Auto refresh and scroll to the bottom in Chrome

To auto refresh and scroll to the bottom in Chrome, add Refresh Page, add Scroll Page set to Bottom of page, configure Repeat, and click Start.

Standard Chrome reloads reset the viewport to the top of the page (0, 0). On live tail logs, chat streams, ticket queues, and status boards where new entries appear at the bottom, an extension graph reloads the page and jumps back to the bottom on every cycle.

Set up auto refresh and scroll in the side panel

1. Open the tab you want to keep current — a server log stream, deployment monitor, or live dashboard.
2. Open Tab Automation from its toolbar action. The extension opens in Chrome’s side panel.
3. Click New Automation and pick the open tab under Select a Tab.
4. Click Add Step, then choose Refresh Page.
5. Click Add Step, then choose Scroll Page. Bottom of page is selected by default.
6. Configure Repeat at the End block. A new automation starts with a 30-second Fixed wait. You can choose No wait, Fixed, or Random range, in seconds from 0 to 3600 where allowed.
7. Click Start.

The graph runs: it reloads the assigned tab, executes the scroll jump to the bottom of the document, reaches Repeat, waits, and begins the next cycle. Click Pause to hold the cycle or Remove Automation to delete it.

If the page fetches data asynchronously after loading, insert a short Wait / Delay step between Refresh Page and Scroll Page so the container has painted before the scroll runs.

Target a specific element below the fold

If your dashboard has multiple sections and you only watch one widget, you can scroll directly to that element instead of the document bottom:

1. On the Scroll Page step, choose An element instead of Bottom of page.
2. Click Pick element to scroll to, then click the target widget or table on the page. The picker writes the CSS selector.
3. If the selector matches several items, set Which match to use to This one.
4. Click Test scroll to confirm the tab centers the target element.

When the runner reaches an element scroll, it waits up to six seconds for the selector to appear, then centers it in the viewport using scrollIntoView.

You can also choose Down and enter a specific pixel distance (1 to 20,000 pixels; default 600px) when you need to move past a sticky navigation bar or fixed header.

Why DevTools console scripts fail on reload

A common question is whether you can auto refresh and scroll using DevTools Console JavaScript without an extension:

setInterval(() => {
  location.reload();
  window.scrollTo(0, document.body.scrollHeight);
}, 30000);

That script dies on the very first reload. location.reload() replaces the current document, which immediately destroys the JavaScript execution context where your setInterval and scrollTo were running. The reloaded page never executes the scroll.

An extension timer lives in Chrome’s background service worker, outside the page DOM. It calls chrome.tabs.reload, waits for the page load event to complete, and injects the scroll step cleanly into the new document on each recurring cycle.

The auto refresh background tab guide covers how background timers and tab throttling work when you switch away.

Combine scroll with screenshots or alerts

Because Tab Automation runs a multi-step graph rather than a simple reload timer, you can chain additional actions after the scroll:

• Capture a PNG of content below the fold: Take a Screenshot captures the visible viewport. Place Scroll Page first so the camera photographs the bottom widget rather than the top banner.
• Check for new alert text: Place If / Else or Wait Until after the reload to inspect updated page elements, then trigger a desktop notification or webhook with Send Alert.

For general reload intervals and cache options, see the how to auto refresh a tab pillar and the dashboard reload guide.

Limits to know before you start

• Bottom of page is one instant jump. It jumps to the document’s current scrollHeight. It does not continuously poll or trigger infinite-scroll feeds that require simulated wheel gestures.
• Scrolls the main document. Scroll Page moves document.scrollingElement. For a nested overflow: auto container with its own scrollbar, use An element mode on a target item inside that container.
• Chrome must stay open. Extension alarms do not run after you quit Chrome. Active automations reschedule when Chrome is reopened.
• Automations stay local. Tab configurations are stored locally in chrome.storage.local on your computer. Read the privacy policy for permissions and data handling.