Free Browser Prompt Tool

Browser Workspace Audit Template

Audit your browser workspaces, recurring tabs, extensions, saved sessions, and context-switch triggers with a practical checklist you can reuse.

How to use this audit

Run it with your browser open. Inspect what is active now, not the system you meant to build. Mark each item only after you verify it.

CadenceMonthly, or after a major project ends

Time needed20 to 30 minutes

Target outcomeFewer ambiguous places for active work

RuleKeep only what has a defined job

1. Workspaces

Inventory every workspace or profile. Record its name, purpose, owner, and the work that belongs there.
Find overlap. Flag workspaces that contain the same project, client, or responsibility.
Find orphans. Flag workspaces with no active purpose or no activity in the last 30 days.
Check boundaries. Confirm personal, company, client, and sensitive accounts are separated where identity or permissions differ.
Name for retrieval. Rename vague spaces such as “Main,” “Other,” or “Later” so the next action is obvious.
Set a workspace rule. Write one sentence defining what enters and what never enters each space.

2. Pinned and recurring tabs

List every pinned tab. Include tabs that reopen automatically or are recreated every morning.
Assign a job. Label each as communication, command center, reference, queue, or active production.
Remove duplicates. Keep one canonical tab for each recurring system inside the correct workspace.
Challenge permanence. Unpin anything used fewer than three times per week unless it is an emergency or monitoring surface.
Check startup behavior. Confirm recurring tabs open only where and when they are needed.
Set a tab ceiling. Define the maximum permanent tabs allowed in each workspace.

3. Extensions

Export the full list. Review enabled and disabled extensions across every browser profile.
State the function. Write the problem each enabled extension solves.
Remove overlap. Keep one extension per job unless the difference is documented.
Review permissions. Flag extensions that can read all page data, manage downloads, or access browsing history without a current need.
Check usage. Disable anything unused in the last 30 days, then remove it if nothing breaks during the next review cycle.
Confirm provenance. Record the publisher and update status for extensions trusted with sensitive work.

4. Saved sessions

Inventory session stores. Include built-in restore, tab managers, reading lists, bookmark folders, and saved windows.
Open a sample. Verify saved sessions still load and do not depend on expired logins or removed extensions.
Separate active from archive. Active sessions need a next action; archives need a descriptive name and date.
Delete stale recovery copies. Remove duplicate crash restores and unnamed windows after confirming nothing unique remains.
Define save criteria. Write what deserves a saved session instead of a bookmark, note, task, or closed tab.
Test recovery. Close and restore one noncritical session so the recovery path is proven.

5. Context-switch triggers

Observe one work block. Tally every intentional and accidental switch for 30 to 60 minutes.
Label the trigger. Use notification, missing information, unclear next action, wrong workspace, waiting, habit, or interruption.
Find repeat loops. Note any pair or sequence of tabs you bounce between more than twice.
Check notification sources. Identify which tabs, extensions, and web apps are permitted to interrupt active work.
Check retrieval failures. Record searches for tabs, logins, files, or prior context that should have a fixed home.
Design one prevention rule. Add a boundary, shortcut, startup set, or shutdown step for each frequent trigger.

6. Close the audit

Choose a small set of actions you can finish now. A browser audit is complete when the environment changes, not when the checklist is full.

Decision	Item	Action	Due
Keep	________________	Define its permanent job	________
Merge	________________	Move into canonical home	________
Archive	________________	Name, date, and close	________
Remove	________________	Delete or uninstall	________
Automate	________________	Create startup or shutdown rule	________

Copy-paste markdown template

Copy the full template into your notes, project system, or team documentation.

markdown

# Browser Workspace Audit

Date:
Auditor:
Browser(s):
Next review date:

## Audit rules

- Verify the browser as it exists now.
- Keep only items with a defined job.
- Separate active work, reference material, and archives.
- Finish with concrete changes and owners.

## 1. Workspaces

- [ ] Inventory every workspace or profile: name, purpose, owner, and included work.
- [ ] Flag overlapping workspaces that hold the same project, client, or responsibility.
- [ ] Flag orphaned workspaces with no active purpose or no activity in 30 days.
- [ ] Confirm personal, company, client, and sensitive identities are separated where needed.
- [ ] Rename vague spaces so their purpose and next action are obvious.
- [ ] Write one boundary rule for each workspace: what enters and what never enters.

### Workspace inventory

| Workspace / profile | Purpose | Owner | Boundary rule | Keep / merge / archive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

## 2. Pinned and recurring tabs

- [ ] List every pinned, auto-opening, and daily recreated tab.
- [ ] Assign each tab a job: communication, command center, reference, queue, or production.
- [ ] Remove duplicate recurring tabs and keep one canonical instance in the correct workspace.
- [ ] Unpin items used fewer than three times per week unless they serve monitoring or emergencies.
- [ ] Confirm startup tabs open only where and when needed.
- [ ] Define a maximum number of permanent tabs for each workspace.

### Recurring-tab inventory

| Tab | Workspace | Job | Use frequency | Keep / unpin / remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

## 3. Extensions

- [ ] Export or list enabled and disabled extensions across every profile.
- [ ] State the current problem solved by each enabled extension.
- [ ] Remove overlapping extensions unless the difference is documented.
- [ ] Review access to page data, downloads, history, and sensitive accounts.
- [ ] Disable extensions unused in 30 days; remove them at the next review if nothing breaks.
- [ ] Record publisher and update status for extensions trusted with sensitive work.

### Extension inventory

| Extension | Profiles | Function | Sensitive permissions | Last used | Keep / disable / remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

## 4. Saved sessions

- [ ] Inventory built-in restore, tab managers, reading lists, bookmark folders, and saved windows.
- [ ] Open a sample of saved sessions and verify they still load.
- [ ] Give every active session a next action.
- [ ] Give every archived session a descriptive name and date.
- [ ] Delete duplicate crash restores and unnamed windows after checking for unique material.
- [ ] Define what deserves a saved session instead of a bookmark, note, task, or closed tab.
- [ ] Close and restore one noncritical session to test recovery.

### Saved-session inventory

| Session | Location | Status | Next action or archive date | Keep / merge / delete |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

## 5. Context-switch triggers

- [ ] Observe one 30- to 60-minute work block and tally every switch.
- [ ] Label each trigger: notification, missing information, unclear next action, wrong workspace, waiting, habit, or interruption.
- [ ] Record tab pairs or sequences repeated more than twice.
- [ ] Identify tabs, extensions, and web apps allowed to interrupt active work.
- [ ] Record failed searches for tabs, logins, files, or prior context that need a fixed home.
- [ ] Add one prevention rule for each frequent trigger.

### Trigger log

| Time | From -> to | Trigger | Intentional? | Minutes lost | Prevention rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

## 6. Decisions and actions

| Decision | Item | Exact action | Owner | Due date | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keep | | Define its permanent job | | | [ ] |
| Merge | | Move into canonical home | | | [ ] |
| Archive | | Name, date, and close | | | [ ] |
| Remove | | Delete or uninstall | | | [ ] |
| Automate | | Create startup or shutdown rule | | | [ ] |

## Closeout

- Workspaces before / after:
- Pinned tabs before / after:
- Extensions before / after:
- Saved sessions before / after:
- Most common switch trigger:
- One rule to test before the next audit:
- Next review date:

Keep the audit honest: a checked box means you inspected the live browser and made or recorded a decision.