Web Browsing & Bookmarks

Your guide to navigating the web on a Mac

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Your Browsers

Your Mac ships with Safari, and Chrome may be available through Self Service. Both work great for daily work -- pick whichever feels most comfortable. Most shortcuts are identical in both.

🧭

Safari

Built into your Mac and ready to go. Look for the compass icon in the Dock.

  • Fast and battery-efficient on laptops
  • Designed specifically for macOS
  • Syncs with iPhone and iPad
🌐

Google Chrome

Available through Self Service. Works the same as it does on Windows.

  • Familiar if you used it on Windows
  • Sign in to sync your bookmarks
  • Large extension library

Know Your Browser Window

Every browser window has the same basic parts. Here is what you are looking at.

Mercury Portal x
ServiceNow x
SharePoint x
← →
https://portal.mercuryinsurance.com
ServiceNow HR Portal SharePoint Outlook Web Training
Page content appears here
Tab Bar -- Switch between open pages. Click + for a new tab.
Address Bar -- Type a URL or search term. Press ⌘+L to jump here.
Bookmarks Bar -- One-click access to your saved sites.
Traffic Lights -- Red = close, Yellow = minimize, Green = fullscreen.

Essential Shortcuts

If you remember one thing from Windows: replace Ctrl with ⌘ Cmd. These 8 shortcuts cover most of what you need.

⌘ Cmd + T
New Tab -- Opens a blank tab in the current window
⌘ Cmd + W
Close Tab -- Closes the tab you are currently viewing
⌘ Cmd + Shift + T
Reopen Closed Tab -- Brings back the last tab you closed (lifesaver)
⌘ Cmd + R
Refresh -- Reloads the current page
⌘ Cmd + L
Address Bar -- Jumps your cursor to the URL bar instantly
⌘ Cmd + F
Find on Page -- Search for any text on the current page
⌘ Cmd + + / -
Zoom In / Out -- Make text bigger or smaller (⌘+0 resets)
⌘ Cmd + N
New Window -- Opens a separate browser window

Bookmarks

Bookmarks save a website so you can return to it in one click -- no need to remember the URL or search for it every time.

How to Bookmark a Page

  1. Navigate to the page you want to save.
  2. Press ⌘ Cmd + D. A dialog appears.
  3. Name the bookmark (keep it short) and choose a folder or the Bookmarks Bar.
  4. Click Add or press Enter. Done.

Show the Bookmarks Bar

The bookmarks bar sits just below the address bar for one-click access to your favorites.

Organize with Folders

Keep your bookmarks bar tidy by grouping sites into folders. Some ideas:

Tip: Bookmark your Mercury work sites right away -- ServiceNow, the HR portal, your team's SharePoint, and Outlook Web. You will save time every single day.

Try It Now

Put what you have learned into practice. Try each one and check it off. These are just exercises, not a test.

Try It: Open a New Tab
Nice work -- you have got tab management down.
Try It: Jump to the Address Bar
That is the fastest way to navigate anywhere.
Try It: Bookmark This Page
You can find all your bookmarks in the Bookmarks menu.
Try It: Reopen a Closed Tab
You will use this one all the time -- guaranteed.
Try It: Find Text on a Page
Find on Page is incredibly useful for long documents.

More Details

Click any section below to expand it for more information.

Managing Downloads

Downloaded files go to your Downloads folder by default. Here is how to find them:

  • Safari: Click the download arrow icon in the top-right of the browser window.
  • Chrome: Press ⌘ Cmd + J to open the Downloads page.
  • Finder: Open Finder and click Downloads in the sidebar.
  • Spotlight: Press ⌘ Cmd + Space and type the file name.

Your Downloads folder can get cluttered fast. Move important files to Documents or OneDrive and delete what you do not need.

Clearing Browser Data (Cache)

If a website is not loading correctly, showing old content, or looping on login, clearing browser data often fixes it.

  • Safari: Safari menu > Clear History. For more control: Safari > Settings > Privacy.
  • Chrome: Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + Delete. Choose the time range, select what to clear, and click Clear Data.

This fixes a surprising number of website problems. Always try it before contacting IT.

Private / Incognito Browsing

Private browsing opens a window that does not save your history, cookies, or form data when you close it.

  • Safari: File > New Private Window, or ⌘ Cmd + Shift + N. The address bar turns dark.
  • Chrome: File > New Incognito Window, or ⌘ Cmd + Shift + N. The window shows a dark theme.

When to use it: Testing if a site works without your saved cookies interfering, logging into a second account, or troubleshooting login issues.

Troubleshooting

Click a problem below to see the solution.

Website not loading?
  1. Refresh -- Press ⌘ Cmd + R. This fixes most temporary glitches.
  2. Clear cache -- Use the Clearing Browser Data steps in the accordion above.
  3. Try a Private window -- Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + N and go to the same page.
  4. Contact IT -- If none of the above worked, submit a ServiceNow ticket or call the help desk.
Page looks broken or text is too small?
  1. Reset zoom -- Press ⌘ Cmd + 0 to reset to 100%.
  2. Zoom in -- Press ⌘ Cmd + + to make everything larger.
  3. Hard refresh -- Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + R to reload without cache.
Accidentally closed an important tab?
  1. Reopen it -- Press ⌘ Cmd + Shift + T immediately. It comes right back.
  2. Check history -- Press ⌘ Cmd + Y (Chrome) or go to History > Show All History (Safari) to find it.
  3. You can reopen multiple closed tabs by pressing the shortcut repeatedly.
Cannot find a file you downloaded?
  1. Check Downloads -- Open Finder and click Downloads in the sidebar.
  2. Search with Spotlight -- Press ⌘ Cmd + Space and type the file name.
  3. Check browser downloads -- Press ⌘ Cmd + J in Chrome or click the download arrow in Safari.
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