How to Save Tabs in Chrome: 5 Methods Ranked

Why You Need to Save Your Chrome Tabs

Chrome does not permanently save your open tabs by default. Close the browser, and your tabs are gone. Chrome crashes, and your session may not recover cleanly. An update restarts the browser, and your carefully organized workspace disappears.

Whether you keep 10 tabs or 100, losing them means losing context. You lose your place in articles, your research mid-project, and the mental map of what you were working on. Rebuilding that context takes time and cognitive energy that you should be spending on actual work.

We tested five methods for saving tabs in Chrome and ranked them by reliability, convenience, and how well they preserve your tab organization. Here are the results.

Overall Ranking

Rank	Method	Reliability	Preserves Groups	Effort	Cost
1	TabGroup Vault	Excellent	Yes (full)	One click	Free / $29 Pro
2	Chrome Save Group	Good	Yes (partial)	One click per group	Free
3	Bookmark All Tabs	Excellent	No	Moderate	Free
4	Session Buddy	Good	No	One click	Free / Donate
5	Manual Bookmarking	Excellent	No	High	Free

#1: TabGroup Vault (Best Overall)

TabGroup Vault is a Chrome extension designed specifically for saving and restoring tab groups. Unlike session managers that save flat lists of URLs, TabGroup Vault captures the complete structure of your tab groups: names, colors, tab order, and which tabs belong to which group.

How It Works

1. Click the TabGroup Vault icon in your Chrome toolbar.
2. Click "Save Snapshot" to capture all current tab groups.
3. Your snapshot is stored outside Chrome's session data.
4. To restore, open the extension and click "Restore" on any saved snapshot.

Pros

• Preserves full tab group context: names, colors, and tab order.
• Snapshots survive Chrome crashes, updates, and profile resets.
• Supports multiple snapshots for version history.
• Export and import snapshots as JSON files.
• One-click save and restore.

Cons

• Requires installing a Chrome extension.
• Free tier is limited to 5 snapshots (Pro is $29 one-time for unlimited).

#2: Chrome's Built-In Save Group Feature

Chrome added a native save feature for tab groups. You can right-click any tab group label and select "Save group" to persist it across browser sessions.

How It Works

1. Right-click a tab group label.
2. Select "Save group."
3. The group appears on your bookmarks bar.
4. Close and reopen Chrome; the group should still be there.

Pros

• No extension needed; built into Chrome.
• Quick and easy to use.
• Groups appear on the bookmarks bar for easy access.

Cons

• Groups can unsave after major Chrome updates.
• No version history. Modifications overwrite the saved state.
• Cannot export or back up saved groups to a file.
• Cross-device sync is unreliable.
• Must save each group individually (no "save all" option).

For a deeper dive into this feature's limitations, see our article on how to save tab groups in Chrome.

#3: Bookmark All Tabs

Chrome's "Bookmark all tabs" feature saves every open tab to a bookmark folder. It is a blunt instrument but extremely reliable.

How It Works

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+D (or Cmd+Shift+D on Mac).
2. Chrome prompts you to create a new bookmark folder.
3. Name the folder and click Save.
4. All open tabs are bookmarked in that folder.
5. To restore, right-click the folder in the bookmarks bar and select "Open all."

Pros

• Extremely reliable. Bookmarks almost never disappear.
• Syncs across devices with Chrome Sync.
• Can be exported as an HTML file for backup.
• No extension needed.

Cons

• Does not preserve tab groups. You get a flat list of URLs.
• No group names, colors, or organization.
• Reopening bookmarks does not recreate groups; tabs open individually.
• Creates clutter in your bookmarks over time.

#4: Session Buddy

Session Buddy is a well-known Chrome extension that saves and restores browser sessions. It captures all open windows and tabs as a session that you can name and restore later.

How It Works

1. Install Session Buddy from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click the extension icon to open the Session Buddy interface.
3. Click "Save" to capture the current session.
4. To restore, select a saved session and click "Open."

Pros

• Saves all open windows and tabs at once.
• Can auto-save sessions at regular intervals.
• Free to use with optional donation.
• Established extension with a large user base.

Cons

• Does not preserve tab group structure. Sessions restore as ungrouped tabs.
• Interface feels dated compared to modern alternatives.
• No export to standard formats for sharing with others.

#5: Manual Bookmarking

The most basic method: bookmark individual tabs one at a time using Ctrl+D (or Cmd+D on Mac).

How It Works

1. Navigate to the tab you want to save.
2. Press Ctrl+D (or Cmd+D on Mac).
3. Choose or create a folder and save the bookmark.
4. Repeat for each tab you want to save.

Pros

• Maximum control over what you save and where.
• Bookmarks are permanent and sync across devices.
• No extensions or special features needed.

Cons

• Extremely slow for multiple tabs.
• No tab group structure preserved.
• Easy to forget to bookmark important tabs.
• Creates bookmark clutter over time.

Which Method Should You Choose?

The right method depends on how you use tabs and what you need to preserve.

If You Use Tab Groups Heavily

Choose TabGroup Vault. It is the only method that preserves the full tab group experience, including names, colors, and structure. Chrome's built-in save is a reasonable alternative if you only have one or two groups and do not mind re-saving after updates.

If You Just Want Tabs Saved Without Groups

Choose Session Buddy or Bookmark All Tabs. Both save URLs effectively. Session Buddy is more convenient for frequent saves; Bookmark All Tabs is more reliable for long-term storage.

If You Want Maximum Reliability

Combine multiple methods. Use TabGroup Vault for daily snapshots, Chrome's Save Group as a secondary backup, and Bookmark All Tabs for a final safety net on critical projects. This layered approach ensures you have at least one working backup no matter what happens.

Our Recommendation

For most Chrome users, we recommend TabGroup Vault as your primary saving tool with Chrome's "Continue where you left off" setting enabled as a baseline. This combination gives you one-click saving that preserves your complete tab group setup, with Chrome's session restore as an automatic first line of defense.

If you are not ready to install an extension, start with Chrome's built-in Save Group feature and the Bookmark All Tabs keyboard shortcut. These built-in tools cover most scenarios, and you can always add an extension later when you want more reliability and features.

For more details on tab group-specific saving, read our guide on how to save tab groups in Chrome. If you are trying to recover tabs you have already lost, our article on why Chrome tab groups disappear covers every recovery option.