KeepTab

Open-source Chrome extension to save tabs, links, and notes while you browse.
Local-first personal board with optional Google Keep checklist sync.

Quick start · Features · Use cases · Usage · Keep sync · Development · FAQ

What is KeepTab?

KeepTab is a free, open-source Chrome extension (Manifest V3) that helps you capture browser tabs, bookmarked links, and quick notes without leaving the page you are on.

Use it as a lightweight tab saver, link bookmark manager, or read-it-later board that lives entirely in your browser. Data stays on your device in chrome.storage.local. If you want a backup or second copy, turn on optional Google Keep sync to append each save as a checklist line in your own Keep note.

No sign-up. No API keys. No analytics. No third-party server.

At a glance


What it does	Captures page titles, URLs, pasted links, and free-text notes into a compact personal board
Where data lives	Locally in Chrome storage on your device. Optional sync to your own Google Keep checklist note
Who it is for	Researchers, developers, shoppers, and anyone collecting tabs, links, or quick notes without copy-paste
Setup time	About 2 minutes to load the extension. About 5 minutes to link a Keep note if you want sync
Cost	Free and open source. No accounts, no API keys, no cloud backend

What is KeepTab?
Why KeepTab exists
Quick start
How it works
Features
Use cases
Item types
Output format
Install from source
Usage guide
Google Keep sync
Upgrading from v1
Privacy and data
Permissions explained
Development
Project structure
Architecture
Testing
FAQ
Troubleshooting
Related projects
Contributing
License
GitHub repo metadata

Why KeepTab exists

You find something worth keeping — a product page, a docs link, a reminder — and the usual workflow looks like this:

Copy the URL
Switch to Keep, Notion, or a notes app
Paste and format the line
Repeat for every tab

That adds friction dozens of times a day. KeepTab reduces it to save, next.

Stay on the page you are already on. Open the popup and click the tab icon to save, or paste a link or note. KeepTab stores a clean entry locally. If you enable Keep sync, each save can append a formatted line to your checklist note in the background.

No spreadsheet middleman. No manual formatting. No account required.

Quick start

Already have the extension built? Skip to step 3.

git clone https://github.com/THEFZNKHAN/KeepTab.git
cd KeepTab
npm install
npm run icons
npm run build

Open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, click Load unpacked, and select the KeepTab folder.
Pin KeepTab to your Chrome toolbar.
Visit any website, open the KeepTab popup, and click the tab icon to save the current page.
Open the KeepTab popup to see your saved item.

Want automatic Keep sync? Jump to Google Keep sync.

How it works

flowchart LR
  subgraph capture [Capture]
    PopupSave[Popup input or Save tab]
  end
  subgraph core [Background]
    BG[Service worker]
    Storage[(chrome.storage.local)]
    Format[format.ts]
  end
  subgraph output [Output]
    Shelf[Popup board]
    Badge[Toolbar badge]
    Keep[Google Keep optional]
  end
  PopupSave --> BG
  BG --> Storage
  BG --> Format
  BG --> Keep
  Storage --> Shelf
  Storage --> Badge

Capture — Save from the popup: paste a link or note, or capture the current tab with the tab icon.
Store — The background service worker deduplicates and persists items in chrome.storage.local.
Use — View, copy, or delete items in the popup. Optionally append each save to Google Keep.

Features

Capture

Save from popup — Paste a URL or type a note in the input field and click Save
Save current tab — Tab icon button in the popup captures the active tab's title and URL
Smart input — Valid URLs save as links; plain text saves as notes
Duplicate detection — Same URL or note text is not saved twice

Board management

Compact popup UI — 360×480px board with Inter typography and Material Symbols icons
Scrollable list — All saved items in one view, newest first
Hover details — Themed overlay card shows full title and URL without shifting the layout
Multi-select — Checkbox per row for bulk actions
Copy all / Copy selected — Export formatted lines to clipboard
Delete selected — Remove checked items
Clear all — Wipe the board with a confirmation dialog
Toolbar badge — Green count badge on the extension icon

Google Keep (optional)

Auto-append — Each save adds a formatted line to your Keep checklist note
Test sync — Verify your Keep note URL before relying on it
Graceful fallback — On failure, copies the line to clipboard and opens your Keep note

