I always say that I live with organized chaos, but honestly my browser tabs are usually just vanilla, run-of-the-mill chaos. There are plenty of browser extensions and tools that promise to protect you from tab overload. However, they've never really worked for me.

Instead, changing my habits by using a few tools not directly related to browser tab organization is what finally brought the change I needed.

I've lived with tab chaos for years

Dozens of tabs was my status quo

Having too many tabs open in your browser is basically a meme at this point, but my tab overload surprises many. When I started writing this, I had 24 tabs open across my two displays. That may sound like a lot, but it's actually less than usual.

Over the years, I'd easily have over 30 tabs open on my PC, with the number sometimes increasing to 40. I'd remember to close some of them when I started having performance issues, or I was streaming my screen and someone commented on them.

This year, I started making a concerted effort to get them under control. But I first had to identify what was causing me keep so many tabs open.

I used apps to chip away at my tabs

I've combined a few tools

There are a few things that contribute to having so many tabs open on my browser. The main reason is work tasks and research. Since I need to use these tabs when writing an article, I focused on getting rid of unnecessary tabs that were perpetually open.

The first 'genre' of these tabs were tasks I needed to complete. I was essentially using my browser as a to-do list. For example, I kept my country's tax revenue service website open as a reminder to file my taxes. I also had a booking page for a local vehicle dealership open for months as I kept putting off making an appointment for my car service.

I also had articles I wanted to read, websites I wanted to browse out of interest (such as a hub on data journalism), and services I wanted to try out.

I decided to start whittling away at these unnecessary tabs by using a few different tools. The first step was setting up Raindrop.io. Initially, I started using the tool as a way to manage my bookmarks more easily and access them across devices even while using different browsers. But I eventually started saving certain research, as well as useful hub pages, to different folders in the service.

I also started using Brave's Reading List feature, which I now consider an essential browser feature. It allows me to easily save articles I want to visit later. I haven't only used it for articles though, but also pages I want to browse in general. I've even used it as a way to temporarily save links that I need to revisit later but don't want to go through the trouble of bookmarking.

Finally, I offloaded some of my tasks to an actual app made for keeping track of my to-do list. While I've been using apps like TickTick for important tasks for years, I've been struggling to keep on top of what I call "life admin" tasks.

These are the non-urgent tasks that I don't have to get done on a specific day, but that I forget if I just trust my memory and hope my ADHD doesn't take the wheel. When I set up Jotty Page as an alternative to Google Keep, it became a home for these types of tasks. Not only did it sort out some of my tab chaos, but it also helped me get some of those life admin tasks done.

Find a system that works for you

Try different solutions to see what sticks

I've tried plenty of solutions over the years, including browser features such as tab groups, vertical tabs, and pinned tabs. They just didn't work for me. However, this doesn't mean that they won't work for others.

My recommendation is that instead of focusing on the problem in general (i.e. having too many tabs), look at what habits are contributing to unnecessary tabs. Are you using them as reminders for tasks or as defacto bookmarks? Does your browser have features that could reduce these tabs?

If you're not particularly attached to your current browser, you might even consider switching to a browser like Vivaldi, which is renowned for its tab management capabilities. However, sometimes you'll have to combine a few smaller solutions to address specific habits if you're like me. The important thing is finding what works for you.

My tabs are no longer overloading my system

The last few weeks have felt strange as I've found myself dealing with far fewer tabs. I even recently had the experience of opening up my browser to a completely fresh session, something I haven't done in years. Even now, after closing the tabs I used while writing this article, I only have two open.

It didn't take a massive overhaul of my workflow or a new browser, it just took a few changes to my habits to get my tabs under control.