How to Auto Refresh a Page in Chrome (Every 30s, 5 min or Custom)
Chrome has no built-in setting to reload a tab on a timer. If you keep a dashboard, a queue, an order page or a live score open all day, you end up pressing F5 every few minutes. Here are the options that actually work, from the quickest hack to the most reliable setup.
Option 1: a bookmarklet (no install, but fragile)
You can create a bookmark whose address is a small piece of JavaScript that reloads the page in a loop. It works for a quick test, but it stops the moment the page navigates, it only works on the tab you clicked it in, and many sites block it with their security policy. It also can't tell you when something on the page changes.
Option 2: a meta refresh or DevTools snippet (developers only)
If the page is yours, a <meta http-equiv="refresh" content="300"> tag reloads it every 300 seconds. For pages you don't own, you can run setInterval(() => location.reload(), 300000) in DevTools, but it dies on the first reload. Fine for debugging, not for daily use.
Option 3: an auto refresh extension (the reliable way)
An extension runs in the background, survives reloads and keeps going when the tab isn't focused. With Refresh Owl it looks like this:
- Install Refresh Owl and pin it to the toolbar (puzzle icon → pin).
- Open the tab you want to keep fresh and click the owl.
- Pick an interval: 30s, 1m, 5m, 15m, 30m, 1h, or type your own.
- Click Start refreshing. A countdown appears on the icon badge.
Each tab keeps its own timer, so you can refresh a dashboard every 15 minutes and a ticket queue every minute at the same time (multiple tabs is a Pro feature).
Useful settings
- Hard refresh ignores the browser cache, which helps on pages that look stale after a normal reload.
- Random interval (for example between 2 and 5 minutes) is gentler on sites that dislike perfectly regular traffic.
- Active hours refresh only during, say, 09:00–17:00 on weekdays, so nothing runs overnight.
Does auto refresh keep me logged in?
Often, yes. Many sites end your session after a period with no requests, and a reload every few minutes counts as activity. It can't override a hard session limit the site enforces, though.
Is it safe?
Refresh Owl only reloads the tabs you choose. It doesn't read pages unless you turn on a text alert, and then only on the site you approve. Nothing about your browsing is sent anywhere. See the privacy policy.
Try Refresh Owl
Free auto refresh with text alerts for Chrome, Edge and Brave. No account, no tracking.