Stop-on-click/type pauses auto-refresh when you interact with the page, so a reload does not wipe mid-edit work.
Dashboards and queues are fine to reload on a timer. Forms, ticket replies, and filter edits are not. Auto Refresh Turbo can watch for click and keyboard activity in the tab and stop the session before the next alarm fires.
Why interaction stop exists
A fixed interval does not know you opened a comment box. Without a guard, the next tabs.reload can discard unsaved text or reset a modal. Interaction stop is the cheap safeguard for mixed “watch + edit” tabs.
The option is on by default when on-page tools are available. Turn it off only when you want reloads to continue even while you click through the UI.
How it behaves
- You Start a session with an interval (and any other flags)
- The service worker schedules the next alarm as usual
- If stop-on-click/type is enabled, a content script listens for interaction on that page
- A qualifying click or keystroke ends the refresh session for that tab
- You press Start again when you want the loop back
This is not the same as a daily schedule pause. Schedule pause resumes when the window opens. Interaction stop ends the session until you Start again — same family of outcome as pressing Stop.
What counts as interaction
Practical rule: intentional input in the page. Typing in a field, clicking controls, and similar gestures should stop refresh. Passive mouse movement alone is not the product promise; the goal is “you started editing or navigating inside the document.”
If a site uses heavy custom widgets, test once: Start a short interval, click or type, and confirm the popup shows the session ended.
When to leave it on
- Support queues where you reply in the same tab you refresh
- Admin panels with filters and draft fields
- Any board you sometimes edit without opening a second window
When to turn it off
- Kiosk or wall displays where incidental clicks should not kill the loop
- Status pages you only glance at and never type into
- QA scripts that click through UI while you still want timed reloads (use a dedicated tab or stop after N instead)
Permissions note
Stop-on-interaction needs page access via a content script. Plain interval refresh with alarms and tabs.reload does not require on-page UI. If you disable optional page features, this guard is unavailable — use manual Stop before editing.
Details: Privacy Policy and how auto refresh works.
Combine with other options
- Suspicious-page stop — can end a session if the document looks like an error or challenge screen
- Hard refresh — still bypasses cache on each reload while the session runs; interaction stop prevents the next cycle after you engage
- Multi-tab — each tab keeps its own toggles; editing tab A does not stop tab B
Quick setup
- Install Auto Refresh Turbo
- Open the tab you will both watch and edit
- Confirm Stop on click/type is enabled
- Set an interval and press Start
- Type or click once and verify the session stops
First-run path: Start in about two minutes.