TabVault — Zero-Data-Loss Tab Manager (Manifest V3)

Reclaim up to 95% of browser memory with speed, automated Google Drive cloud backup, and 1-click Notion/Markdown exports.

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Overview

OneTab has over 2,000,000 users, but millions have suffered sudden data loss due to corrupted browser storage during Chrome updates or crashes, with zero cloud backup capability.

TabVault is a modern, privacy-first, zero-data-loss alternative designed from the ground up for Chrome Manifest V3:

• Zero Data Loss Guarantee: Strict schema validation, atomic writes, crash recovery staging, and automated Google Drive cloud backups.
• Zero Server Costs & 100% Privacy: TabVault has no developer servers and collects zero telemetry. All data is saved exclusively on your local device and inside your own personal Google Drive account.
• 1-Click Notion & Markdown Export: Clean bulleted lists or tables ready to paste straight into Notion, Obsidian, or GitHub.
• OneTab Migration Engine: Paste your raw OneTab exports and instantly import them into organized session groups.

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Key Features

1. Window Collapse & Tab Capture:
   • Collapse an entire window of tabs into a timestamped session in under 100ms.
   • Pinned tabs are preserved by default so your active workspaces stay intact.
2. Interactive Session Dashboard:
   • Clean, modern dark mode default (with light and system theme support).
   • Real-time fuzzy search across titles, URLs, and domains (/ keyboard shortcut).
   • Editable session titles and custom color tags.
   • Pin sessions to the top or lock them to prevent accidental deletion.
   • Drag-and-drop tabs to reorder within groups or move between sessions.
   • 7-second non-intrusive Undo toast system for deleted tabs and groups.
3. Automated Google Drive Cloud Backup:
   • Native integration with Google Drive via chrome.identity.
   • Stores snapshots in your private hidden appDataFolder or a visible TabVault_Backups folder.
   • Background alarms trigger automatic sync every 24 hours and after session collapses.
   • Manual 1-click backup and snapshot restore.
4. Data Portability:
   • OneTab Importer: Full parser supporting piped format and raw URLs.
   • Markdown / Notion Exporter: Bulleted lists (- [Title](URL)) and Markdown tables.
   • JSON Full Backup & Restore: Lossless backup file generation and JSON importer with merge/replace options.
5. Memory & Storage Metrics:
   • Real-time counter of total saved tabs, session groups, and estimated RAM freed (~150MB per Chromium tab).
   • Storage health bar monitoring local storage usage.

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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Installation & Getting Started

🚀 Official Store Installation (Recommended)

• Google Chrome, Brave, Edge, Opera, & Arc:
  👉 Install TabVault from Chrome Web Store
• Mozilla Firefox, LibreWolf, & Waterfox:
  👉 Install TabVault from Firefox Add-ons (AMO)

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Manual / Developer Setup (Load Unpacked)

1. Clone or download the TabVault repository.
2. Open Google Chrome (or Edge, Brave, Arc, etc.) and navigate to:

   chrome://extensions
   

3. Enable Developer mode in the top-right corner.
4. Click Load unpacked in the top-left corner.
5. Select the tabvault directory (containing manifest.json).
6. TabVault will appear in your extensions list! Pin it to your browser toolbar for easy access.

2. Google Drive OAuth Setup (Optional for Cloud Sync)

To enable automated Google Drive cloud backup:

1. Visit the Google Cloud Console.
2. Create a new project (e.g. TabVault-Sync).
3. Under APIs & Services > Library, enable the Google Drive API.
4. Under APIs & Services > Credentials, click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID.
5. Choose Chrome extension as the application type.
6. Enter your extension's unique ID (found on chrome://extensions).
7. Copy the generated Client ID.
8. Either:
   • Paste the Client ID into manifest.json under "oauth2.client_id".
   • Or open TabVault Settings > Drive Sync in the dashboard and paste it into the Google OAuth Client ID field.

Note: All local features (collapsing, restoring, search, OneTab import, Notion/Markdown export, and JSON backups) work 100% offline without any Google account setup.

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Project Structure

tabvault/
├── manifest.json              # Chrome Manifest V3 configuration
├── background.js             # Service Worker (events, tab query, alarms, context menus)
├── storage-manager.js        # Storage engine, schema validation, deduplication, metrics
├── cloud-sync.js             # Google Drive REST API integration client
├── dashboard.html            # Main dashboard user interface
├── dashboard.css             # Dashboard design system (Dark mode, glassmorphism, responsive)
├── dashboard.js              # Dashboard controller (interactions, drag-drop, search, undo)
├── icons/                    # Extension icons
│   ├── icon-16.png
│   ├── icon-48.png
│   ├── icon-128.png
│   └── icon.svg
├── scripts/
│   ├── generate-icons.js     # Pure Node.js icon generator
│   ├── build-zip.js          # Production Chrome Web Store bundler
│   └── test-validation.js    # Automated unit and schema test suite
├── dist/
│   └── tabvault-v1.0.0.zip   # Packaged CWS release archive
├── README.md                 # Developer guide and documentation
├── CHROMEWEBSTORE.md         # Store listing metadata & permissions justification
└── PRIVACY.md                # GDPR-compliant privacy policy

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Building the Production ZIP

To create a clean release ZIP for upload to the Chrome Web Store Developer Dashboard:

node scripts/build-zip.js

The packaged archive will be generated in dist/tabvault-v1.0.0.zip.

Support & Community

TabVault is 100% free, open-source, and dedicated to zero tracking and complete privacy. If TabVault helps you reclaim memory and keep your workflow clean, consider supporting its maintenance and development:

• ☕ Buy Me a Coffee
• 💖 Sponsor on GitHub Sponsors
• ⭐ Star the repository on GitHub to help others discover it!

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License & Copyright

Copyright (C) 2026 jarvissing. All rights reserved.

TabVault is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPL-3.0). See the LICENSE file for the full text.

Under this license:

• You are free to run, study, and modify the software.
• Copyleft Enforcement: Any modified versions or forks distributed to users must also be licensed under the exact same AGPLv3 license and disclose their full source code publicly. Closed-source or proprietary forks are strictly prohibited.
• Trademark & Brand Protection: The name "TabVault", logos, and custom branding assets remain the exclusive trademark of the author and may not be used without written authorization.