# Profiles Source: https://metadock.app/docs/profiles # Profiles A profile is a completely separate browser environment: its own cookies, cache, extensions, logins, and proxy, none of which bleed into any other profile. That is what lets you keep one identity per account and run them side by side. ## How do I create and switch between profiles? Create and switch profiles from the profile manager, which you can reach with a keyboard shortcut from anywhere in MetaDock or from the New Tab page. Switching sets which profile new browser panels open with; panels already on screen keep the profile they were opened in. Actions and the keyboard shortcuts bound to them Action Shortcut Quick switch profile Ctrl+Shift+P Open profile manager Ctrl+Alt+P The profile manager is also available on the **New Tab** page. Hover over any profile row to reveal action buttons. ### What does this look like for a freelancer juggling clients? Say you're a freelancer with 5 active client engagements, each with its own dashboards, email, and tools. Create a profile for each: Client AClient BPersonalClient XClient Y Each profile is signed into that client's tools: their CRM, their email, their staging environment. Open them all side by side. No logging in and out, no incognito juggling. The color-coded title bars tell you which is which at a glance. ## What can I change about a profile? Each profile can be renamed, given a title bar color, routed through its own proxy, set as the default for new layouts, or deleted, as long as one profile remains. Hover over a profile in the manager to reveal these actions: Action and What it does Action What it does Select Make this the active profile for new browsers Default Set as the default profile when creating new layouts Color Assign a title bar color so you can visually identify which profile a browser is using Proxy Route this profile through an HTTP or SOCKS proxy, useful when you want different profiles exiting through different IPs Clear Proxy Remove the proxy (only shown if one is set) Rename Change the profile name Delete Remove the profile (must have at least one profile) Tip **Color-coding tip:** Assign distinct colors to your profiles. When you have 10 browser panels open, the colored title bars make it instantly clear which account/context each panel belongs to. Try red for personal, blue for work, green for testing. ### How do I get data into a new profile, or move it to another PC? A new profile starts empty. Two ways to change that: [import from another browser](https://metadock.app/docs/import) on this machine to bring in its bookmarks, logins, cookies, and history, or [export the profile to an encrypted file](https://metadock.app/docs/backup) and import it on another PC with its sessions intact. ## What is a temporary profile? A temporary profile is a disposable profile that works exactly like a regular one but wipes itself the next time MetaDock starts. Click **“Temp”** in the profile manager to create one. You never have to delete it by hand. Use one whenever you need a clean browser for a one-time task: checking how a site looks to a logged-out user, testing a signup flow, or browsing something without it polluting your main profile. ### When should I use a temporary profile? #### Testing signup flows Need to see what a new user experiences? Temp profile gives you a completely clean slate: no cookies, no cache, no history. #### Price comparison Some sites show different prices based on cookies. Open the same site in a temp profile to see the “new visitor” price. #### Quick research Browse something without it showing up in your main profile's history or affecting your recommendations. ## How isolated is one profile from another? Fully isolated, not just separate tabs. Each profile gets its own dedicated folder on disk, so two profiles can be signed into the same site as different accounts at the same time without either one seeing the other's session. Each folder holds: - •Separate cookie store: login to the same site with different accounts simultaneously - •Separate cache: no cross-contamination between profiles - •Separate local storage: site preferences, saved data, and session state are independent - •Separate extension installations: each profile runs its own set of extensions - •Independent proxy settings: route each profile through a different proxy or VPN Note **How this differs from Chrome profiles or incognito:** In MetaDock, profiles are fully parallel: you can have 5 panels open, each with a different profile, all visible at the same time. Chrome profiles require separate windows; incognito loses everything when closed. MetaDock profiles persist across restarts and restore with your workspace. ### Example: Multi-account trading Create three profiles: **“Broker A”**, **“Broker B”**, and **“Paper Trading”**. Each profile is logged into a different brokerage. Assign a different proxy to each if your broker requires it. Set a different color for each title bar. Now open all three side by side and trade across multiple accounts without ever logging in or out. Profiles exist for running many identities side by side, which is a workflow of its own. [See how profiles work across many accounts](https://metadock.app/multi-account). Trying this yourself? The 14\-day trial grants MetaDock Pro with no account, email or card. [Try Pro free](https://metadock.app/download)