ChatGPT Multitab

ChatGPT Multitab is a local Electron app for using the official ChatGPT web UI with workspace tab support.

2026-05-08: Changed from a Chrome plugin into an Electron app.

It keeps multiple ChatGPT pages in one desktop window. Each ChatGPT tab runs as a real Electron web contents view.

What it does

• Opens ChatGPT in a dedicated desktop window.
• Keeps multiple ChatGPT conversations available as workspace tabs.
• Runs each ChatGPT page in an Electron web contents view.
• Persists open and recently closed tabs in Electron user data.
• Supports Ctrl+T or Cmd+T for a new tab, Ctrl+W or Cmd+W to close the active tab, and Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab or Cmd+Tab / Cmd+Shift+Tab for tab switching.

You sign in to ChatGPT inside the Electron app. Electron keeps its own browser session, separate from Chrome or Edge.

Requirements

• Node.js
• npm

Run locally

Install dependencies:

npm install

Start the app:

npm start

The Electron shell renders the tab strip. The ChatGPT pages themselves are attached by the main process as WebContentsView children beneath that strip.

Build App Packages

Builds are written to dist/.

Windows:

npm run dist:win

Windows Unknown Publisher Warning

Windows shows Unknown publisher when the .exe or installer is not signed with a trusted code-signing certificate. This cannot be fixed with Electron code or package.json metadata alone.

To show a real publisher name, sign the Windows build with a trusted Windows code-signing identity. The lowest-friction current option is Microsoft Azure Artifact Signing / Trusted Signing. A traditional OV or EV code-signing certificate can also work, but a brand-new signed app may still show a SmartScreen warning until the file or publisher identity builds reputation.

For a local .pfx certificate, set signing credentials outside the repo before building:

$env:CSC_LINK = "C:\path\to\certificate.pfx"
$env:CSC_KEY_PASSWORD = "certificate-password"
npm run dist:win

For Windows-specific signing credentials, use WIN_CSC_LINK and WIN_CSC_KEY_PASSWORD instead.

After building, verify the signature:

Get-AuthenticodeSignature .\dist\*.exe

The status should be Valid, and Windows should show the certificate publisher instead of Unknown publisher.

macOS:

npx electron-builder --mac dmg zip

Linux:

npx electron-builder --linux AppImage deb

Build Windows packages on Windows, macOS packages on macOS, and Linux packages on Linux for the least friction. Cross-platform builds can require extra system tools such as Wine, code-signing certificates, or platform-specific packaging dependencies.

Development

Run tests:

npm test

Run syntax checks:

npm run check

Project layout

• electron/main.js: Electron main process, window setup, WebContentsView creation, IPC handlers
• electron/preload.js: safe renderer API exposed through contextBridge
• electron/renderer.html: tab-strip shell
• electron/renderer.js: tab UI rendering and keyboard handling
• electron/renderer.css: desktop shell styling
• src/electron-tabs.js: testable tab and view controller
• src/session-state.js: shared tab-session normalization helpers