To auto refresh multiple tabs in Chrome, create one automation for each open tab. Each tab gets its own Repeat wait, Pause control, and optional Bypass cache setting.
For example, you can give a support queue a short wait and a dashboard a longer one, while leaving a document you are editing alone.
Add a recurring timer to each tab
You’ll need Tab Automation installed. Custom automations are free; Explorer unlocks the full Dashboard. Google Search is coming soon. The side-panel tour covers first-time setup.
- Open the tabs you want to keep current.
- Open the Tab Automation side panel.
- Click New Automation. Under Tab & Startup, turn off Always start this automation in a new tab and pick the first tab.
- Add Refresh Page, turn on Repeat, choose its wait, and click Save & Run.
- Click New Automation again and repeat the setup for the next tab.
Starting another automation does not stop the first one. The side panel keeps them as separate rows under Active Jobs.
For the complete setup, cache behavior, permissions, and Chrome-open limit, read how to auto refresh a tab in Chrome.
Give each tab its own wait
Each automation stores its own Repeat settings. Repeat is off in a new automation; enabling it uses a 30-second Fixed wait. Repeat also offers No wait and Random range, unlimited or limited cycle counts, and an optional duration so one tab can stop on its own.
Repeat waits between completed cycles rather than guaranteeing an exact reload frequency. A short wait can keep a heavy page loading almost continuously. Match each wait to that page instead of copying one interval across every tab. For charts and queues, see auto refresh a dashboard in Chrome.
Bypass cache also belongs to each Refresh Page step. Enable it only for the tab that needs a cache-bypassing reload.
Pause one tab or the whole set
- Use Pause and Resume on one automation without affecting the others.
- Use Pause All or Resume All for the full list.
- Use Restart to abort one automation’s current wait or step and begin it again.
- Use Remove Automation for one row. Remove All removes all Active Jobs, including paused ones. Saved Library recipes and retained Dashboard results remain.
The toolbar badge is the count of running automations, not the length of the list. A paused queue still sits in the panel. It does not count on the badge.
When a tab closes
If an assigned tab closes, its automation can become parked while the others continue. Click Restore to reopen the saved URL and reattach that automation.
Restore reopens the saved URL when you choose it. Check that the page is still signed in before resuming work.
A tab can keep reloading while it is behind another tab; the background-tab guide explains why an extension timer works differently from page JavaScript.