Interaction between Essentials and containers makes tabs disappear

[c10l]

Captchas

• [x] I have read the instructions.
• [x] I have searched existing issues and avoided creating duplicates.
• [x] I am not filing an enhancement request.
• [x] I have checked that this issue cannot be reproduced on Mozilla Firefox.
• [x] I have checked that this issue can be reproduced once I removed all my Mods and Custom CSS.

What happened?

There's a specific interaction between workspaces, tab containers and Essentials that makes tabs disappear.

Steps to reproduce

1. Create a fresh profile, select defaults for all options.
2. On Settings, select Enable container-specific essentials and restart browser
3. Create a new workspace (call it test) and select a default container for it (I used Personal)
4. Open a new tab and load any arbitrary website
5. Right-click on the tab and add to Essentials - at this point, the tab is on the selected default container (Personal)
6. Right-click and select Open In New Container Tab, select a different container (I used Work)

7. Right-click on the newly opened tab and click Add to Essentials

8. At this point, there is only the initial Wikipedia tab in Essentials, but that's not the one we want as it's in the default profile - not the newly selected one. That said, the tab still displaying in the browser is the new one (see icon on the URL bar).

9. Clicking on the tab in Essentials switches to the first tab, on the default (Personal) container.

Now the new tab in the Work profile is lost.

10. Since we don't want the Essentials tab in the Personal profile, right-click and close it. There are no tabs open for Wikipedia that can be switched to in the browser.

11. Unfortunately, the Work tab is still open, but selecting to switch to it doesn't take us anywhere.

Once we're in this state, it's impossible to have a Wikipedia tab in the Work profile set as Essentials as it disappears when I try.

Version

1.12.8b (Firefox 138.0.4) (aarch64)

What platform are you seeing the problem on?

macOS - aarch64

What component is this issue related to?

Workspaces

Relevant log output if applicable

[Propheticus]

With Enable container-specific essentials enabled you will only see essentials with a certain container in a workspace that has that same container set as default. Changing an essentials to 'work' therefore removes it from a 'personal' workspace. To see the work essential, you need to have a workspace with 'work' set as default. If you now create one (or configure an existing one) you'll see the invisible essential pop up there. Still a good find and thanks for reporting. This does not feel immediately intuitive and no warning is given either.

@mauro-balades In the past when no workspace existed with its default container set to the container of an essential tab and the container-specific essentials option was enabled, they would show up in all 'no container' workspaces. Currently these essential tabs exist in limbo and are invisible until a workspace is assigned the specific container. This way users could unknowingly accumulate a lot of invisible tabs that are shown in suggestions but can't be switched to.

[c10l]

@Propheticus thanks for the clarification!

Indeed if I create a new workspace and set its default container to that where I sent the Essentials, I can interact with it.

I guess it's somewhat confusing that this limitation only applies to Essentials, since I can have a collection of pinned and regular tabs in containers different from the workspace's default so I (incorrectly) assumed this flexibility would also apply to Essentials.

In any case, the bigger issue is as you described, the fact that the user ends up in a situation where the tabs cannot be interacted with.

[mr-cheffy]

@mauro-balades In the past when no workspace existed with its default container set to the container of an essential tab and the container-specific essentials option was enabled, they would show up in all 'no container' workspaces. Currently these essential tabs exist in limbo and are invisible until a workspace is assigned the specific container.

What could be do to fix it? Set a warning? or not allowing at all?

[Propheticus]

Knowing many users will not read and click away popups or not fully understand (or remember) what continuing results in: I think it's best to not allow it and show a warning popup that says something like "The essential tab was not created, because you have container-specific essentials enabled but no workspace with the container 'container_name' set as default."

[Propheticus]

Another discussion point: what to do when a workspace exists with that container and the essential tab is moved to it? (=expected) To some it might seem the tab 'vanishes', while actually it was simply moved elsewhere. What's the right balance in having popups and notifications to explain otherwise 'hidden' actions without becoming annoying?

