Skip to content

add: Space Overview dashboard (PoC)#13253

Closed
yvan-leroux-engineer wants to merge 1 commit into
zen-browser:devfrom
yvan-leroux-engineer:feature/space-overview
Closed

add: Space Overview dashboard (PoC)#13253
yvan-leroux-engineer wants to merge 1 commit into
zen-browser:devfrom
yvan-leroux-engineer:feature/space-overview

Conversation

@yvan-leroux-engineer

@yvan-leroux-engineer yvan-leroux-engineer commented Apr 14, 2026

Copy link
Copy Markdown

Hi everyone! I've been using Zen Browser lately and I'm absolutely loving it. One thing I really miss from my previous workflow though is the overview I used to get from the Simple Tab Groups extension.

When you start having a ton of spaces, it's easy to lose track of where everything is. So I thought, why not try to bring that "Command Center" feel directly into Zen?

This is a Proof of Concept for a Space Overview dashboard. It's basically a bird's-eye view of everything you have open.

space overview

✨ What's in there right now:

  • Full Overview: See all your workspaces and tabs in one grid.
  • Drag & Drop: You can actually drag tabs between space cards to reorganize them on the fly.
  • Instant Search: Just start typing to filter tabs across all your spaces (it's really fast!).
  • Workspace Tweaks: Rename or delete spaces right from the card headers.
  • Zen Integration: It picks up your space gradients/themes and even shows your bookmarks for each space.

I've tried to keep the UX familiar for anyone who has used STG before (hover to close buttons, middle-click to close, etc.).

📸 Preview

🛠 Status

This is still a PoC! The UI definitely needs some love and polish, but the engine is there and working. I'm really looking forward to getting your comments and feedback to see how we can make this a first-class feature for Zen.

Thanks for the great browser!

@dosubot dosubot Bot added size:XXL This PR changes 1000+ lines, ignoring generated files. Feature labels Apr 14, 2026
@yvan-leroux-engineer yvan-leroux-engineer changed the title add: Space Overview dashboard add: Space Overview dashboard (PoC) Apr 14, 2026
@mr-cheffy

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Member

Sorry, we already have that at #12655

@mr-cheffy mr-cheffy closed this Apr 14, 2026
@yvan-leroux-engineer

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Author

Thanks @mr-cheffy for the review. I understand the concern about overlap with the existing library work, but my goal here is slightly different: this PR is meant to demonstrate a native Zen space overview, not just a reusable abstraction.

The user problem I’m trying to solve is that once people have many spaces, it becomes hard to keep track of tabs and move between them efficiently. This dashboard gives a single overview, faster tab organization, and a more integrated Zen-native workflow.

If the current library already covers the same product goal, I’m happy to adjust the scope. But if it mainly solves a lower-level or different concern, I’d love for this PoC to be considered as a separate user-facing feature idea.

I’m also happy to trim anything that feels too broad and keep only the parts that clearly add value, like the overview grid and drag-and-drop between spaces.

@mr-cheffy

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Member

this PR is meant to demonstrate a native Zen space overview, not just a reusable abstraction

Not sure what you mean by this, sorry

@yvan-leroux-engineer

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Author

When I mentioned "native Zen space overview, not just a reusable abstraction," I meant that this PR isn't just a backend update—it's a dedicated new surface for heavy-duty tab management.

After digging into the new Library (PR #12655), I see it as a perfect Quick Switcher. My PR, however, is intended to be a Command Center (pinnable, detailed, and focused on reorganization).

Here is a comparison of how the two features complement each other:

Feature Zen Library (Spaces Tab) Space Overview (My PR)
UI Format Transient Overlay: A sidebar/panel that slides over the current page. Persistent Tab: A full chrome:// page that can be pinned or set as a new tab.
Visibility Shows Space names and icons only. Shows individual tabs and bookmarks inside every Space card.
Primary Goal Navigation: "I need to jump to my 'Work' space quickly." Management: "I need to reorganize 50 tabs across 5 spaces."
Interactions Click to switch Space. Drag & Drop tabs between spaces, middle-click to close, rename/delete.
Depth Surface-level (One click away). Bird's-eye view (Manage your entire session at once).

The Use Case Gap:
If I have 10 spaces and I’m looking for a specific tab but can’t remember which space it's in, the Library requires me to switch to each space one by one to find it. The Space Overview allows me to search across all spaces at once and drag that tab into the correct space without ever leaving the dashboard.

My Proposal:
I believe having a dedicated "Manage Spaces" tab (similar to the popular Simple Tab Groups extension) is a workflow Zen power-users would love.


P.S. Even if it's WIP, I did try the current Library branch of the repo. While it's great for quick jumps, it lacks the visibility into the contents of the spaces (tabs/bookmarks) and the management tools (drag & drop) that the Dashboard provides.

Capture d’écran 2026-04-15 à 00 42 39

@AfeefurR

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Contributor

That picture isn't really representative of what Library would look like in its final state. It would be closer to this (with some changes, obviously). So you would be getting that visibility into the contents.
image

@yvan-leroux-engineer

Copy link
Copy Markdown
Author

Lovely !
Hope that we will be able to play with it soon !

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

Feature size:XXL This PR changes 1000+ lines, ignoring generated files.

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

3 participants