Extension / zen mod functionality to open multiple links (eg reddit comment/link) in a tab splits

[tyler-dot-earth]

i'm not sure if this is already possible but didn't find anything similar/clear and not sure where to start looking in the codebase.

story / scenario:

• be on a site with lists of links + comments (hackernews, reddit, etc)
• want: open link + comments in a new split view

potential solutions:

• ability to "open split view" with via an extension or zen mod - then independent devs could build, eg, [zen mod] reddit link split or whatever

related discussions:

• similar in spirit Split view presets (Groups of links) #6187
• "ballpark-ish" Ability to open a new tab within a split view #2137

reactions? thoughts? similar discussions?

[dosubot[bot]]

Hi @tyler-dot-earth! I'm Dosu and I’m helping the desktop team.

Split view is a popular feature request in zen-browser, with active discussions about adding drag-and-drop split views for tabs, vertical/horizontal splits, and hotkeys for rearranging or closing split panes [#4267]. There’s also user interest in opening groups of links as split view presets (e.g., launching two dashboards side-by-side with one click) [#6187], and in using key modifiers like Ctrl+Alt+Click to open links directly in split view [#9612].

Currently, there’s no built-in or extension/mod-based support for opening multiple links (like a Reddit post and its comments) in split view. The closest related features are under discussion or in feature requests, not yet implemented.

If you want to explore implementation, the most relevant areas would be tab management and UI components that handle split view logic. The removal of the old web panel feature due to security concerns means any new approach should consider sandboxing and permissions carefully [#7478]. A mod or extension could potentially hook into tab creation and window management APIs to automate opening two URLs in a split, but this would depend on the current extension API surface.

If you’re interested in prototyping, looking at the discussions above—especially #4267 and #9612—will give you a sense of user expectations and technical direction. This is an area with a lot of user interest and room for creative solutions!

To reply, just mention @dosu.

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