Recent Items
Automatic tracking of your browsing history across all supported browsers - see recently visited pages without manually saving them.
How It Works
Recent Items automatically monitors your browsers and tracks pages you visit. No manual saving required - just browse normally and SupaSidebar captures your history.
Automatic Tracking
SupaSidebar uses two methods to track browser activity:
Accessibility Observer (Direct Distribution only) Real-time tracking using macOS Accessibility API - instant updates when you navigate.
Polling Mode (All versions) Periodic checks every few seconds via AppleScript.
Watch this video:
recent items
Multi-Browser Support
Recent Items tracks across all supported browsers simultaneously : Safari, Chrome, Edge, Brave, Vivaldi, Comet, Orion, Atlas (ChatGPT), Helium, Firefox (with keyboard shortcuts enabled)
See Browser Integration for complete list.
Setup
Enable Recent Items
- Open Preferences → Recents
- Ensure mode is set to Recent Items (not Live Tabs)
- Configure display limit (default: 30 items)
Required Permissions :
Browser integration requires Automation permissions and for Accessibility access for enhanced features, Learn More to learn more about the set up.
Configure Display Limit
Using Recent Items
Opening Recent Pages
From Sidebar:
- Navigate to recent item with arrow keys or click
- Press Return or click to open
From Command Panel:
- Press ⌘⌃K
- Type part of the page title or URL
- Recent items appear in search results
- Press Return to open
Watch this video:
Recent History Command Panel
Saving Recent Items
Found something useful in your recent history?
- Right-click the recent item
- Select Save to Current Space
- Item becomes a permanent saved link
Or simply let it stay as a recent item - it’ll remain for 30 days.
Ignoring Duplicates
If you visit the same page multiple times, Recent Items updates the timestamp instead of creating duplicates. Your list stays clean.
Recent Items vs. Live Tabs
Choose between two modes in Preferences → Recents:
| Feature | Recent Items | Live Tabs |
|---|---|---|
| Shows | Visited pages (30 day history) | Currently open tabs |
| Updates | When you navigate to new page | When tabs open/close/switch |
| Purpose | Historical reference | Real-time tab management |
| Persists after | Browser closes | Only while tab is open |
See Live Tabs for details on the alternative mode.
Advanced Features
Custom Link Names
By default, recent items use the page title from the browser. To customize:
- Right-click a recent item
- Select Rename
- Type custom name
The custom name persists even if you revisit the page - SupaSidebar won’t overwrite your custom name.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Recent items don’t have dedicated shortcuts, but integrate with:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌃K | Open command panel (search recent items) |
| ↑ / ↓ | Navigate through recent items in sidebar |
| Return | Open selected recent item |
Troubleshooting
Recent items not appearing?
- Verify automation permissions are granted for your browsers
- Ensure Recent Items mode is selected (not Live Tabs)
- Check browser is in the supported list
- For Firefox: Enable Firefox keyboard shortcuts in preferences
Duplicate items showing?
- This shouldn’t happen - report bug to support
- Recent Items should update timestamp, not create duplicates
Items disappearing too quickly?
- Items auto-delete after 30 days
- Save important items to make them permanent
Wrong browser icon showing?
- Clear recents and track again
- Report issue if persists
Related Features
- Live Tabs - Alternative mode for real-time tab tracking
- Command Panel - Search across recent items
- Browser Support - Complete compatibility details for all 14 browsers
- Browser Integration - Overview of browser features
- Smart Shortcuts - Save recent items with ⌘⌃S
- Smart Folders - Auto-organize recent items by rules