macOS 13.0+

Your Links,
Your Rules

Set Default Tamer as your default browser once; from then on, your links open where you want.

Download for macOS View on GitHub
100%
Privacy-First
0
Network Calls
Open
Source

Powerful Features

Everything you need for intelligent browser routing

🎯

Smart Routing

Route links based on source app. Slack and Cursor links automatically open in Chrome.

🌐

Domain Rules

Send specific domains to specific browsers. Exact, suffix, or contains matching.

⌥

Override Chooser

Hold Option key while clicking any link to choose browser on the fly.

🔄

Fallback Browser

Configurable default browser for links that don't match any rules.

🚀

Launch at Login

Optionally start at system login for seamless routing.

📊

Diagnostics

Track recent routes for debugging and optimization.

🔒

Privacy First

All processing is local. No network calls, no tracking, no data collection.

✨

Menu Bar App

Clean, minimal interface that stays out of your way.

How It Works

Get started in under 3 minutes

1

Download & Install

Download Default Tamer and move it to your Applications folder.

2

Set as Default Browser

Open System Settings and set Default Tamer as your default web browser.

3

Configure Rules

Choose your fallback browser and customize routing rules to your workflow.

4

Done!

Links now automatically open in the right browser. Hold ⌥ Option to override.

See It In Action

Visual walkthrough of Default Tamer interface

Default Tamer Menu Bar

Menu Bar Popover

Quick access to enable/disable routing, select fallback browser, and toggle default rules. Everything you need in one click.

Rules Management Window

Manage Rules

Create, edit, and reorder routing rules. View all active rules with their source apps, domains, and target browsers.

Settings Window

Settings & Diagnostics

Configure app behavior, enable activity logging, and view recent routing history to debug and optimize your rules.

Perfect For

Who benefits from Default Tamer?

👨‍💻 Developers

Work links in Chrome, personal browsing in Safari, testing in Firefox.

📱 Product Managers

Jira in Chrome, Figma in Arc, documentation in Safari.

🎨 Designers

Design tools in Arc, client links in Chrome, research in Safari.

💼 Knowledge Workers

Slack links in Chrome, email links in Safari, calendar in default browser.

How to Set Rules

Create custom routing rules in minutes

📱 Source App Rules

Basic

Route links from specific apps to specific browsers.

Example: Slack → Chrome

1. Click "Manage Rules" from menu bar
2. Click "Add Rule" button
3. Choose rule type: "From App"
4. Select app: "Slack"
5. Choose target browser: "Google Chrome"
6. Click "Save"
Popular apps for routing:
Slack Cursor VSCode Mail Messages

🌐 Domain Rules

Advanced

Route specific domains to specific browsers with three matching options.

Exact Match

Matches the exact domain (including www variants automatically)

github.com Matches: github.com, www.github.com ✓ Does not match: api.github.com, ghe.github.com ✗

Suffix Match

Matches the domain and all subdomains

.atlassian.net Matches: jira.atlassian.net, confluence.atlassian.net ✓ Does not match: atlassian.com ✗

Contains Match

Matches any domain containing the text (use with caution)

jira Matches: jira.company.com, myjira.atlassian.net ✓ May be too broad - use Suffix for better control ⚠

Example: Send Jira to Chrome

1. Click "Manage Rules"
2. Click "Add Rule"
3. Choose rule type: "Domain"
4. Domain: jira.atlassian.net
5. Match type: "Suffix" (for subdomains)
6. Target browser: "Google Chrome"

🔗 URL Pattern Rules

Advanced

Route based on URL content with text matching.

Example: URLs containing 'review'

1. Click "Manage Rules"
2. Click "Add Rule"
3. Choose rule type: "URL Pattern"
4. Pattern: review
5. Target browser: "Safari"
Pattern matching examples:
pull → Matches all PRs from GitHub, GitLab, etc.
drive.google.com → Matches Google Drive links
youtube → Matches any YouTube URL variation

Rule Priority & Order

Rules are evaluated top-to-bottom. First match wins.

1
Source App Rule: Slack → Chrome

Checked first when opening from Slack

2
Domain Rule: .atlassian.net → Chrome

Checked if source app didn't match

3
URL Pattern Rule: Contains "drive" → Safari

Checked if domain didn't match

∞
Fallback Browser: Safari

Used when no rules match

Real-World Scenarios

🚀 Developer Workflow

  • Slack → Chrome (work mode)
  • .github.com → Arc (distraction-free)
  • localhost → Firefox (testing)
  • Fallback: Safari (personal)

💼 PM Workflow

  • Slack → Chrome
  • .jira* → Chrome (productivity)
  • .figma.com → Arc (design)
  • Fallback: Safari (research)

🎨 Designer Workflow

  • Slack → Chrome (collab)
  • .figma.com → Arc (focus)
  • contains 'dribbble' → Safari (inspiration)
  • Fallback: Chrome

Guides & Tips

Learn how to get the most from Default Tamer

Getting Started

First Time Setup: 3-Minute Guide

Get Default Tamer up and running in just 3 minutes with this step-by-step guide for first-time users.

Setup Steps:

  1. Install: Download and drag to Applications
  2. Launch: Open from Applications or Spotlight
  3. Set Default: Click "Open System Settings" → Select "Default Tamer"
  4. Choose Fallback: Pick your main browser (e.g., Safari)
  5. Done! Slack & Cursor links now open in Chrome automatically
💡 Tip: Close System Settings and restart Default Tamer for changes to take effect.
Learn More →
Advanced

Master Rule Priority & Ordering

Understand how rules are evaluated and how to structure them for optimal routing.

