Tools and Panels You Can Pin to the Firefox Sidebar

This article provides a quick overview of the built-in tools and third-party extension panels that can be pinned to the expandable Sidebar in the Mozilla Firefox web browser. By utilizing these panels, users can streamline their workflow, manage browsing data, and access essential utilities alongside their active web pages without needing to switch tabs or open new windows.

Built-In Firefox Panels

Firefox includes several native features that are immediately available to pin and use within the sidebar. Depending on whether you are using the classic sidebar or the newly redesigned expandable sidebar, you can access the following tools:

  • Bookmarks: Displays all your saved bookmarks in a collapsible folder tree. It includes a search bar at the top to quickly filter and find specific saved links, and allows you to drag and drop bookmarks to reorganize them.
  • History: Shows a complete log of your previously visited websites. You can search through your history and sort the list by date, site, most visited, or last visited.
  • Synced Tabs: Connects to your Mozilla account to display a list of tabs currently open on your other connected devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or other computers.
  • Vertical Tabs: Available in the updated expandable sidebar, this panel moves your open tabs from the top of the browser to a vertical list on the side, making it easier to read tab titles when you have many pages open.
  • AI Chatbot: Enabled through Firefox Labs or the browser settings in newer versions, this panel lets you pin an AI assistant alongside your browsing window. Supported chatbots include ChatGPT, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, HuggingChat, and Le Chat Mistral.

Third-Party Extension Panels

Firefox allows developers to build extensions that integrate directly into the sidebar. Once installed from the Firefox Add-ons store, these tools appear as selectable panels alongside the built-in options. Common categories and tools include:

  • Password Managers: Extensions like Bitwarden can be pinned to the sidebar, allowing you to view your vault, generate passwords, and copy credentials without the extension popup closing when you click back onto the webpage.
  • Advanced Tab Managers: Add-ons such as Tree Style Tab and Sidebery replace or supplement the standard tab bar by organizing your tabs into hierarchical, collapsible trees in the sidebar.
  • Note-Taking Tools: Scratchpad extensions like Sidebar Note or Simple Note allow you to type and save text directly next to the article or video you are currently viewing.
  • Read-It-Later and Bookmarking Services: Tools like Raindrop.io provide a sidebar panel to manage cloud-based bookmarks, tags, and reading lists.
  • RSS and Feed Readers: Extensions like Feedbro or Livemarks can utilize the sidebar to display incoming news feeds and blog updates in a clean, scrollable list.
  • Translation Utilities: Several translation add-ons can be pinned to the sidebar, allowing you to paste or automatically send highlighted webpage text to the panel for instant translation.
  • Download Managers: Specialized extensions allow you to view, pause, and manage your file downloads vertically in the sidebar rather than using the default toolbar popup.

Managing Your Sidebar Panels

To switch between or pin these panels, click the Sidebar icon in your Firefox toolbar. In the classic view, click the dropdown menu at the top of the sidebar to select your desired tool. In the updated expandable sidebar, click the gear icon at the bottom of the sidebar strip to check or uncheck which tools and extensions remain permanently pinned as quick-access icons. You can also move the sidebar to the left or right side of your screen through this same menu.