Site-specific browser

<h2 id="applications">Applications</h2>
<p>One early example of an SSB is MacDICT, a <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_9/33QM3VqV">Mac OS 9</a> application that accessed various web sites to define, translate, or find synonyms for words typed into a text box. A more current example is <a href="/facts/WeatherBug/3LpUIIVh">WeatherBug Desktop</a>, which is a standalone client accessing information also available at the weatherbug.com website but configured to display real-time weather data for a user-specified location.
</p><p>The first general purpose SSB is believed to be Bubbles<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> which launched late 2005 on the <a href="/facts/Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a> platform and later coined the term "Site Specific Extensions" for SSB <a href="/facts/Greasemonkey/tvlvx5qB">userscripts</a> and introduced the SSB Javascript API.
</p><p>On 2 September 2008, the <a href="/facts/Google_Chrome/4INfWq37">Google Chrome</a> web browser was released for Windows. Although Chrome is a full featured browser, it also contains a "Create application shortcut"<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> menu item that adds the ability to create a stand-alone SSB window for any site. This is similar to <a href="/facts/Mozilla_Prism/gu1oletd">Mozilla Prism</a> (formerly WebRunner), now discontinued, but which is available as an add-on to the <a href="/facts/Firefox/xez2zv8H">Firefox</a> browser version 3.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
</p><p>Examples of applications of SSBs in various situations include:
</p>
<ul><li>Social networking: dedicated application to access and use sites such as <a href="/facts/Facebook/0IhXFR6u">Facebook</a>, <a href="/facts/MySpace/dES860Ro">MySpace</a>, <a href="/facts/Twitter/VWwDNGUm">Twitter</a>, or personal <a href="/facts/Blog/bb6awu2X">blog</a> pages</li>
<li>Email: dedicated to <a href="/facts/Webmail/bLkNmBYn">webmail</a> sites such as <a href="/facts/Gmail/GXU2IQH4">Gmail</a>, <a href="/facts/Hotmail/I4sund79">Hotmail</a>, or <a href="/facts/Yahoo!_Mail/YjVXo9ao">Yahoo! Mail</a></li>
<li>Business: <a href="/facts/Customer_relationship_management/Y74q0uXB">customer relationship management</a> (CRM) or <a href="/facts/Enterprise_resource_planning/IHhjWH4z">ERP</a> client for sites such as <a href="/facts/Salesforce.com/jEqXM3Gr">Salesforce.com</a>, specific web/browser hybrid implementations such as Elements SBM or intranet pages from suites like those sold by <a href="/facts/Oracle_Corporation/0z14FygH">Oracle</a> or <a href="/facts/SAP_AG/pVwH8lks">SAP</a></li>
<li>Mapping: SSB specific to maps from providers like <a href="/facts/Google_Maps/cKQ0jaFg">Google Maps</a>, <a href="/facts/Mapquest/gRhDdK7v">Mapquest</a>, or <a href="/facts/Yahoo!_Maps/JLAogyrz">Yahoo! Maps</a></li>
<li>Retail: desktop portal to major retailers that are accessed frequently or consumer services such as <a href="/facts/Carfax_(company)/Q5UxfreV">Carfax</a> or <a href="/facts/CNET/FefqENNr">CNET</a></li></ul>
<h3>Mobile applications</h3>
<p>As of 2019, <a href="/facts/Firefox/xez2zv8H">Firefox</a> and <a href="/facts/Google_Chrome/4INfWq37">Google Chrome</a> on Android and <a href="/facts/Safari_(web_browser)/9R8v7tNl">Safari</a> on iOS allow the creation of site-specific browsers for <a href="/facts/Progressive_web_application/IpkL2Yhb">progressive web applications</a> (PWAs).
</p>
<h2 id="software">Software</h2>
<p>Utilities that produce site-specific browsers:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="https://webcatalog.io/">WebCatalog</a> (macOS/Windows/Linux, isolated cookie storage)</li>
<li><a href="https://webcatalog.io/chromeless/">Chromeless</a> (macOS, isolated cookie storage, discontinued)</li>
<li><a href="https://flotato.com/">Flotato</a> (macOS only)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Fluid_(web_browser)/Ytho83h3">Fluid</a> (Mac OS X only, isolated cookie storage)</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/dmarmor/epichrome">Epichrome</a> (Mac OS only, discontinued)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bzgapps.com/unite">Unite</a> (Mac OS only)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bzgapps.com/coherence">Coherence</a> (Mac OS only)</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/nativefier/nativefier">Nativefier</a> (Windows, macOS and Linux, discontinued)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Google_Chrome/4INfWq37">Google Chrome</a> (Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux:<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> "Application shortcut" feature, though not entirely sandboxed like Mozilla Prism) (feature modified, "Create shortcut...", possibly sometimes unavailable, as of 2020)</li>
<li><a href="https://peppermintos.com/guide/ice/">ICE (software)|ICE</a> (Linux only, developed for <a href="/facts/Peppermint_Linux_OS/xUeYhFVQ">Peppermint OS</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Mailplane_(software)/efK4oIcY">Mailplane</a> (Mac OS only)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Mozilla_Prism/gu1oletd">Mozilla Prism</a> (cross-platform, Flash-compatible, and true application isolation (e.g., cookies); discontinued)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/GNOME_Web/0hIb10Th">GNOME Web</a> ("Install Site as Web Application" feature)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Edge/BGoJEFX9">Microsoft Edge</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Internet_Explorer_9/A78zjnWY">Internet Explorer 9</a> and higher<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a></li>
<li><a href="https://wavebox.io/">Wavebox</a> (Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux)</li>
<li><a href="https://hermit.chimbori.com/">Hermit</a> (Available for Android only)</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Safari_(web_browser)/9R8v7tNl">Safari</a> (iOS/macOS, Share then Add to Home Screen / to Dock).</li>
<li><a href="/facts/NoScript/HYwsIrsL">NoScript's ABE module</a> with rules like</li></ul>
Site x.com y.net
Accept from x.com y.net
Deny
Site * Deny

