Research is tab-heavy by nature. One paper means a dozen sources, a few databases, a reference manager and the document you are writing. Add a second course and the tab strip becomes unusable. Here is a system that keeps every source findable.
1. One space per course or project
Create a space for each course, paper or thesis chapter. Switching between them takes one click, and the sources for your history essay never mix with the ones for your statistics homework. The free plan includes up to 10 spaces.
2. Write a note when you save a source
The most common research regret is "I know I saw that somewhere, but why did I keep it?". KeepIt lets you add a note to any tab (up to 500 characters) and to a whole session (up to 2,000). Write one line when you save it: what it argues, which section it supports, or what to check. Notes are included in search and are shared only if you tick "Include my notes".
3. Use folders by term, not by topic
Keep three to five folders, such as "Spring 2027", "Thesis" and "Reading". Put finished spaces away as named sessions inside them. A session called "Climate policy lit review, draft 1" will still make sense next year.
4. Close things properly
When you finish a chapter, save the space as a session and close it. The tabs are safe, your browser is lighter, and you can reopen the whole set later. Auto-save snapshots and earlier versions are your safety net if a crash or a mistake happens in the meantime.
5. Share a reading list
For group work, create a link with the tabs you choose and send it to your study group. When you create a live link, KeepIt leaves tabs for email, banking, login pages and addresses containing words like token or password unticked, so you do not share something private by accident. You can revoke a link at any time.
6. Work from more than one computer
If you switch between a laptop, a library computer and a home PC, sign in and turn on Use your spaces on all your devices. Your spaces are there wherever you open Chrome. Read how to sync tabs between computers for the details and limits.
A weekly five-minute review
- Open each active space and close the sources you will not use.
- Add a note to anything you kept without one.
- Save finished work as a named session.
- Delete sessions you no longer need.
What to avoid
- Treating open tabs as a reading list. Tabs are for what you are doing now.
- Relying on one copy. Keep your citations in a reference manager too; KeepIt remembers where a page was, not its contents.
Struggling with the habit itself? Tab hoarding has a practical way out.
Example: writing a thesis chapter
You are writing chapter three. You create a space called "Thesis ch.3" and open the sources you need. Each time you keep a source you add a one-line note: "supports the argument on page 12" or "contradicts Smith, check dates". After a week you have 25 tabs, but each one explains itself.
When the chapter is done you save the space as the session "Thesis ch.3, final sources" in your Thesis folder, close the space, and start chapter four with a clean strip. If your supervisor asks where a quote came from, the page and your note are one search away.
Frequently asked questions
Is KeepIt free for students?
The free plan covers most study use: unlimited local sessions and folders, up to 10 spaces and 10 cloud sessions. There is no separate student plan.
Can KeepIt create citations?
No. It remembers where a page was and your note about it, not the page itself. Keep citations in a reference manager as well.
What about shared or library computers?
Use your own Chrome profile where you can, and avoid turning on sync on a computer you do not control. Data saved only on a computer stays in that Chrome profile.