Technical

Manifest V3 — Modern Chrome extension architecture
TypeScript + esbuild — Typed source with fast bundled output
Unit tests — Format, storage, migration, and Keep settings coverage
v1 migration — Automatically imports legacy myLeads data on first popup open

Use cases

KeepTab works well when you need a fast, private capture tool instead of a full notes app:

Scenario	How KeepTab helps
Research tabs	Save docs, articles, and reference pages with the popup tab icon
Shopping comparisons	Collect product URLs and short notes before deciding what to buy
Developer bookmarks	Stash GitHub repos, Stack Overflow threads, and API docs in a clean export format
Meeting follow-ups	Jot quick action items in the popup and copy them into Slack or email
Read-it-later queue	Build a lightweight link backlog locally, then copy all lines into Keep or another tool
Google Keep users	Auto-append saves to a Keep checklist note so your board and Keep stay in sync

Item types

KeepTab stores three internal item types. They are not shown as badges in the UI, but they affect how items are captured and deduplicated.

Type	How it is saved	Stored fields
Tab	Save current tab from the popup	Page title, full URL, optional favicon
Link	Paste a URL in the popup input	Derived title (host + path), full URL
Note	Paste or type non-URL text in the popup input	Note body, short display title

Dedupe rules:

Tab / Link — Normalized URL (lowercase host, no trailing slash, no hash)
Note — Trimmed, case-insensitive body text

Output format

KeepTab uses one canonical line format for clipboard export and Google Keep sync.

Tabs and links:

Page Title | https://example.com/path
github.com/user/repo | https://github.com/user/repo

Notes:

Remember to follow up with the client

Rules:

Tabs and links: {title} | {full URL}
Notes: plain text only
No type prefixes ([Tab], [Link], [Note])
No dates in the exported line

Install from source

Requirements

Google Chrome 120 or newer
Node.js 18 or newer
Python 3 with Pillow (for icon generation only)

Build steps

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/THEFZNKHAN/KeepTab.git
cd KeepTab

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Generate circular icons (16, 32, 48, 128) from icons/icon.png
npm run icons

# Build extension bundles into dist/
npm run build

Load in Chrome

Open chrome://extensions
Enable Developer mode (top-right toggle)
Click Load unpacked
Select the KeepTab folder (the repo root, not dist/ alone)
Pin KeepTab from the extensions menu

After code changes

npm run build

Then click the Reload button on the KeepTab card at chrome://extensions.

For continuous rebuilds during development:

npm run watch

Usage guide

Save a link

Open the KeepTab popup
Paste a URL into the input field (e.g. https://github.com/user/repo)
Click Save

The item appears in your board with the page host/path as the subtitle.

Save a note

Open the popup
Type any non-URL text (e.g. Call dentist tomorrow)
Click Save

Save the current tab

From the popup:

Navigate to the page you want to save
Open the KeepTab popup
Click the tab icon next to the input field

Copy items

Copy all — Copies every item on the board as formatted lines
Copy selected — Check one or more rows, then click Copy selected

Paste the result into Keep, Slack, email, or any text field.

Delete items

Delete selected — Check rows, then click the trash icon
Clear all — Click the clear icon, then confirm in the dialog

Clearing KeepTab does not remove lines already appended to Google Keep.

View full details

Hover over any list row. A themed overlay card shows the full title and URL (or full note text) without moving other items.

Google Keep sync

KeepTab can automatically append each saved item to a Google Keep checklist note you own.

Setup (one time)

In Google Keep, create or open a checklist note

Copy the full URL from your browser address bar. It should contain #LIST/ followed by a long ID:

https://keep.google.com/#LIST/1vOq_nsNuaC7HtFeKuzCI_AaGu-MD4YIAN4XpCY-lLkgRZUVq-Jug6cb07iUMKg

Open KeepTab popup → Settings (gear icon)
Enable Auto-add saves to Google Keep
Paste your note URL into Board note URL
Click Test Keep sync — a test line should appear in your Keep note
Click Save settings

What gets appended

Each save adds one checklist item using the output format:

ALL-IN-ONE PACKAGE TRACKING | 17TRACK | https://t.17track.net/en
Remember to follow up

If sync fails

KeepTab will:

Copy the formatted line to your clipboard
Open your Keep note in a new tab so you can paste manually
Show an error toast in the popup

Common causes: incomplete Keep URL, Keep note not open recently, or Chrome blocking the background tab.