<p><a href="/facts/Rich_web_application/en12v9La">Rich web application</a> platforms:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/JavaFX/hWrAAmny">JavaFX</a> 2.0</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Adobe_Air/oV2TPXJP">Adobe Air</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Curl_(programming_language)/dASja3Rv">Curl RIA platform</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Microsoft_Silverlight/SYKe8yL1">Microsoft Silverlight</a></li></ul>
<p>Widget engines:
</p>
<ul><li>Opera Widgets</li></ul>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Electron_(software_framework)/15eHlAWQ">Electron (software framework)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Chromium_Embedded_Framework/oKADxFcX">Chromium Embedded Framework</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>Lane, Dave (9 August 2011). "Creating a multi-resolution favicon including transparency with the GIMP". Archived from the original on 2016-02-28. Retrieved 25 February 2011. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160228003232/http://catalyst.net.nz/news/creating-multi-resolution-favicon-including-transparency-gimp" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160228003232/http://catalyst.net.nz/news/creating-multi-resolution-favicon-including-transparency-gimp</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"Between Web & Desktop, Bubbles". Gigaom.com. May 6, 2009. Retrieved 2006-04-15. <a href="http://gigaom.com/2006/04/15/between-web-desktop-bubbles/" target="_blank">http://gigaom.com/2006/04/15/between-web-desktop-bubbles/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"Google Chrome – Features". Retrieved 2008-09-03. <a href="https://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/features.html" target="_blank">https://www.google.com/chrome/intl/en/features.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Google Chrome First Impressions". coals2newcastle.com. Retrieved 2008-09-03. <a href="http://blog.coals2newcastle.com/2008/09/google-chrome-first-impressions.html" target="_blank">http://blog.coals2newcastle.com/2008/09/google-chrome-first-impressions.html</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>"Create application shortcuts". Google Inc. Retrieved 2013-04-04. <a href="https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95710" target="_blank">https://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95710</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Bowen, Chris (May 12, 2011). "Internet Explorer 9 Pinned Site Shortcuts vs Internet Shortcuts". msdn.com. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2020. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110516211207/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cbowen/archive/2011/05/12/internet-explorer-9-pinned-site-shortcuts-vs-internet-shortcuts.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110516211207/http://blogs.msdn.com/b/cbowen/archive/2011/05/12/internet-explorer-9-pinned-site-shortcuts-vs-internet-shortcuts.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Site-specific browser open-in-new

Site-specific browser