Adding tabs to the browser window to separate active websites did wonders to clean up our busy taskbars and make online organization far easier. Unfortunately many don’t know this feature exists or have no idea how to use it.

Tabs allow you to have multiple websites open in the same browser. You can click from tab to tab to see different websites, without losing your current location. You can also rearrange those tabs to group them by activity. Here are some tips to help you make better use of tabs.

• Don’t open a new browser. I see too many people going opening up a new Firefox, Chrome, or Safari window to go to a new website. There is no need. Simply hit Ctrl+T on your current webpage to open a new tab
• When clicking on links, try using the middle button on your mouse. Instead of changing your current website, it will load the link in a new tab. This is useful if you’re searching for a website and you aren’t sure which will be useful. Middle click three or four and then read through the different tabs.
• Organize your tabs. I always have my email tabs first, then news, then my normal browsing tabs. The items to the left will stay open for a long time, while the ones on the right come and go. Find out what works for you. Once you get into a groove, you’ll know where everything is.
• You can leave tabs open for a while. If you’re looking for a phone number or address, you don’t always have to write it down or bookmark the site. Leave the tab open until you are done with it.
• You can close individual tabs. Part of the reason no one seems to use tabs is that they always close the browser itself. They never read the warning message (see my last post) about closing all of the tabs, so everything gets closed. Usually there is a little ‘x’ on the side of the tab you can click to close it, while leaving your other windows intact.