Agent reports openwithout stealing focus
Stop Chrome jumping over your terminal every time an agent writes HTML. Each document gets one background tab and one row in a side panel.
MITgit clone https://github.com/woorichicken/artifact-dock.git && cd artifact-dock && ./install.shAdd the extension from the Chrome Web Store, then check the connection:artifact-open --status
Working code in 30 seconds
# Opens in a background tab
artifact-open report.html
# Several at once
artifact-open a.html b.html
# File changed? The same tab reloads
artifact-open report.htmlQuiet tabs, one list
`open` brings all of Chrome forward, even with -g. A CLI can't prevent that, but an extension can, so Artifact Dock is both.
Opens behind you
artifact-open asks the extension over a local socket, and the extension creates a tab without activating it. You keep typing in the terminal and the tab you were on stays active.
Why a CLI alone can't do it →Same file, same tab
When an agent rewrites a report, run the same command. Artifact Dock finds the tab by file path and reloads it, so copies never pile up. It can also match by file name or title.
Matching rules →A list, not a full tab bar
Every document sits in the side panel, newest first, searchable by title, folder, and path. Close the tabs and the list stays, so any document comes back with one click.
The side panel →Frequently asked questions
Neither open -g nor AppleScript's make new tab stops it: Chrome brings itself forward. The only path that leaves focus alone is the extension creating the tab with tabs.create({active:false}).
macOS only. The socket path and the handoff of non-HTML files to /usr/bin/open assume macOS. The installer registers the native host for Chrome, Chrome Canary, Chromium, Brave, and Edge.
artifact-open exits with an error and does not open the file. It never falls back to AppleScript or macOS open, because that would pull Chrome forward again.
Yes. An extension can't install local programs, so the CLI and native host always come from install.sh. Both the Web Store and source builds are allowed to connect.
Yes. Copy the setup prompt from the setup tab or the robot button in the side panel and paste it into Claude Code or Codex. The agent runs the install, fixes PATH, and checks that a test page opens in the background.
No. The extension makes no network requests of its own and has no analytics. Tab titles, settings, and the document list stay in your browser, and the local host only checks whether a listed file still exists.
MIT. You can use it commercially, modify it, and redistribute it, as long as you keep the copyright notice.
Run ./doctor.sh first, then open an issue at https://github.com/woorichicken/artifact-dock/issues with the result and the version shown at the bottom of the side panel.
Keep your place
No signup. No account. Read the source before you run it.
git clone https://github.com/woorichicken/artifact-dock.git && cd artifact-dock && ./install.shAdd the extension from the Chrome Web Store, then check the connection:artifact-open --status