{"article":{"id":19228064149143,"url":"https://thebrowsercompany.zendesk.com/api/v2/help_center/en-us/articles/19228064149143.json","html_url":"https://resources.arc.net/hc/en-us/articles/19228064149143-Spaces-Distinct-Browsing-Areas","author_id":16435102183191,"comments_disabled":true,"draft":false,"promoted":false,"position":0,"vote_sum":47,"vote_count":59,"section_id":19211839689111,"created_at":"2023-11-21T16:22:21Z","updated_at":"2025-09-02T19:31:37Z","name":"Spaces: Distinct Browsing Areas","title":"Spaces: Distinct Browsing Areas","source_locale":"en-us","locale":"en-us","outdated":false,"outdated_locales":[],"edited_at":"2025-09-02T19:31:37Z","user_segment_id":null,"permission_group_id":16435267079959,"content_tag_ids":["01J1WH1GDJ6GAV035WG2D24XW7","01J1WH1WBS6BEZ31RRP3TB9R2H","01J56KXTGYKGBDG8T0CMS5SP3S","01J56P5D6337XN2MV48H186SH3","01J58N6XV5RAYZPZS5ZJ2C9CT9"],"label_names":["Arc for Windows","Arc for macOS","Arc browser features","Air Traffic Control","themes","Spaces","browser theming"],"body":"
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This article applies to Arc on macOS and Windows.

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Spaces are distinct browsing areas in Arc, created to separate different contexts. Each Space has its own Pinned section, Unpinned section, Theme, and Icon.

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Spaces are perfect for grouping tabs and files related to big areas of your life. They make it easier to get in the zone and pick up where you left off on a project, at work, or in your personal browsing.

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How to Create and Switch Spaces

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Click the Plus (+) icon at the bottom of the sidebar.

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To switch Spaces

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How To Share a Space

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On Arc for macOS you can create a permalink to any Space to send to friends or colleagues! 

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First, copy your Space's Permalink. You can do this in a few ways: 

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Next, send that link to anyone on any browser:

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  • Once you have the shareable link in your clipboard, paste and send that link in an email, iMessage, DM, Tweet, etc!
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  • Anyone who has access to the link will be able to view the contents.
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      Arc users with your link will be able to add your Space / Folder / Split directly to their sidebars.

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      Non-Arc users with your link will be able to view the Space / Folder / Split in an Arc-inspired layout.

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\nRead more about Shared Spaces here.
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Route Sites to Specific Spaces with Air Traffic Control

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On Arc for macOS Air Traffic Control helps you Route all your links to the right place!

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For example, you can choose that any Google Sheet links you click - regardless of where you originally click them - route directly to your Work Space.

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You can also set up a default Space for links so tabs are automatically opened in the Space of your choice, rather than in Little Arc.

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How to Set Up a Route

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To set up a new Route,

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    Hit Command-T and type \"Open Link Preferences\", or

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    Go to Arc > Settings > Links

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Then select the \"Air Traffic Control\" button.

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To create a New Route,

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    Hit the New Route button at the top right of the Air Traffic Control panel

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    Select URL contains or is equal to a particular URL.

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      Contains will route links that contains your text entry, even it's not an exact match. Great options for \"Contains\" are website domains. For example, if you create a Route for URL's that contain \"spotify.com\", this Spotify link* will Route automatically to your Music Space. (*This is a favorite album from our teammate, Brian!)

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      Is equal to will only route links that exactly match your text entry. Make sure to include http://www, if that's how your link loads! This is a great option for very specific URLs. For example, you may use Google Docs across all Spaces, but if https://docs.google.com/document/d/weekly-business-report should always route to your Work Space, is equal to is the right choice.

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To Delete a Route, hit the ⛔ button next to your Route. See image below.

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If you have a Route set up on a Space that's been deleted, the Route will be deleted as well.

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How do I change the appearance of my Space?

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You can change your Space’s color or theme by clicking the “edit” button that appears next to your Space name when you hover in your Sidebar and then selecting “theme” from the drop down menu that appears. You can also make changes by simply right-clicking on the empty space in your Sidebar and selecting \"theme\" from the drop down menu. Either way, the Theme Picker will appear and you can change the look and feel of your Space.

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How do I put Arc in Dark or Light Mode?

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On Arc for macOS you can also change Arc's theme to Light, Dark, or Automatic (Arc’s theme will match your device’s theme) from the same Theme Picker. Simply select either the stars (automatic), sun (light), or moon (dark) at the top. Just remember - this applies to all of your Spaces, not just the one you’re currently in.

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Common Use Cases

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Use one or a combination of these examples!

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Work & Personal

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The most common organization structure we see is having two spaces: One for “Work” and the other for “Personal.” It’s an obvious way to create boundaries and also just a nice way to clock out of work digitally.

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Work Projects

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Depending on your work, just a single Space for Work might not make sense. Another super common way to organize is to have Spaces for distinct projects.

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That can be a super clear way to delineate tasks and also time manage.

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Temporary Spaces

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Don’t be afraid to use Spaces even for temporary things that require a lot of tabs and attention — like planning a trip, or organizing your taxes.

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More on getting your Spaces together

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