Keep sync is optional

KeepTab works fully offline and locally without Keep. Sync is opt-in only.

Upgrading from v1

KeepTab v1 was a simple popup scratchpad that saved strings to localStorage under the key myLeads.

v2 migrates automatically:

Build and load v2 as described above
Open the KeepTab popup once
Legacy strings import into the new board:
- Strings that look like URLs → link items
- Everything else → note items
The old myLeads key is removed after migration

You should see a toast: Imported N items from KeepTab v1.

Privacy and data

Data	Location	Shared?
Saved items (titles, URLs, notes)	`chrome.storage.local` on your device	Never
Keep settings (note URL, enabled flag)	`chrome.storage.local` on your device	Never
Google Keep lines	Your Keep account (if sync enabled)	Only to your own note

KeepTab has:

No analytics
No remote server
No user accounts
No telemetry

All processing happens in your browser. Keep sync writes directly to your Google Keep note via an automated tab — KeepTab never sends data to a third-party backend.

Permissions explained

Permission	Why KeepTab needs it
`storage`	Save board items and Keep settings locally
`tabs`	Read the active tab's title and URL when you save a tab
`scripting`	Run the Keep list-append helper on `keep.google.com`
`debugger`	Insert trusted keyboard input so Google Keep persists checklist items
`https://keep.google.com/*`	Open and update your Keep checklist note during sync

KeepTab does not inject UI into web pages. It only captures the page title and URL when you explicitly save from the popup.

Development

npm scripts

Command	Description
`npm run build`	Bundle TypeScript to `dist/` and copy popup HTML/CSS
`npm run watch`	Rebuild automatically on file changes
`npm test`	Run all unit tests
`npm run icons`	Generate 16/32/48/128 PNG icons from `icons/icon.png`

Tech stack

Layer	Choice
Platform	Chrome Extension Manifest V3
Language	TypeScript 5.7 (strict mode)
Build	esbuild → IIFE bundles
Storage	`chrome.storage.local`
UI	Vanilla HTML/CSS/TypeScript (no framework)
Icons	Inter + Material Symbols Outlined
Tests	Node built-in test runner

Build output

The manifest points to dist/:

dist/
  background.js   ← Service worker
  popup.html      ← Popup shell
  popup.css       ← Popup styles
  popup.js        ← Popup logic

Source lives in src/. Edit source files, run npm run build, then reload the extension.

Project structure

KeepTab/
├── manifest.json              # MV3 extension manifest
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
├── icons/
│   ├── icon.png               # Master icon (source for generation)
│   ├── icon16.png
│   ├── icon32.png
│   ├── icon48.png
│   └── icon128.png
├── scripts/
│   ├── build.mjs              # esbuild bundler
│   ├── build-test.mjs         # Compile shared modules for tests
│   └── generate-icons.mjs     # Pillow icon generator
├── src/
│   ├── background/
│   │   └── main.ts            # Message router, badge init, Keep hook
│   ├── popup/
│   │   ├── popup.html         # Board + settings + confirm dialog
│   │   ├── popup.css          # Design tokens and layout
│   │   └── popup.ts           # List rendering, actions, settings
│   └── shared/
│       ├── types.ts           # BoardItem, message types
│       ├── storage.ts         # CRUD, dedupe, badge
│       ├── format.ts          # Input parsing, export lines
│       ├── messaging.ts       # MV3 service worker wake retry
│       ├── tab-capture.ts     # Active tab / page metadata
│       ├── migrate.ts         # v1 myLeads import
│       ├── keep-settings.ts   # Keep note URL parsing
│       ├── keep-sync.ts       # Keep append orchestration
│       ├── keep-append-page.ts# Injected Keep DOM script
│       └── keep-debugger.ts   # Trusted text input via debugger API
├── tests/
│   ├── format.test.mjs
│   ├── storage.test.mjs
│   ├── migrate.test.mjs
│   └── keep-settings.test.mjs
└── dist/                      # Built output (load via manifest)

Architecture

Message flow

The popup communicates with the background service worker through a typed message bus:

Action	Description
`save`	Save a board item (with dedupe + optional Keep sync)
`saveTab`	Capture and save the active browser tab
`getAll`	Return all board items
`delete`	Remove items by ID
`clear`	Remove all items
`getKeepSettings` / `setKeepSettings`	Read/write Keep configuration
`testKeepAppend`	Append a test line to Keep
`getLastKeepResult`	Last Keep sync status for popup toast

The messaging layer retries up to three times to handle MV3 service worker wake delays.

