Remote Tab Opener – Multi-Tab, Cross-Domain Tab Automation

What It Is

Remote Tab Opener lets a secure page you control open, navigate and focus one or more tabs through a browser extension acting as a safe bridge. Your page emits commands; a content script executes them inside the target tab(s) on allow-listed hosts. It’s a lightweight Firefox browser extension built for cross-domain tab automation with window.postMessage — no backend required.

How It Works (3 steps)

1. Your admin page sends a window.postMessage() command (or the ask() helper with requestId + timeout).
2. The extension validates the request (allow-listed domain, named action, HTTPS-only, optional LAN/localhost flags) and routes it to a controlled tab.
3. The content script performs the action in the controlled tab (open, navigate, focus, read URL, fill form, submit…).

This does not bypass SOP: the extension runs in the target tab with explicit host permissions.

See our full working L

This does not bypass SOP: the extension runs in the target tab with explicit host permissions.

This does not bypass SOP: the extension runs in the target tab with explicit host permissions.

• See our full working examples.
• Download the SDK and read the Documentation

Key Features

• Open a new tab from any secure admin page.
• Navigate and focus the remote tab across domains.
• Read the current URL or title in real time.
• Predefined safe DOM actions on allow-listed hosts (fill, click, submit, wait).
• Multi-tab targeting via tabKey or tabId (listTabs, adoptTab, releaseTab).
• LAN/localhost support (opt-in flags + allowlist).
• Favorites & local history.
• Firefox support now; Chrome (MV3) coming soon.

Capabilities at a Glance

Real-World Flows (aka E2E) — without the overhead

Minimal "flow" using the ask() helper (recommended)

<script type="module">
// Paste the ask() helper from the docs, then:
(async () => {
  const det = await ask('detect'); if (!det.ok) return console.warn(det.error);
  await ask('openTab',   { url: 'https://example.org', tabKey:'sales',   focus:true });
  await ask('domType',   { selector: '#q', value: 'rto demo', clear: true, tabKey:'sales' });
  await ask('domClick',  { selector: 'form button[type=submit]', tabKey:'sales' });
  const page = await ask('getCurrentUrl', { tabKey:'sales' });
  console.log('Now at:', page.ok ? page.data.url : '(unknown)');
})();
</script>

Prefer this contract over the legacy short messages. It gives typed responses and canonical error codes.

What it does / does not do

See the live E2E demonstration examples NOW.

Security by design

• Runs locally in your browser — no backend required.
• Works only on domains you authorize (allow-list).
• LAN/localhost require explicit opt-in in the popup and must be present in the allow-list (double barrier).
• Predefined actions executed by the extension’s content script (no arbitrary code).
• Respects browser security rules (no SOP bypass; clean messaging).

See the LAN/localhost page and full notes in the official documentation.

Browser Limits — What RTO Solves

Remote Tab Opener does not break browser security. It uses the extension layer to provide capabilities that ordinary pages don’t have, while still respecting Same-Origin Policy and user consent.

Hard Guarantees

• No SOP bypass. Actions run in the target tab with explicit host permission (allow-list).
• No data collection. No cookies access, no webRequest interception, no remote servers.
• Local-only. All logic lives in the browser (background/content scripts + postMessage).
• User control. You choose which domains are controllable via the extension popup.

Quick Snippets (copy & run)

Modern contract (multi-tabs): open + type + submit

<script type="module">
// ask(action, args, { timeoutMs }) returns { ok, data } or { ok:false, error:{ code, message } }
(async () => {
  const det = await ask('detect'); if (!det.ok) return;

  // Control 2 tabs in parallel using tabKey
  await ask('openTab', { url:'https://example.org/login', tabKey:'auth', focus:true });
  await ask('openTab', { url:'https://status.example',    tabKey:'monitor', focus:false });

  // Work on "auth" tab
  await ask('domType',  { selector:'#email',    value:'user@example.org', tabKey:'auth' });
  await ask('domType',  { selector:'#password', value:'s3cret',           tabKey:'auth' });
  await ask('domClick', { selector:'form button[type=submit]',            tabKey:'auth' });

