Presets#

Presets let you save and switch between different bar configurations. Each preset stores its own apps, folders, widgets, actions, and Collapse Mode configuration — so you can have one setup for work, another for design, and swap between them instantly.

Display mode, screen position, and bar appearance are app-wide settings. Switching presets does not change them.

How presets work#

A preset is a snapshot of your bar. It includes:

• The apps and folders in your bar
• Widgets and their configured contents
• Each item's menu actions and deep links

When you apply a preset, your bar switches to that configuration. Your other presets are saved and ready to switch back to at any time.

On first launch, ExtraBar creates a Default preset from your current bar.

Creating a preset#

1. Set up your bar the way you want it — add apps, configure actions
2. Open ExtraBar → Presets
3. Click Create
4. Name your preset
5. Click Create — the new preset saves your current bar items and their menu configurations

Turn on Start clean (no items) in the same dialog to create an empty preset and build it from scratch.

Managing presets#

Each preset row offers these actions, either as buttons or in its options menu:

• Apply — Switch your bar to this preset
• Manage — Edit the apps and actions inside the preset
• Rename — Double-click the preset name or use the options menu
• Duplicate — Create a copy with a new name
• Delete — Remove the preset. The active preset and the last remaining preset cannot be deleted, so apply another preset first.

Click Edit to drag and reorder presets, then Done when you are finished.

Preset hotkeys#

You can assign a keyboard shortcut to any preset for instant switching. Open ExtraBar → Settings (⚙) → Hotkeys → Preset Hotkeys to configure them.

ExtraBar supports three trigger types:

• Single Press — A standard shortcut (e.g., ⌥ + ⌘ + 1)
• Key Sequence — Press a leader key, then press an action key
• Multi-Press — Tap a key multiple times quickly (e.g., double-tap ⌥)

See Keyboard Navigation for details.

Export and import#

Share your setup across Macs or with others using the export/import wizards. Access them from the Import presets (↓) and Export presets (↑) icons in the toolbar of the preset management view.

Exports are saved as a single .extrabar file. It bundles every custom Icon Library icon the exported items use, so the setup looks the same on another Mac. Bundled icons carry only the image and a short source label, never the original file path.

Exporting:

1. Open ExtraBar → click Manage on any preset
2. Click the Export (↑) button in the toolbar

3. Choose what to export:

   • Preset — Export one or more full presets with all their apps and actions
   • Single App Configuration — Export just one app's actions from a preset
4. Optionally narrow the export to specific items and actions — anything you leave unselected stays out of the file
5. Choose Include Real Values to keep paths and saved parameter values (best for personal backups), or Remove Real Values to strip sensitive values and replace your username in paths
6. Save the .extrabar file

Importing:

1. Open ExtraBar → click Manage on any preset
2. Click the Import (↓) button in the toolbar
3. Choose the .extrabar export file
4. Select which presets to import, or which items and actions from a single app configuration

5. For a preset export, choose what happens On name conflict:

   • Keep Both (Rename) — Import with a renamed copy
   • Replace Existing — Overwrite the existing preset
   • Skip — Don't import the duplicate

   For a single app configuration, pick the Target Preset that receives the actions and decide whether to Add the app to the preset if it is missing.

Bundled icons are restored onto the imported items and added to Settings → Icon Library. Icons are matched by content, so importing the same file twice does not create duplicates. Older .json exports still import; the import summary notes when custom icons were not included in the file, and those items show default icons instead.