Key Concepts:

  1. First Match Wins: Rules are checked top-to-bottom
  2. Reorder Rules: Drag rules in "Manage Rules" to change priority
  3. More Specific First: Put specific rules before general ones
  4. Test Rules: Hold ⌥ Option to verify routing before committing
⚠️ Example: If you have both "gmail.com" and "contains 'mail'" rules, put the exact match first.
Learn More →
Tips

Using the Option Key Override

Master the modifier key chooser for quick, one-time browser selection.

How to Use:

  1. Hold ⌥ Option while clicking any link
  2. A browser chooser appears instantly
  3. Select a browser to open just that link
  4. Rules still apply to other links normallly
🎯 Use Case: Override rules on a per-link basis without changing your configuration.
Learn More →
Troubleshooting

Debugging Link Routing

Find out which rule matched your link and why it opened in a specific browser.

Enable Diagnostics:

  1. Open Default Tamer menu bar icon
  2. Go to Preferences → Diagnostics
  3. Enable "Activity Logging"
  4. Click "Recent Routes" to see route history
📊 Debug Info: You'll see timestamp, source app, matched rule, and target browser for each link.
Learn More →
Performance

Optimize Rules for Best Performance

Keep Default Tamer running smoothly with efficient rule structure.

Best Practices:

  1. Limit Rules: Keep under 50 rules for optimal performance
  2. Use Exact Matches: Prefer exact domain matches over "contains"
  3. Order Matters: Put most-used rules at the top
  4. Clean Up: Periodically review and disable unused rules
⚡ Result: Link routing takes <1ms, imperceptible to users.
Learn More →
Workflows

Separate Work & Personal Browsing

Use Default Tamer to create clean separation between work and personal contexts.

Setup Pattern:

  1. Work Apps (Slack, Cursor, Mail): Route to Chrome
  2. Work Domains (.company.com, jira.*, github.com): Route to Chrome
  3. Personal Domains (personal projects): Route to Safari
  4. Fallback: Safari for personal browsing
✨ Benefit: Contextual switching without manually managing profiles.
Learn More →

Known Limitations

Understanding what Default Tamer can and cannot do

🎯 Source App Detection

Best Effort

Source app detection may not work for all applications or scenarios.

  • Some apps may not properly identify themselves to Default Tamer
  • Terminal links typically show as "Unknown" source
  • Links pasted into address bars don't have source attribution
  • Workaround: Use domain or URL pattern rules as fallback

⌨️ Window/Tab Title Matching

Not Available

Cannot route based on browser window or tab title.

  • Requires Accessibility permissions (security concern)
  • Would significantly impact performance
  • Subject to frequent changes in browser implementations
  • Alternative: Use domain-based rules instead

🎨 Chrome Profile Selection

Not Available

Cannot automatically select Chrome profiles during routing.

  • URL opens in the default/active Chrome profile
  • Manual profile switching required if needed
  • Feature depends on Chrome profile APIs availability
  • Future: Planned for v2.0

☁️ Cloud Sync

Not Available

Rules only sync across devices via manual export/import.

  • iCloud sync not available in v1.0
  • Rules stored locally on each Mac
  • Manual export/import available
  • Future: iCloud sync planned for v2.0

🔗 Infinite Loop Prevention

Handled

Default Tamer prevents infinite URL handling loops.

  • Never routes URLs back to Default Tamer itself
  • Always opens with explicit target browser
  • Silent fallback if target browser missing
  • Result: 100% safe, no loops possible

🖥️ Platform Support

macOS Only

Default Tamer is designed exclusively for macOS.

  • Requires macOS 13.0 or later
  • Uses macOS-specific APIs (LaunchServices, SwiftUI)
  • No Windows or Linux versions planned
  • Reason: Optimized menu bar UX is platform-specific

⚡ Performance

Optimized

Routing is extremely fast with minimal overhead.

  • Link routing: <1ms decision time
  • Scales well to 50+ rules
  • Memory footprint: ~5-10MB
  • Result: Imperceptible delay for users

🔒 Accessibility Permissions

Not Required

Default Tamer does NOT require Accessibility permissions.

  • No system-wide event monitoring
  • No window title access
  • Works via standard URL handler mechanism
  • Result: Minimal security footprint

Feature Availability by Version

Feature v1.0 v2.0 (Planned)
Source App Routing ✓ ✓
Domain Rules ✓ ✓
URL Pattern Matching ✓ ✓
Modifier Key Override ✓ ✓
Fallback Browser ✓ ✓
Activity Logging ✓ ✓
Launch at Login ✓ ✓
Window Title Routing ✗ ✓
Chrome Profile Selection ✗ ✓
iCloud Sync ✗ ✓
Import/Export Rules ✗ ✓

Ready to Take Control?

Download Default Tamer and start routing your links intelligently.

Download v1.0.0

Requirements: macOS 13.0 or later
License: MIT (Free & Open Source)
Size: ~5MB

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really free?

Yes! Default Tamer is completely free and open source under the MIT license.

Does it collect any data?

No. All processing is local. No network calls, no telemetry, no tracking.

Which browsers are supported?

Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Arc, Brave, and any browser that handles http/https URLs.

Can I contribute?

Absolutely! Check out our GitHub repository and read the contributing guidelines.