Switching projects in Chrome usually means one of two bad options: open a new window and watch your taskbar fill up, or close everything and hope you can rebuild it later. A workspace removes that choice. Each project keeps its own set of tabs, and you move between them in one click.
What a workspace is
A workspace (KeepIt calls it a space) is a named set of tabs, with their order, pinned state and tab groups. You work in one at a time. The others are put away, not closed, until you need them.
How KeepIt spaces behave
- One window. You keep a single Chrome window. The tabs you leave are moved into one minimized "Hidden Tabs" window and stay loaded, so coming back is instant.
- Gentle first open. If a space has to be opened from its saved list, only the tab you were last using loads at once. The rest open asleep, a few at a time, and load when you look at them.
- Idle spaces sleep. In More options you can put tabs in your other spaces to sleep after a time you choose (the default is 15 minutes) to free memory. Pinned tabs, tabs playing audio and tabs you mark "keep awake" are left alone.
Set one up in four steps
- Open the KeepIt popup and create a space. Give it a short, specific name such as "Acme website redesign".
- Move or add the relevant tabs. The ＋ button adds a copy of the current tab to any space without closing it.
- Repeat for your other active projects.
- Switch with the popup, with
Alt+Shift+K(Cmd+Shift+Kon Mac), or by typingktand a space name in Chrome's address bar.
Tips that make it stick
- Keep names short. You will type them into the switcher.
- Pin per space. Pinned tabs travel with their space, so each project can have its own pinned docs and dashboards.
- Use "go back". Return to the space you just left, like Alt+Tab for projects.
- Search across spaces. You can find one tab among all of your spaces instead of opening them one by one.
What workspaces are not
Spaces organize tabs inside the same Chrome profile. They share your logins, cookies and extensions. If you need to be signed into two accounts on the same site, or keep work and personal browsing completely apart, use separate Chrome profiles for that, and use spaces inside each profile for your projects.
Free or Pro?
The free plan includes up to 10 spaces, which is enough for most people. Pro removes the limit and extends version history from 30 to 90 days.
New to the idea? Read how to organize tabs in Chrome first, or see the spaces guide for every option.
A realistic day with workspaces
- 9:00. Open the "Product launch" space. Your docs, task board and analytics tabs are already there.
- 11:30. A colleague asks about the website. Switch to "Website" with the quick switcher. The launch tabs move out of the way.
- 13:00. Back to the launch with "go back". Nothing reloaded, because those tabs were waiting in the Hidden Tabs window.
- 17:30. Close Chrome. Tomorrow each space opens where you left it.
The difference is not speed alone. You stop deciding what to close, so the cost of switching drops to almost nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Do spaces use more memory?
An open space uses whatever its tabs use. Tabs in your other spaces can be put to sleep after a time you choose, which frees most of their memory.
Are workspaces the same as Chrome profiles?
No. Spaces organize tabs inside one profile and share its logins and extensions. Profiles keep accounts and browsing completely separate.
What if Chrome crashes while a space is open?
KeepIt keeps earlier versions of your spaces, 30 days on Free and 90 on Pro, so you can bring tabs back.
Do I need an account?
No. Spaces work on your device without one. You sign in with Google only if you want sync, sharing or Pro.