Keep append pipeline

When Keep sync is enabled, each save triggers:

Open or reuse a Keep tab with your checklist note
Prepare — Inject a script to focus the list field and check for duplicates
Insert — Use the Chrome debugger API for trusted text input
Commit — Click "Add list item" in Keep's UI
Verify — Confirm the line persisted

If any step fails, the formatted line is copied to clipboard and the Keep note opens for manual paste.

Testing

npm test

This compiles shared modules to dist-test/ and runs:

Test file	Covers
`format.test.mjs`	URL detection, title derivation, export line formatting
`storage.test.mjs`	Save, dedupe, delete, badge updates
`migrate.test.mjs`	Legacy `myLeads` string import
`keep-settings.test.mjs`	Keep URL parsing and settings normalization

All tests use Node's built-in test runner with mocked chrome.storage.

FAQ

Does KeepTab work on chrome:// pages?

No. Chrome blocks extensions from reading tabs on browser internal pages (chrome://, etc.). Navigate to a regular website first, then use Save current tab from the popup.

Why does KeepTab need the debugger permission?

Google Keep only persists checklist items from trusted keyboard input. KeepTab uses the debugger API briefly to simulate that input, then detaches immediately.

Can I use a regular Keep note instead of a checklist?

Keep sync is designed for checklist notes (#LIST/... URLs). Regular text notes (#NOTE/...) may not work reliably.

Will duplicates sync to Keep twice?

No. The Keep append script checks existing list items before inserting. Duplicate saves are detected both locally and in Keep.

Does clearing KeepTab delete my Keep note?

No. Clear all only removes items from KeepTab's local storage. Lines already in Keep stay untouched.

Can I sync to multiple Keep notes?

Not currently. v2 supports one board note URL. Use Copy all to move items elsewhere manually.

Is KeepTab related to KeepShelf?

KeepTab and KeepShelf share the same architecture (TypeScript, MV3, Keep sync pipeline) but serve different purposes. KeepShelf tracks movies, series, anime, and books from specific sites. KeepTab is a general-purpose link and note board.

Troubleshooting

Extension won't load

Run npm run build and confirm dist/ contains background.js, popup.js, popup.html, and popup.css
Run npm run icons if icon files are missing from icons/
Load the repo root folder, not dist/ alone

"KeepTab background is not running"

Reload the extension at chrome://extensions. MV3 service workers sleep when idle; the messaging layer retries automatically, but a full reload fixes persistent failures.

Save tab fails on certain pages

Restricted URLs (chrome://, chrome-extension://, edge://, about:) cannot be saved from the tab API. Navigate to a regular website first.

Keep sync fails

Paste the full Keep URL from your browser (the long #LIST/... link)
Open the Keep note manually once before testing
Use Test Keep sync in Settings
Check that Keep sync is enabled and settings are saved
On failure, paste the copied line from your clipboard manually

Imported v1 items missing

Migration runs once on first popup open after upgrading. If you already opened v2 before v1 data existed, or myLeads was empty, nothing imports. Legacy data must still be in popup localStorage under the key myLeads.

Changes not appearing

After editing source files:

npm run build

Then reload KeepTab at chrome://extensions.

Related projects

Project	Purpose
KeepShelf	Save movies, series, anime, and books from Google, IMDb, Goodreads, and more

Both extensions share a similar MV3 architecture, popup design language, and Google Keep sync pipeline.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome.

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Run npm run build and npm test
Open a pull request with a clear description of what changed and why

Please keep user-facing copy free of em-dashes. Use periods, commas, or colons instead.

License

MIT. Free to use, modify, and distribute.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
icons		icons
scripts		scripts
src		src
tests		tests
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
icon.png		icon.png
manifest.json		manifest.json
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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