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.
Tab Automation does not provide a switch that reloads an entire window. That separation keeps unrelated tabs out of the schedule.
Add a recurring timer to each tab
- Open the tabs you want to keep current.
- Open the Tab Automation side panel.
- Click New Automation and pick the first tab.
- Add Refresh Page, configure Repeat, and click Start.
- 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 Automations.
For the complete setup, cache behavior, permissions, and Chrome-open limit, read how to auto refresh a tab in Chrome.
Recurring refresh is not reload selected tabs once
Chrome can reload a selection of tabs once. Select a range of tabs, open the tab context menu, and choose Reload. That action does not keep repeating.
A recurring setup is different: the support queue can reload every 30 seconds while the status board uses a longer wait. A document you are editing can remain untouched because you never add it.
Tab Automation also does not rotate tabs on a display. It reloads the specific tabs assigned to automations.
Give each tab its own wait
Each automation stores its own Repeat settings. A new automation defaults to a 30-second Fixed wait. Repeat also offers No wait and Random range, plus unlimited or limited cycle counts.
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 clears every automation, including paused ones.
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 is a manual control. It does not detect stale pages or reopen every closed tab.
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.