Perhaps the option title itself can explain the link to workspaces' containers better / provide a subtext to explain.

[c10l]

what to do when a workspace exists with that container and the essential tab is moved to it?

The least surprising option IMO would be to switch to the workspace, with focus on the tab in question.

[Propheticus]

Thought of that option as well. Only makes sense to me when the user is currently on the tab that is made into an essential. Switching to newly created tabs or other tabs than the currently focused one does not: this breaks convention/default behaviour that allows managing several subsequent tabs without having to switch back every time.

I guess it's somewhat confusing that this limitation only applies to Essentials, since I can have a collection of pinned and regular tabs in containers different from the workspace's default so I (incorrectly) assumed this flexibility would also apply to Essentials.

I think what many look for/expect is workspace specific essentials, instead of container-specific. This option is container specific which via the link to default workspace containers becomes somewhat workspace specific. (Unless you have more than 1 set to the same container)

[c10l]

Only makes sense to me when the user is currently on the tab that is made into an essential.

I agree, that's a good point. Perhaps an animation showing that it's been moved to a different workspace would help?

I think what many look for/expect is workplace specific essentials, instead of container-specific. This option is container specific which via the link to default workspace containers becomes somewhat workspace specific. (Unless you have more than 1 set to the same container)

I think this assessment is correct, at least for me. Note that I'm happy to compromise though. The surprise of the tabs vanishing is really what caught me.

[Propheticus]

I think this assessment is correct, at least for me.

Gathering from questions we get on Discord this is the case for more people. They come in and ask "how to have different essentials per workspace" and then a few fellow users start explaining you can use container-specific essentials.

The problem with changing/making a feature like workspace-specific essentials: that's just pinned tabs (with another look). The idea is: pinned tabs for workspace specific pins, essentials for pins that are accessible from any workspace.

[0Ky]

7. Right-click on the newly opened tab and click Add to Essentials

I'm not sure whether this issue has been fixed, but I'm unable to follow step 7 from the OP's instructions, because the Add to Essentials option is now missing in version 1.12.9b.

I think the label for the Enable container-specific essentials option could be changed, since this feature only activates in the context of workspaces that have an assigned default container. In other words, enabling this feature restricts essential tabs to only those workspaces that are assigned the same container.

What could be do to fix it? Set a warning? or not allowing at all?

@mauro-balades In my opinion, instead of disabling the Add to Essentials option, it should become a submenu where users can choose to add the tab to the essentials of the current workspace's container, the tab's container or to workspaces without a container. You could further restrict adding essentials to containers that a workspace has not yet been assigned to. This not only gives users more control, but also avoids the need to switch workspaces and reopen a site just to add it to the essentials for a specific workspace container.

[mr-cheffy]

In my opinion, instead of disabling the Add to Essentials option, it should become a submenu where users can choose to add the tab to the essentials of the current workspace's container, the tab's container or to workspaces without a container

That doesn't make sense, it would stop working as "container dependant" and rather "you chose where they are"

[Propheticus]

7. Right-click on the newly opened tab and click Add to Essentials

I'm not sure whether this issue has been fixed, but I'm unable to follow step 7 from the OP's instructions, because the Add to Essentials option is now missing in version 1.12.9b.

The menu item could be missing because you already have 12 (or more) essentials. The right-click option 'add to essentials' has not been removed.

[0Ky]

That doesn't make sense, it would stop working as "container dependant" and rather "you chose where they are"

@mauro-balades I don't really understand what you're trying to imply here, but I'm suggesting there should be a submenu instead of Add to Essentials when Enable container-specific essentials is enabled, because you can now add essentials to a specific container.

The menu item could be missing because you already have 12 (or more) essentials. The right-click option 'add to essentials' has not been removed.

@Propheticus I'm certain that option is unavailable, note that I'm in a workspace assigned to a container and within that workspace I opened the website in a new container tab that's different to the workspace's container. I'm unable to add that new tab to essentials, because the option is unavailable, which is step 7 from the OP's instructions.

I believe you're using an older version, because I just confirmed that the option is available in an older version.

