Docs
Everything you need to get BrowserFairy up and running.
Getting Started
How do I set BrowserFairy as my default browser?
Open BrowserFairy, then go to Settings and click "Set as Default Browser." macOS will ask you to confirm. Once set, every link you click anywhere on your Mac will pass through BrowserFairy first.
How do I create my first rule?
Click the "+" button in the main window. Choose a condition (like "URL contains" or "Domain is"), enter your value, and pick which browser should open matching links. Rules are evaluated top to bottom, so order matters.
What happens if no rule matches?
BrowserFairy falls back to your chosen default browser (set in preferences). If you haven't picked one, it uses the system default.
Browser Extensions
Why do I need browser extensions?
Without extensions, BrowserFairy can only intercept links clicked outside of browsers (e.g., in Mail, Slack, or Finder). Extensions let BrowserFairy also handle links you click inside a browser tab, giving you full coverage.
Which browsers have extensions?
Safari, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. BrowserFairy includes extensions for the browsers most Mac users rely on every day.
How do I install the extensions?
Safari is bundled with BrowserFairy and just needs to be enabled in Safari's settings. Chrome, Firefox, and Edge are installed from their respective browser extension stores.
Rules & Matching
Can I match by the app that opened the link?
Yes. You can create rules based on the source application. For example, route all links from Slack to Chrome, or all links from your email app to Firefox.
Do rules support wildcards or regex?
Rules support common matching patterns like "contains," "starts with," "ends with," and "is." For advanced matching, you can use predicate-based rules.
Can I reorder rules?
Yes. Drag and drop rules to change their priority. BrowserFairy evaluates rules from top to bottom and uses the first match.
Troubleshooting
Links are opening in the wrong browser
Check your rule order. BrowserFairy uses the first matching rule, so more specific rules should be above general ones. Also make sure BrowserFairy is set as your default browser in System Settings > Desktop & Dock.
BrowserFairy is not intercepting links
Verify that BrowserFairy is your default browser (System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Default web browser). If links inside browsers are not being routed, make sure the relevant browser extension is installed, enabled, and up to date.
The app is not running in the background
BrowserFairy needs to be running to route links. Enable "Launch at Login" in preferences so it starts automatically. You can also check if it's running by looking for its icon in the menu bar.
Still need help?