- Active Tab: Never suspend the currently viewed tab
- Form Changes: Preserve tabs with unsaved form data
- Offline Tabs: Maintain offline-accessible content
- Desktop Notifications: Keep notification-enabled tabs active
Website Whitelist
Add specific domains that should never be suspended:
- Enter one domain per line (e.g.,
google.com) - Supports wildcards and subdomains
- Perfect for protecting work tools, email, or critical applications
Best Practices
Recommended Settings
- Time Threshold: 30-60 minutes for most users
- Protected Count: 5-10 tabs depending on your workflow
- Skip Pinned: Always enabled for important tabs
- Skip Media: Enabled to avoid interrupting content
- Skip Forms: Enabled to prevent data loss
Workflow Optimization
- Pin Important Tabs: Pin tabs you need to stay active permanently
- Use Whitelist: Add work applications and frequently used sites
- Monitor Usage: Check which tabs get suspended to refine settings
- Adjust Gradually: Start with conservative settings and optimize over time
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Tabs not suspending:
- Check if tabs match skip rules
- Verify time threshold is set correctly
- Ensure tabs aren't in whitelist
Important tabs getting suspended:
- Add domains to whitelist
- Pin essential tabs
- Adjust protected count setting
Form data lost:
- Enable "Skip Form Changes" option
- Add form-heavy sites to whitelist
- Use browser's built-in form saving features
Settings Location
Access suspension settings through:
- Click extension icon
- Open Settings page
- Select 【Auto Suspend/Close Tabs】 from the left menu
- Choose "Discard tabs" mode
- Configure your preferences
Tab discard provides an excellent balance between memory optimization and workflow preservation, making it ideal for users who keep many tabs open while maintaining system performance.