External Tab-less

by paul.mossman@gmail.com · Functionality & UI

Manifest V3 Free

View in Chrome Web Store Data as of 15 Oct 2026

URLs opened from outside Chrome launch in a new window.

Users

+2 in 30 days

Rating

3.0 / 5

unchanged in 30 days

Ratings

0 in 30 days

Store rank

#142K

#118K among extensions

Version

1.0.1

updated 22 Apr 2025

Users

monthly, 2 years

Latest, 15 Oct 2026: 23 usersMove the mouse over the chart for any month

Ratings count

monthly, 2 years

Latest, 15 Oct 2026: 2 ratingsMove the mouse over the chart for any month

The Chrome Web Store rounds user counts down to the leading digit, so the user line moves in steps. The ratings count is exact and is the better signal of real adoption.

About External Tab-less

When you aren't using Chrome but open a URL that takes you to Chrome, it's unlikely that URL is related to any of tabs you already have open in other Chrome windows. So in general it's nice if the new URL opens in a fresh new Chrome window. (Equivalent to Firefox's browser.link.open_external=2) Mac multiple desktops (aka Spaces): When you're using multiple desktops on a Mac and open a URL from outside Chrome, if you don't already have a Chrome window on the current desktop then you're switched to some other desktop that does have a Chrome window. (Sometimes it happens even when you do already have a Chrome window on your current desktop!) You then need to navigate yourself back to the desktop that you were working in, and bring the Chrome tab with the new URL with you. This extension fixes that problem, the URL is always opened in a new window on the current desktop. GitHub: https://github.com/paulmossman/external-tabless