Regex Tab Dedupe

Overview

Regex Tab Dedupe is a Chrome extension that detects newly opened duplicate tabs using regular-expression rules created or selected by the user. It handles tab URLs because URL comparison is the extension's only purpose.

All duplicate matching happens inside the browser. The developer does not operate a server for this extension and does not receive browsing activity, rule settings, or usage data from it.

Data handled

Web browsing activity

The extension reads the complete HTTP or HTTPS URL, including its path, query, and fragment, plus the tab identifier, window identifier, loading state, creation order, and regular or incognito context of browser tabs. It ignores non-HTTP(S) URLs. The extension does not separately access page contents, cookies, form fields, passwords, authentication APIs, or network request bodies. If a site places any such text in a URL, the extension processes it as part of that complete URL.

Rule settings

The extension stores the rule name, regular-expression pattern, flags, enabled state, order, internal rule identifier, and document revision identifier for rules the user saves. A rule can contain text or a domain entered by the user.

Temporary operation data

For newly created tabs, the extension temporarily stores the tab identifier, creation order, and observed URL. The URL lets duplicate processing recover if Chrome stops and restarts the extension's background service worker. The tab identifier and creation order also let the extension rank that tab against future new tabs. If Chrome replaces a tab, the record follows the replacement tab.

Data not collected

The extension has no analytics, advertising, tracking pixels, accounts, telemetry, or crash-reporting service. It does not collect personal information for the developer.

How data is used

The extension uses this data only to:

  • compare tab URLs with the user's enabled rules;
  • identify and rank older matching tabs;
  • focus the oldest matching tab and close only the new one;
  • restore unfinished duplicate checks after worker inactivity;
  • save rules and, when Chrome Sync is enabled, sync them across the user's Chrome browsers.

The developer does not use this data for advertising, profiling, credit decisions, marketing, analytics, or any unrelated purpose.

Storage and transfers

Tab URLs, unfinished candidate records, and creation-order records are stored only in chrome.storage.session. They are not placed in Chrome Sync and are not sent to the developer or a third party.

Saved rules are written to chrome.storage.local as a local backup and to chrome.storage.sync. Chrome Sync may transmit those rule settings through Google's systems under the user's Chrome Sync settings and Google's privacy terms. The developer cannot access that synced copy.

The popup contains links to GitHub for support and to the Chrome Web Store for ratings. Those sites receive normal browser requests only after the user chooses a link. The extension does not attach a tab URL, saved rule, or other extension data to those links.

The extension contains no remote code and sends no data to a developer-controlled service.

Retention and deletion

The extension removes a temporary candidate URL when its check finishes or the related tab closes. If Chrome replaces a tab before the check finishes, the candidate record follows the replacement. The tab identifier and creation order remain in session storage for the observed tab's lifetime so future new tabs can be ranked against it. Chrome clears session storage when the browser restarts or the extension is disabled, reloaded, or updated.

Saved rules remain until the user edits or deletes them, clears the extension's storage, or uninstalls the extension. Copies managed by Chrome Sync are also subject to the user's Chrome Sync controls.

To remove an individual rule, open the extension, choose Delete, confirm the deletion, and save. To remove all locally held data, uninstall the extension in chrome://extensions. The user can manage synced data through Chrome's Sync settings.

Chrome permissions

tabs
Reads tab URLs and state, focuses the older matching tab, and closes the newly opened duplicate.
webNavigation
Receives the destination URL early enough to prevent a known duplicate from finishing its load.
storage
Stores saved rule settings, a local backup, temporary candidate URLs, and tab creation-order records.
alarms
Schedules a one-time retry when a temporary Chrome API failure prevents a safe duplicate check.

The extension requests no host permissions, does not inject content scripts, and does not use the activeTab permission.

Chrome Web Store Limited Use

Regex Tab Dedupe's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs complies with the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

The extension uses browsing activity only to provide its visible duplicate-tab feature. It does not sell or transfer user data, use it for personalized advertising, or allow humans to read it.

Changes to this policy

Material changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date. Any extension update that changes data handling will also update the Chrome Web Store privacy disclosures.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be submitted through the project's GitHub issue tracker.