This article explains how to use the Top Sites feature in Safari 7 through Safari 14—except where noted. So rather than typing a URL or selecting a bookmark from the Bookmarks menu or Bookmarks bar, you can navigate via thumbnail.

What to Know

  • Select Bookmarks > Show Top Sites.Add page: Drag webpage URL to the Top Sites screen, or the Top Sites icon.Delete page: Hover cursor over website thumbnail, then select X in the menu that appears.

Access and Edit Top Sites

The Top Sites feature automatically keeps track of how often you visit websites and displays the ones you visit most. Still, you’re not stuck with the results. It’s easy to add, delete, and manage your Top Sites.

  • To access Top Sites, select Bookmarks > Show Top Sites from the menu bar. (In Safari 7 through Safari 12, select the grid icon at the left side of the Bookmarks bar.)
  • If you don’t see Show Top Sites, select Safari > Preferences > General. Next to New windows open with, select Top Sites.
  • To edit your Top Sites, hover the cursor over the Top Sites thumbnails to reveal icons that let you delete a page or pin it to its current location, which prevents the thumbnail from moving around on the page.
  • Rearrange thumbnails by clicking and dragging a thumbnail to a new location on the Top Sites page. Select the X icon to delete the page from the Top Sites.

Change the Thumbnail Size

There are three options for the size of the thumbnails in Top Sites and two ways to make the changes. Beginning with Safari 7, Apple moved the thumbnail size and number of sites per page to the Safari preferences.

To access Top Sites, select Bookmarks > Show Top Sites from the menu bar. (In Safari 7 through Safari 12, select the grid icon at the left side of the Bookmarks bar.)

If you don’t see Show Top Sites, select Safari > Preferences > General. Next to New windows open with, select Top Sites.

To edit your Top Sites, hover the cursor over the Top Sites thumbnails to reveal icons that let you delete a page or pin it to its current location, which prevents the thumbnail from moving around on the page.

Rearrange thumbnails by clicking and dragging a thumbnail to a new location on the Top Sites page. Select the X icon to delete the page from the Top Sites.

  • Select Preferences from the Safari menu.
  • Choose the General tab.
  • Select the Top Sites shows drop-down menu and select 6, 12, or 24 sites.

Add a Page to Top Sites

To add a page to Top Sites, open the web page and either drag its URL to the open Top Sites screen or to the Top Sites icon at the upper-left corner of the current screen.

Select Preferences from the Safari menu.

Choose the General tab.

Select the Top Sites shows drop-down menu and select 6, 12, or 24 sites.

You can also add a page to Top Sites by dragging a link from a web page, an email message, or another document to the Top Sites icon.

Delete a Page From Top Sites

To permanently delete a page from Top Sites, hover the cursor over the page you want to delete and select the X that appears in the upper-left corner of the page’s thumbnail.

Pin a Page in Top Sites

To pin a page in Top Sites so that another page cannot replace it, hover over the thumbnail image and click the pushpin icon that appears in the upper-left corner. The icon changes color from black-and-white to blue-and-white to indicate it is pinned. To unpin a page, select the pushpin again. The icon changes from blue-and-white to black-and-white when it is unpinned.

Reload Your Top Sites

Losing your internet connection even briefly can cause a minor glitch in the Top Sites feature. However, it’s easy to fix by reloading the Top Sites page. Open the Top Sites page in Safari and use the keyboard shortcut Command+R to reload the page.

Other Top Sites Options

You can also set it so that new tabs open your Top Sites page. If you want to open all new Safari windows in Top Sites, follow these steps:

  • Select the Safari menu, then select Preferences.
  • In the Safari Preferences window, select the General tab.
  • From the New windows open with drop-down menu, select Top Sites.
  • If you want new tabs to open in Top Sites, select the New tabs open with drop-down menu, then choose Top Sites.

Select the Safari menu, then select Preferences.

In the Safari Preferences window, select the General tab.

From the New windows open with drop-down menu, select Top Sites.

If you want new tabs to open in Top Sites, select the New tabs open with drop-down menu, then choose Top Sites.

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