Pinning Tabs

VertiTab provides comprehensive tab pinning functionality that helps you keep important tabs easily accessible and synchronized across browser windows. Pinned tabs are preserved at the top of your tab bar and can be displayed as icons for a cleaner interface.

What is Tab Pinning?

Tab pinning keeps important tabs permanently available in your browser. Pinned tabs are positioned at the beginning of your tab bar, take up less space, and are harder to accidentally close. VertiTab enhances this with additional display options and cross-window synchronization.

Pin a Tab

To pin any tab:

1. Right-click on the tab in the VertiTab sidebar
2. Select "Pin Tab" from the context menu
3. The tab will be pinned and moved to the beginning of the tab bar

Unpin a Tab

To unpin a pinned tab:

1. Right-click on the pinned tab
2. Select "Unpin Tab" from the context menu
3. The tab will be unpinned and returned to its normal position

Show Pinned Tabs as Icons

Location: Settings → Tab Settings → "Show pinned tabs as icons" (enabled by default)

When this option is enabled:

• Pinned tabs appear as icons at the top of the VertiTab sidebar
• Not shown in the main tab list - keeps the list cleaner
• Quick access - click any icon to switch to that tab

When this option is disabled:

• Pinned tabs appear in the main list along with regular tabs
• Same visual treatment as unpinned tabs
• Standard list interaction - right-click for context menu

Reset Pinned Tab URL

Pinned tabs can navigate to different pages, but you can reset them to their original URL:

1. Right-click on any pinned tab
2. Select "Reset Pinned Tab URL" from the context menu
3. The tab will return to the URL it had when first pinned

How it works:

• VertiTab remembers the original URL when you pin a tab
• Useful when pinned tabs navigate away from their intended page
• Only available for pinned tabs that have moved from their original URL

Cross-Window Synchronization

Location: Settings → Tab Settings → "Sync pinned tabs across windows" (disabled by default)

When enabled, pinned tabs are synchronized across all browser windows:

Automatic Synchronization:

• Pin a tab in one window → Same URL automatically pinned in all other windows
• Unpin a tab in one window → Same URL unpinned in all other windows
• Close a pinned tab in one window → Same URL closed in all other windows

New Window Inheritance:

• New browser windows automatically inherit all existing pinned tabs
• Maintains consistency across your entire browsing session
• Works across different projects and workflows

Restart URL Reset

Location: Settings → Tab Settings → "Reset pinned tab URLs on restart" (disabled by default)

When enabled:

• Browser restart automatically resets all pinned tabs to their original URLs
• Prevents URL drift - pinned tabs always start from their intended page
• Maintains workspace consistency after browser sessions

Settings Configuration

Tab Settings Options

Access these settings through Settings → Tab Settings:

1. Show pinned tabs as icons (Default: ON)

   • Controls how pinned tabs are displayed in the sidebar
   • Icons provide cleaner, more compact display

2. Sync pinned tabs across windows (Default: OFF)

   • Enables cross-window synchronization of pinned tabs
   • Useful for multi-window workflows

3. Reset pinned tab URLs on restart (Default: OFF)

   • Automatically resets pinned tabs to original URLs after restart
   • Prevents pinned tabs from staying on navigated pages

Common Use Cases

• Dashboard Access - Pin monitoring dashboards, admin panels, or status pages
• Communication - Pin email, chat, or collaboration tools for quick access
• Development Tools - Pin documentation, API references, or development servers
• Social Media - Pin frequently used social platforms
• News & Information - Pin news sites or information sources
• Work Applications - Pin CRM, project management, or productivity tools

Tips for Effective Tab Pinning

1. Pin frequently accessed sites that you use throughout the day
2. Use icon display to save sidebar space and create a clean interface
3. Enable cross-window sync if you work with multiple browser windows
4. Reset URLs regularly to keep pinned tabs on their intended pages
5. Pin stable pages rather than dynamic content that changes frequently
6. Limit pinned tabs to truly essential sites to avoid clutter

Integration with Other Features

Suspend and Close Protection

Pinned tabs are automatically protected from:

• Automatic suspension - excluded from memory-saving suspension
• Bulk closing - protected from accidental closure in batch operations
• Session cleanup - preserved during workspace cleanup operations

Grouping Compatibility

• Pinned tabs don't participate in automatic grouping
• Stay independent of tab group operations
• Maintain fixed position regardless of grouping mode

Troubleshooting

Pin option not showing?

• Ensure you're right-clicking on a regular (unpinned) tab
• System tabs (chrome://, etc.) cannot be pinned

Pinned tabs not syncing across windows?

• Check that "Sync pinned tabs across windows" is enabled in settings
• Verify you're using the same browser profile in all windows

Reset URL not working?

• Only works for tabs that have navigated away from their original URL
• Menu item only appears for pinned tabs with changed URLs

Pinned tabs appearing in main list?

• Check "Show pinned tabs as icons" setting in Tab Settings
• Refresh the VertiTab panel if the setting doesn't take effect immediately

The pinning functionality provides a powerful way to maintain quick access to essential tabs while keeping your workspace organized and synchronized across browser windows.