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Nook uses Spaces to organize your tabs into contextual workspaces. Each space can contain regular tabs, space-pinned tabs, and folders for additional organization.

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Spaces

Spaces are containers for related tabs. Think of them as separate browsing contexts:
  • Work - Keep all work-related tabs together
  • Personal - Separate personal browsing from work
  • Research - Organize research tabs by project
  • Shopping - Compare products across multiple tabs

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Creating a space

1

Click the new space button

Click the + button at the bottom right of the sidebar, or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd+Shift+N.
2

Enter space details

  • Name - Give your space a descriptive name
  • Icon - Choose an emoji or SF Symbol icon
  • Profile (optional) - Assign the space to a specific profile
3

Create the space

Click Create to add your new space.
Spaces remember the active tab, so switching back to a space returns you to where you left off.

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Switching spaces

Navigate between spaces using:
  • Swipe gestures - Swipe left or right on the sidebar tab list
  • Space indicators - Click the dots at the bottom of the sidebar
  • Command palette - Type the space name and press Enter
Each space maintains its own active tab. Switching spaces automatically activates the last tab you were viewing in that space.

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Editing a space

Right-click any space indicator or use the space context menu to:
  • Rename - Change the space name
  • Change icon - Update the space icon
  • Assign profile - Move the space to a different profile
  • Customize gradient - Edit the space’s background gradient
  • Delete space - Remove the space (tabs are preserved)

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Tabs

Tabs in Nook exist within spaces and can be organized in multiple ways.

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Creating tabs

Create new tabs in the current space:
  • Press Cmd+T to open the command palette
  • Type a URL or search query
  • Press Enter to create the tab
Alternatively:
  • Right-click the sidebar → New Tab
  • Use the File menu → New Tab

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Tab states

Tabs can be in different states:
  • Regular - Normal tab in a space
  • Space-pinned - Pinned to the top of a specific space
  • Global-pinned - Pinned across all spaces (Essentials)
  • Folder member - Organized inside a folder

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Moving tabs between spaces

Drag a tab from the sidebar and drop it onto a different space indicator to move it. The tab will be removed from the source space and added to the destination space.

Tab persistence

All tabs are automatically saved to disk. Nook uses atomic snapshots to ensure your tabs are never lost, even if the browser crashes.

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Pinning tabs

Nook supports two types of pinned tabs:

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Global pinning (Essentials)

Pinned tabs appear in the Essentials grid at the top of every space:
  1. Right-click a tab
  2. Select Pin Tab
  3. The tab moves to the Essentials grid
Characteristics:
  • Available in all spaces
  • Profile-specific (each profile has its own essentials)
  • Hidden in incognito mode
  • Grid layout for compact display

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Space pinning

Pin a tab to the top of a specific space:
  1. Right-click a tab within a space
  2. Select Pin to Space
  3. The tab moves to the space-pinned section
Characteristics:
  • Only visible in that space
  • Appears above regular tabs
  • Can be organized into folders
  • Preserved when switching profiles
Use global pinning for apps you always need (like email or calendar) and space pinning for tabs important to a specific context.

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Folders

Organize space-pinned tabs into folders for better structure.

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Creating folders

1

Open the space context menu

Right-click anywhere in the space’s tab list.
2

Create folder

Select New Folder from the menu.
3

Name your folder

Enter a name for the folder (e.g., “Documentation”, “Social Media”).

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Adding tabs to folders

Drag a space-pinned tab onto a folder to add it. The tab becomes a member of that folder and is hidden when the folder is collapsed.

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Folder states

  • Open - Shows all tabs inside the folder
  • Closed - Hides tabs inside (shows count badge)
Click the folder to toggle between open and closed states.
Folders can only contain space-pinned tabs. Regular tabs cannot be added to folders directly - pin them to the space first.

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Tab reordering

Reorder tabs within a space:
  1. Click and drag a tab
  2. Drop it at the desired position
Tabs can be reordered:
  • Within regular tabs
  • Within space-pinned tabs
  • Between folders (for space-pinned tabs)

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Cmd+T - New tab (opens command palette)
  • Cmd+W - Close current tab
  • Cmd+Shift+N - New space
  • Cmd+P - Pin/unpin current tab
  • Cmd+[ / Cmd+] - Navigate to previous/next tab

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Tab lifecycle

Nook optimizes memory by lazy-loading tabs:
  • Tabs are created without loading the webview initially
  • Webviews are loaded when you first view the tab
  • Inactive tabs can be unloaded to save memory
  • Navigation state is preserved even when unloaded
This approach allows you to keep hundreds of tabs open without consuming excessive memory.

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Multi-window support

The same tab can be viewed in multiple windows:
  • Each window shows an independent webview for the tab
  • Changes sync across all windows (URL navigation, title updates)
  • Closing a window doesn’t close the tab (unless it’s the last window)
This enables flexible multi-window workflows while maintaining a single source of truth for tab data.

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