Workspaces & Layouts

Workspaces are how MetaDock remembers and restores your entire desktop setup — every panel, every position, every profile. Set it up once, use it forever.

How Workspaces Work

MetaDock organizes everything in a three-level hierarchy:

Workspace  (e.g., "Trading")
  ├── Layout 1  (your main monitor)
  │     ├── TradingView chart (Profile: Broker A)
  │     ├── Yahoo Finance (Profile: Default)
  │     └── Order book (Profile: Broker A)
  ├── Layout 2  (your second monitor)
  │     ├── News feed
  │     ├── Discord
  │     └── Portfolio tracker
  └── Layout 3  (laptop screen)
        └── Slack

A workspace is a complete saved state. A layout is a single MetaDock window (typically one per monitor). Each layout contains your panels — browsers, native apps, etc.

Action	Shortcut
Save workspace	`Ctrl`+`S`
Load startup workspace	`F3`
Create new workspace	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`N`
Switch workspace	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`W`
Open workspace manager	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`M`

Tip

Think of workspaces like saved desktops. You might have a “Trading” workspace with 12 chart panels, a “Development” workspace with your IDE and browser DevTools, and an “Entertainment” workspace with social media and streaming. Switch between them with Ctrl+Shift+W.

Workspace Features

Unlimited workspaces

Create as many as you need — one per project, client, or activity.

Auto-save

Enable automatic saving so you never lose your layout. Configure the interval in Settings.

Home page

Set a default URL per workspace. When you switch to your “Trading” workspace, it can automatically open TradingView.

Startup workspace

Choose which workspace loads when MetaDock starts. Your morning routine, ready to go.

Full restoration

When you reload a workspace, MetaDock restores your browser panels - window positions, sizes, which profile each panel uses, zoom levels, even which monitor each layout was on. Native apps re-dock if they are still running with the same window title and exe name. This works even after a Windows restart.

Note

Real-world scenario:You have a 3-monitor trading setup. Monday morning, you open MetaDock. Your “Trading” startup workspace loads — 12 browser panels appear across all 3 monitors, each logged into the right broker with the right charts, exactly where you left them Friday. Total setup time: zero.

Layouts

Each layout is an independent MetaDock window. Most people use one layout per monitor, but you can have as many as you want.

What makes a layout independent

•Own panel set — each layout has its own collection of browsers, players, and embedded apps
•Own profile assignment — you can set a default profile per layout
•Own Live Info Bar — customize the toolbar for each layout's purpose
•Shared data — bookmarks, settings, and downloads are shared across all layouts

Tip

Multi-monitor tip: Drag a layout window to your second monitor, then save the workspace. Next time you load it, MetaDock puts each layout back on the correct monitor automatically.

Auto-Tiling

MetaDock's auto-tiling system automatically arranges panels in a grid as you add them. You don't need to drag and resize — just open content and it fills in the grid intelligently.

How it works

Open your first browser → it fills the entire layout
Open a second → the layout splits into two columns
Open a third → it adds a row, creating a 2x2 grid with one empty slot
Keep adding → the grid expands diagonally, up to 32×32 (1,024 panels)

Important behaviors

•Active by default — auto-tiling is on for every new layout
•Manual override is permanent — if you drag a panel to a new position, auto-tiling turns off for that layout
•Re-enable anytime — press Ctrl+Shift+0 to reset the layout and re-enable auto-tiling

Tip

Best practice: Let auto-tiling build your grid, then press F9 to lock the layout. This prevents accidental panel rearrangement while still letting you interact with all your content.

Layout Shortcuts

These shortcuts control how your layout behaves:

Action	Shortcut
Lock/unlock layout	`F9`
Reset layout (re-enable auto-tiling)	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`0`
Equalize all panel sizes	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`E`
Clear all panels	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`C`
Toggle toolbar auto-hide	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`H`
Float focused widget	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`F`
Dock floating widget	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`D`
Full screen	`F11`

Window Management

Control the MetaDock window itself (not the panels inside it):

Action	Shortcut
Minimize window	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Down`
Maximize window	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Up`
Restore window size	`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`Home`

Locking

Press F9 to lock your layout. When locked:

•Panels can't be dragged or repositioned
•Panels can't be accidentally closed
•Your layout is protected from stray clicks

Tip

When to lock:After you've arranged your perfect trading dashboard, development environment, or monitoring setup, lock it immediately. This is especially important if you're running automation scripts — a locked layout prevents the script from accidentally disrupting your panel arrangement.