Tabs vs bookmarks: when to use which
A simple rule for deciding whether a page should stay open as a tab, go into bookmarks or the reading list, or simply be closed.
Use a tab for something you're working with today, a bookmark for something you'll need again in the future, and the reading list for something you want to read once. If a page doesn't fit any of those, close it: you can always find it again in your history. Most tab overload comes from using tabs for all four jobs at once.
The four jobs a page can have
| If the page is... | Put it in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Needed for today's work | A tab, in a group | You'll switch to it again within hours |
| A reference you'll come back to | A bookmark folder | Permanent, findable, costs no memory |
| Something to read once | The reading list | Marks itself read; doesn't haunt your tab strip |
| None of the above | Close it | History has it if you were wrong |
When a tab is the right choice
Keep a page open when you'll switch to it repeatedly today: the document you're editing, the ticket you're working on, the reference you keep checking. Put it in a coloured group by purpose (the three-group method is a good start) and close it when the task is done.
When a bookmark is better
Bookmark pages you'll need again but not today: tools, references, project pages. Organize bookmarks by project or area, not by date. A good test: if you'd be annoyed to lose the page in a week, bookmark it. Press Ctrl+D (Cmd+D on a Mac).
When to use the reading list
Articles and posts you mean to read go in Chrome's reading list: right-click the tab and choose Add tab to reading list. You'll find them in the side panel, and they're marked read as you go. Give it a weekly clear-out; a reading list you never read is just a quieter tab pile.
What about tab groups you save?
Recent versions of Chrome can save a whole tab group so you can close it and reopen it later. That's ideal for a project you work on a few days a week: it's like a bookmark folder that opens all at once. See the Chrome tab groups guide.
A middle way: parking
Some tabs are "not now, but later today", such as your social feeds during work. Bookmarking them is overkill; keeping them open is distracting. Parking fits in between: the tabs close and are saved as a set, then come back with one click.
TabHue parks a whole category at once, and Focus mode parks your distracting categories in one switch, then restores them exactly as they were. In TabHue 2.0, arriving in December, you'll also be able to snooze a single tab until this evening, tomorrow morning or next week. More in Focus mode and parking and how to close tabs without losing anything.
Frequently asked questions
Do open tabs slow down my computer more than bookmarks?
Yes. A bookmark is just a saved address. An open tab is a running web page that uses memory, and sometimes processor time too.
How many bookmarks is too many?
There's no limit that matters, as long as you can find things. Folders by project, plus the bookmarks search, keep even thousands manageable.
Should I bookmark or keep pinned tabs?
Pin the few pages you use all day, every day (email, calendar, chat). Bookmark everything else you need now and then.
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