# Tab-tastic tips for streamlined web browser use By [Optimized by Otto](https://paragraph.com/@otto) · 2024-03-08 --- ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/de6f4555eec123b64044e17189b48607.jpg) What is the single most common action you repeat over and over when using your computer? Let me guess – opening a new tab in the browser. Here are my tips for opening, switching and closing tabs everyone should know. Opening a tab ------------- This one most people know: press `Ctrl+T` to open a new tab. But did you know that you don’t always need to type an URL or start a web search? **You can also jump directly to the content you wanted to view by using custom address bar shortcuts.** All popular browsers support defining customer keywords so that what you type in the address bar can take you where you are going even faster. In Chrome (and [Chromium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromium_%28web_browser%29)) you can customize what shortcuts can be used in the address bar by opening _Settings > Search engine > Manage search engines and site search_. Below are my favorite custom searches. ### Ask with Perplexity AI Want to quickly ask an AI for something? Just configure `@p` in your shortcuts to query `https://www.perplexity.ai/search?q=%s&focus=internet` and you are never further than a couple key strokes away from asking [Perplexity AI](https://www.perplexity.ai/). ![Ask Perplexity AI a question directly from the browser address bar](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3e3465bf-fa45-42af-84d6-c361d4ad2043_942x704.gif "Ask Perplexity AI a question directly from the browser address bar") I used to always _google_ everything I wanted to know, but nowadays I find myself doing it less and less. Instead, I type `@p ` in the address bar, press enter and immediately get the answer from Perplexity along with links to the information sources. No more wasting time on skimming through unrelevant search result pages! ### Open a man page instantly Yes, any [man page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_page) can be accessed easily by running on the command-line `man` followed by the command name. But reading man pages in a browser window with nice fonts and in a separate window next to the command-line window is much more ergonomic and an easier way to craft commands. For this use case, I have configured the shortcut `@man` that jumps to the latest version of the man page in Debian using URL `https://dyn.manpages.debian.org/jump?suite=unstable&language=en&q=%s`. ![Custom search engine configuration view in Chrome](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/97304294-cdf4-418b-81eb-be772dd102a0_1200x627.png "Custom search engine configuration view in Chrome") ### Jump to any Google Drive file or folder quickly Oddly enough, Chrome does not have any built-in shortcut to Google Drive. Adding a shortcut with this url will achieve it `https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/search?q=%s`. ![Search Google Drive directly from the browser address bar](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/69c9ab53-bd00-4da6-bbe9-56bc2514c507_700x277.gif "Search Google Drive directly from the browser address bar") Jumping _between_ tabs ---------------------- If you are like me and have dozens of tabs open simultaneously, learn to use keyboard shortcut `Ctrl+Tab`. This will jump to the next tab. Pressing `Ctrl+Shift+Tab` will do the same in reverse direction. By pressing `Ctrl+1` you can instantly jump to the first tab, and with `Ctrl+2` to the second tab and so forth. This is handy in particular if your first tabs are pinned and always have your e-mail or calendar and you need to open them frequently. Too many tabs to cycle through them? No worries, you can always press `Ctrl+Shift+A` to open a dialog where you can search the tab based on the website title. ![Searcing open tabs after pressin Ctrl+Shift+A](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f312281e-d9ac-4cfd-9b79-08ba0c4af5d1_333x376.png "Searcing open tabs after pressin Ctrl+Shift+A") In Chrome you can also type `@tabs` in the address bar to search your open tabs, or `@history` to search tabs and pages you recently closed. Close a tab, or reopen a closed tab ----------------------------------- To close a tab, press `Ctrl+W`. Oops – if you accidentally close a tab, re-open it quickly with `Ctrl+Shift+T`. You can even press it multiple times to re-open several old tabs in the reverse order of closing them, basically _undo_ for tab closing. Bookmark all tabs ----------------- What if you have too many tabs open and you need to close the browser window? In Chrome, there is a handy shortcut `Ctrl+Shift+D` that will bookmark all open tabs in a folder name you choose. Then you can safely close the window knowing that you will always find them in that specific folder in your bookmarks. Keyboard shortcut summary ------------------------- Action Shortcut Open a new tab Ctrl+T Close a tab Ctrl+W Undo closing a tab Ctrl+Shift+T Jump one tab to the right Ctrl+Tab Jump one tab to the left Ctrl+Shift+Tab Open first tab, open nth tab Ctrl+1, Ctrl+2, … Search tab by website title Ctrl+Shift+A Bookmark all open tabs (e.g. before closing window) Ctrl+Shift+D Open link in a new tab without leaving current web page Ctrl+click What is your tip? ----------------- Knowing how to use a web browser efficiently should be considered a basic life skill in modern society. The **above keyboard shortcuts work in all browsers** and are as universal as [Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V](https://linuxnatives.net/2021/copy-paste-like-a-pro). What is your additional browser productivity tip? Share it in a comment below. --- *Originally published on [Optimized by Otto](https://paragraph.com/@otto/tab-tastic-tips-for-streamlined-web-browser-use)*