  // Read current URL from "monitor" tab
  const u = await ask('getCurrentUrl', { tabKey:'monitor' });
  console.log('Monitor at:', u.ok ? u.data.url : '(unknown)');

  // Optional: list/adopt/release by id
  const list = await ask('listTabs'); // -> { items:[{tabId, tabKey, url, title, focused}, ...] }
  if (list.ok && list.data.items.length) {
    await ask('adoptTab',   { tabId: list.data.items[0].tabId, tabKey:'ops' });
    await ask('navigate',   { url:'https://example.org/tools', tabKey:'ops' });
    await ask('releaseTab', { tabKey:'ops' });
  }
})();
</script>

Bring a tab to front (new in v7.10.1)

// Focus the "sales" tab by key
await ask('focus', { tabKey: 'sales' });

Tip: add your admin origin to the allow-list. To target intranet/localhost, enable the popup flags and keep hosts in the allow-list (double barrier).

Legacy quick messages (kept for compatibility)

<script>
/* open a new controlled tab (legacy) */
window.postMessage({ type:'open', url:'https://example.com', origin:'admin-page' }, '*');

/* navigate the controlled tab (legacy) */
window.postMessage({ type:'navigate', url:'https://example.com/next', origin:'admin-page' }, '*');

/* bring the controlled tab to front (legacy) */
window.postMessage({ type:'focus', origin:'admin-page' }, '*');
</script>

Need help writing safe flows?
Try the ChatGPT helper: Remote Tab Opener Copilot.

Use Cases

FAQ (short)

Does this bypass the Same-Origin Policy? No. The extension executes actions inside the target tab with explicit host permissions.

Do I need a server or proxy? No. Everything is local in the browser.

Chrome? Planned for MV3.

Is any data collected? No. The extension declares no data collection.

Where do I configure allowed domains? In the extension popup (allow-list). For LAN/localhost, enable the dedicated flags too.

How do I control 2 tabs? Use tabKey (e.g. "sales", "monitor") or a tabId from listTabs. See the snippets above.

Changelog (short)

• 2025-10-31 — v7.10.1: MV3-ready; new focus handler; stronger background relay; per-host action queue; on-demand “Controlled by RTO” banner; sanitized reads; full demo update (Google→YouTube, DTI form); no data migration.
• 2025-10-26 — v7.10.0: Multi-tab control with tabKey/tabId, new actions listTabs/adoptTab/releaseTab, security banner shows tabKey, LAN/localhost policy now opt-in (flags) + allow-list.
• 2025-10-25 — v7.9.3: Admin demo finalized (Steps 1–10), state sync on reload, radio/checkbox mirroring, submit+focus fix.
• 2025-10-21 — v7.9.2: Control banner (controlled tabs only), single controlled tab, stronger allowlist, new safe style actions (highlight / domSetStyle / selectSetValue).
• 2025-10-19 — v7.9.1: Safe named DOM actions on whitelisted sites, search-engine allowlist seeding, manifest fix, UX polish.
• 2025-10-18 — v7.9: Deny-by-default, interactive allowlist, focus control, optional request blocking (Firefox).
• 2025-10-17 — v7.8: Bounded HTML extraction; security guards & robust re-injection.
• 2025-10-04 — v7: Focus A→B added.
• 2025-05-20 — v6: Favorites UI, domain allow-list.
• 2025-02-12 — v5: Initial public release on AMO.

Docs & Links

🟩 Install on AMO	Firefox Add-ons listing, stable builds. Install now ✅ The plugin is installed.
📘 Official Documentation and SDK	Concepts, security notes, APIs, setup (multi-tabs & LAN). Read docs
🌐 LAN / Localhost	How to enable intranet/localhost safely (opt-in flags + allow-list). Open LAN page
🧪 Examples	E2E Full working examples step by step and source code. Browse E2E examples
❓ FAQ	Common questions. View FAQ
🔒 Privacy & Permissions	Data & scopes. Privacy notes
🤖 Ask the Assistant (ChatGPT)	Interactive help. It knows how to generate your scripts. Open assistant
🌐 Atlas Integration	Discover how Remote Tab Opener connects with ChatGPT Atlas for secure orchestration and automation. Open page

Competitors