I'm running version 1.13t (build 20250530110252) and 1.12.9b (build 20250530102742)

[Propheticus]

@0Ky no, I'm on 1.12.9b When I'm in workspace with container shopping, open a tab in container 'susp' and right click:

Option is there.

Edit: The option is not there when 'container specific essentials' is turned on. So the option is not gone, but restricted in the case of this pref + container mismatch.

[0Ky]

The option is not there when 'container specific essentials'

That's precisely the point here, if you followed step 2 from the OP's instructions, that should be enabled:

2. On Settings, select "Enable container-specific essentials" and restart browser

So the option is not gone, but restricted in the case of this pref + container mismatch.

It wasn't in previous builds, most likely wasn't for the OP too. If you follow the exact instructions in the latest version, you can't get past step 7.

[mr-cheffy]

Why would it be a sub menú though, what would the contents of it be

[0Ky]

Why would it be a sub menú though, what would the contents of it be

It's so that users could add the tab to essentials without having to reopen the tab in another workspace, making them take an extra action, when it can be done inside the context menu.

[Propheticus]

The option is not there when 'container specific essentials'

That's precisely the point here, if you followed step 2 from the OP's instructions, that should be enabled:

2. On Settings, select "Enable container-specific essentials" and restart browser

So the option is not gone, but restricted in the case of this pref + container mismatch.

It wasn't in previous builds, most likely wasn't for the OP too. If you follow the exact instructions in the latest version, you can't get past step 7.

I had already confirmed and reproduced that on previous build, following all the steps. In this re-iteration I forgot I had disabled that pref again. Sorry for the confusion.

Why would it be a sub menú though, what would the contents of it be

Maybe "Add to 'container name' container essentials". But then we're back at the original issue: what to do when no workspace exists with that container?

[0Ky]

what to do when no workspace exists with that container?

If a container is not assigned to a workspace, then don't show that option in the submenu when adding essentials.

Edit

I had already confirmed and reproduced that on previous build, following all the steps. In this re-iteration I forgot I had disabled that pref again. Sorry for the confusion.

Yes, I wasn't aware that a change was made recently, which is why I said I'm not sure whether this issue has been fixed, because technically it looks like it's currently fixed, since you can't reproduce the steps anymore. What I'm suggesting here is that the solution of just removing the option to add essentials is not a fix, but a workaround.

[Propheticus]

I foresee some conflicts when people have configured sites to always open in certain containers / limited containers to only allow the sites listed . (e.g. using the Firefox multi-account containers extension) when this submenu would try to re-assign tabs to other containers before making essential.

[0Ky]

@mauro-balades

Because there are no other workspaces with a container set to Work, Banking or Shopping, they don't appear. You can only add the container restricted to the containers that have been assigned to at least 1 workspace. This would be the most intuitive and proper way to handle this issue, sure the name of the options could be changed/improved, but this is what I'm roughly talking about.

I foresee some conflicts when people have configured sites to always open in certain containers / limited containers to only allow the sites listed . (e.g. using the Firefox multi-account containers extension) when this submenu would try to re-assign tabs to other containers before making essential.

@Propheticus I don't really understand how this would create a conflict, when the exact same thing is simply done by going to that workspace and selecting add to essentials.

[mr-cheffy]

So container essentials can be mixed with no container essentials?

What if you add a work container and a shop container to "no container"

[0Ky]

When the container-specific essentials option is enabled in the settings, the essentials area becomes unique to each workspace tied to a container.

What if you add a work container and a shop container to "no container"

I'm assuming you're saying when adding tabs opened in the work & shop container to the No Container essentials option. It would remove the tab from the container and add it to the essentials, making it visible only to workspaces that are not tied to any container. If all workspaces have been tied to a container, then don't show the No Container option.

So container essentials can be mixed with no container essentials?

I don't think so, since the name of the Enable container-specific essentials option doesn't suggest it would allow mixing container essentials with no container essentials, for that you would have to disable the option, which it is by default.