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This guide will help you go from launching Ora Browser to browsing the web efficiently using its core features.

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First Launch

When you first launch Ora Browser, you’ll see a clean, minimal interface with:
  • Sidebar on the left showing your tabs and spaces
  • Main content area in the center for web pages
  • Toolbar at the top with navigation controls and URL bar
On first launch, Ora creates a default space with an empty tab ready for browsing.

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Basic Navigation

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Opening Your First Website

1

Focus the URL Bar

Click the URL bar at the top or press ⌘L
2

Enter URL or Search

Type a URL (e.g., github.com) or search queryThe URL bar will automatically detect if you’re entering:
  • A direct URL → Navigates directly
  • A search query → Uses your default search engine
3

Navigate

Press Return to load the page
Use the toolbar buttons or keyboard shortcuts to navigate:
ActionShortcutButton
Back⌘[←
Forward⌘]→
Reload⌘R↻
HomeClick URL bar🏠
⌘⇧R performs a hard reload (clearing cache), and ⌘⌥⇧R clears cookies as well.

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Working with Tabs

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Creating Tabs

1

Open Quick Launcher

Press ⌘T to open the Quick Launcher overlayThe launcher appears as a centered search bar with a dark overlay background.
2

Enter URL or Search

Type your destination:
  • Direct URLs (e.g., reddit.com)
  • Search queries (uses default search engine)
  • Search engine shortcuts (e.g., g: for Google, gh: for GitHub)
3

Submit

Press Return to open the tabPress Tab while typing to select a specific search engine.

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Managing Tabs

ActionShortcutDescription
New Tab⌘TOpens Quick Launcher
Close Tab⌘WCloses current tab
Restore Tab⌘ZReopens last closed tab
Next Tab⌃TabSwitches to next tab
Previous Tab⌃⇧TabSwitches to previous tab
Jump to Tab⌘1-⌘9Jumps to tab 1-9
Pin Tab⌘DPins/unpins current tab

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Tab Types

Ora Browser supports three types of tabs visible in the sidebar:

Normal Tabs

Regular browsing tabs

Pinned Tabs

Stay at the top, reopen on launch

Favorite Tabs

Quick access grid at the top
To pin a tab, press ⌘D or right-click and select “Pin Tab”

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Using Spaces (Containers)

Spaces allow you to organize tabs into separate contexts. Each space has its own:
  • Set of tabs
  • Browsing history
  • Independent session

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Default Space

On first launch, Ora creates a default space (💩) containing all your tabs.

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Creating Spaces

Space management features are available through the sidebar interface. Each space is identified by an emoji and name.

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Switching Between Spaces

Click on a space in the sidebar to switch to it. All tabs within that space will become active.

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Quick Launcher

The Quick Launcher (⌘T) is your command center for navigation and search.

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Search Engine Shortcuts

Type a shortcut followed by your query: 
g: machine learning        # Google search
gh: the-ora/browser       # GitHub search
yt: ora browser           # YouTube search
Press Tab after typing a shortcut to confirm the search engine selection.

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URL Detection

The launcher automatically detects URLs and navigates directly: 
github.com                # → https://github.com
localhost:3000            # → http://localhost:3000
192.168.1.1              # → http://192.168.1.1

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Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

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Window & App

ActionShortcut
New Window⌘N
New Private Window⌘⇧N
Close Window⌘⇧W
Preferences⌘,
Quit⌘Q

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Tabs

ActionShortcut
New Tab⌘T
Close Tab⌘W
Reopen Tab⌘⇧T
Next Tab⌃Tab
Previous Tab⌃⇧Tab
Pin Tab⌘D
Tab 1-9⌘1-⌘9
ActionShortcut
Back⌘[
Forward⌘]
Reload⌘R
Hard Reload⌘⇧R
Focus URL Bar⌘L
Copy URL⌘⇧C

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View

ActionShortcut
Toggle Sidebar⌘S
Toggle Toolbar⌘⇧D
Find in Page⌘F
Zoom In⌘+
Zoom Out⌘-
Reset Zoom⌘0
Fullscreen⌃⌘F

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Developer

ActionShortcut
Toggle DevTools⌘⌥I
Reload (No Cache)⌘⇧R

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Privacy Features

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Private Browsing

Open a private window with ⌘⇧N. Private windows:
  • Don’t save browsing history
  • Don’t persist cookies after closing
  • Show a “Private Browsing” indicator
  • Can’t create favorite tabs

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Content Blocking

Ora includes built-in content blocking for:
  • Tracking prevention
  • Ad blocking
  • Enhanced privacy
Content blocking is enabled by default and works across all browsing sessions.

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Search Engines

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Default Search Engine

Configure your default search engine in Preferences → Search:
  • Google
  • DuckDuckGo
  • Bing
  • Brave Search
  • Custom search engines

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Custom Search Engines

Add custom search engines with URL patterns: 
https://github.com/search?q=%s
Use %s as the placeholder for the search query.

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Customization

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Interface Options

Access these from the View menu or keyboard shortcuts: Sidebar Position
  • Left side (default)
  • Right side
URL Display
  • Full URL (shows complete address)
  • Simplified (shows domain only)
Appearance
  • System (follows macOS)
  • Light mode
  • Dark mode

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Toolbar

Toggle toolbar visibility with ⌘⇧D. When hidden, URL display appears in the sidebar.

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Updates

Ora Browser uses Sparkle for automatic updates:
  1. Check for updates: Ora menu → Check for Updates
  2. Auto-update checking can be enabled in Preferences → General
  3. Update notifications appear when new versions are available

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Tips & Tricks

Tab Navigation

Use ⌘1 through ⌘9 to quickly jump to any of your first 9 tabs

Quick Search

Press ⌘T and start typing immediately—no need to click

Pin Frequently Used

Pin tabs you use daily (email, calendar) with ⌘D so they reopen on launch

Organized Spaces

Create spaces for different contexts: work, personal, research

Keyboard Focused

Learn the essential shortcuts—Ora is designed for keyboard-first browsing

Clean Interface

Hide sidebar (⌘S) and toolbar (⌘⇧D) for distraction-free reading

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Next Steps

Settings & Preferences

Customize Ora to your workflow

Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete keyboard shortcut reference

Contributing

Help improve Ora Browser

Join Community

Get help and share feedback

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Getting Help

  • Discord: Join the Ora Community
  • GitHub Issues: Report bugs or request features
  • Documentation: Check the Wiki
  • Twitter/X: Follow @orabrowser

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