Search, Startup & Session Restore
Default search engine
Section titled “Default search engine”Vast includes built-in definitions for Google, DuckDuckGo, Brave Search, Perplexity, YouTube, and Wikipedia. One engine is selected as the normal default while shortcut prefixes can route individual queries elsewhere.
Startup behavior
Section titled “Startup behavior”The settings model supports three startup intents:
- Restore — continue the previous browsing context where eligible;
- New tab — start from a fresh Vast tab;
- Home — start from the configured/default home-oriented behavior.
Restore previous session is also exposed as an explicit session preference because restoring normal persistent tabs and choosing a startup surface are related but distinct behaviors.
What does not restore
Section titled “What does not restore”Temporary/ephemeral browsing contexts are intentionally treated differently from persistent workspaces. Do not expect a private temporary workspace to behave like a normal saved session after restart.
Tab hibernation
Section titled “Tab hibernation”Hibernate inactive tabs reduces background resource use. Advanced settings determine when inactive tabs sleep or are discarded.
New Tab behavior
Section titled “New Tab behavior”New Tab can be Search, Vast dashboard, or Blank. Dashboard cards are separately configurable so changing your startup behavior does not require changing your New Tab layout.