SMARTAINEWTAB DOCS / 01
Documentation
From installation and first use to AI, recovery, and contributing—documented against what the current implementation can actually deliver.
Last verified: August 8, 2026What it does
SmartAINewTab turns Chrome's new tab into a workspace backed by native Chrome bookmarks. You can search locally, build a separate category and group layout, and optionally enable AI tagging, semantic search, natural-language organization, and bookmark health checks.
Chrome bookmarks remain the source of truth. Home-page layout lives in the extension's sidecar data, so ordinary dragging does not rearrange Chrome folders. Deleting a bookmark or changing its URL requires explicit confirmation.
Three boundaries to remember
- The new tab, web search, local bookmark search, layout, backgrounds, widgets, and local import/export work without AI.
- When AI is enabled, the API key stays in local extension storage and is excluded from source code, exported backups, cloud sync, and the SmartAINewTab Worker.
- AI, page metadata, health checks, network widgets, sign-in, and cloud backup are triggered by an explicit action or setting—not simply by opening a new tab.
Recommended reading path
- First use: read Installation and Getting started.
- Before enabling a model: read AI and models, then create a separate, limited, revocable API key.
- Before organizing a large library: export a full backup, then read Core features and Backup and restore.
- Before contributing: read Development plus CONTRIBUTING.md and SECURITY.md in the repository root.
Availability
The source, local builds, and core extension behavior can be tested in developer mode. Chrome Web Store distribution, production Google OAuth, production cloud storage, and cross-device restore are separate acceptance layers. The extension and public release notes are authoritative for their availability.