diff --git a/components/portal/UtilitySwitcher.tsx b/components/portal/UtilitySwitcher.tsx
index 9779eae9..7eff4ca8 100644
--- a/components/portal/UtilitySwitcher.tsx
+++ b/components/portal/UtilitySwitcher.tsx
@@ -1,149 +1,131 @@
 // components/portal/UtilitySwitcher.tsx
 "use client";
 
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useRouter, useSearchParams } from "next/navigation";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 type Item = {
+    key: string;        // used in ?t=
     label: string;
-    note: string;
-    icon: string;
-    href: string;
-    check?: string;
-    /** present only for subdomain links */
-    target?: "_blank";
+    note?: string;
+    icon?: string;      // optional icon (public/images/utils/<icon>)
+    href: string;       // absolute URL
 };
 
-type Tab = "onsite" | "subdomains";
-
-const TABS: { key: Tab; label: string }[] = [
-    { key: "onsite", label: "On-site" },
-{ key: "subdomains", label: "Subdomains" },
-];
-
-/** Raw catalog (from your old dashboard) */
-const RAW_ITEMS: Item[] = [
-    // --- on-site (same tab)
+const ITEMS: Item[] = [
+    // On-site (embed)
     {
+        key: "laser-toolkit",
         label: "Laser Toolkit",
         note: "convert laser settings, interval and more",
         icon: "toolkit.png",
         href: "https://makearmy.io/laser-toolkit",
-        check: "https://makearmy.io/laser-toolkit",
     },
 {
+    key: "files",
     label: "File Server",
     note: "download from our file explorer",
     icon: "fs.png",
     href: "https://makearmy.io/files",
-    check: "https://makearmy.io/files",
 },
 {
+    key: "buying-guide",
     label: "Buying Guide",
     note: "reviews and listings for relevant products",
     icon: "bg.png",
     href: "https://makearmy.io/buying-guide",
-    check: "https://makearmy.io/buying-guide",
 },
 {
+    key: "svgnest",
     label: "SVGnest",
     note: "automatically nests parts and exports svg",
     icon: "nest.png",
     href: "https://makearmy.io/svgnest",
-    check: "https://makearmy.io/svgnest",
 },
 {
+    key: "background-remover",
     label: "BG Remover",
-    note: "advanced open source background remover featuring 10 AI models",
+    note: "open source background remover",
     icon: "bgrm.png",
     href: "https://makearmy.io/background-remover",
-    check: "https://makearmy.io/background-remover",
 },
-// --- subdomains (new tab)
+
+// Subdomains (new tab)
 {
+    key: "picsur",
     label: "Picsur",
     note: "Simple Image Host",
     icon: "picsur.png",
     href: "https://images.makearmy.io",
-    target: "_blank",
-    check: "https://images.makearmy.io",
 },
 {
+    key: "privatebin",
     label: "PrivateBin",
-    note: "Your encrypted internet clipboard.",
+    note: "Encrypted internet clipboard",
     icon: "privatebin.png",
     href: "https://paste.makearmy.io/",
-    target: "_blank",
-    check: "https://paste.makearmy.io/",
 },
 {
+    key: "forgejo",
     label: "Forgejo",
     note: "git for our community members",
     icon: "forgejo.png",
     href: "https://forge.makearmy.io",
-    target: "_blank",
-    check: "https://forge.makearmy.io",
 },
 ];
 
-function classify(items: Item[]) {
-    const onsite: Item[] = [];
-    const subdomains: Item[] = [];
-    for (const it of items) {
-        try {
-            const u = new URL(it.href);
-            if (u.hostname === "makearmy.io") onsite.push(it);
-            else subdomains.push(it);
-        } catch {
-            // Treat malformed URLs as on-site paths
-            onsite.push(it);
-        }
+function isExternal(urlStr: string) {
+    try {
+        const u = new URL(urlStr);
+        return u.hostname !== "makearmy.io";
+    } catch {
+        return true;
     }
-    return { onsite, subdomains };
 }
 
-const { onsite: ONSITE, subdomains: SUBS } = classify(RAW_ITEMS);
+/** For on-site URLs, convert absolute https://makearmy.io/path → /path for iframe src */
+function toOnsitePath(urlStr: string): string {
+    try {
+        const u = new URL(urlStr);
+        if (u.hostname === "makearmy.io") {
+            return `${u.pathname}${u.search}${u.hash}`;
+        }
+    } catch {}
+    return urlStr;
+}
 
-function Grid({ items, external }: { items: Item[]; external: boolean }) {
+function Panel({ item }: { item: Item }) {
+    const external = isExternal(item.href);
+
+    if (external) {
+        return (
+            <div className="space-y-2 text-sm">
+            <div>
+            Opened <span className="font-medium">{item.label}</span> in a new tab.
+            </div>
+            <a
+            href={item.href}
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+            className="underline"
+            >
+            Click here if it didn’t open.
+            </a>
+            </div>
+        );
+    }
+
+    const src = toOnsitePath(item.href);
     return (
-        <div className="grid gap-3 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
-        {items.map((it) => {
-            const iconSrc = `/images/utils/${it.icon}`;
-            const isExternal = external || it.target === "_blank";
-            return (
-                <a
-                key={it.href}
-                href={it.href}
-                {...(isExternal ? { target: "_blank", rel: "noopener noreferrer" } : {})}
-                className="group rounded-md border p-3 transition hover:bg-muted focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2"
-                >
-                <div className="flex items-start gap-3">
-                {/* eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element */}
-                <img
-                src={iconSrc}
-                alt=""
-                width={32}
-                height={32}
-                className="h-8 w-8 rounded-md border object-cover"
-                onError={(e) => {
-                    (e.currentTarget as HTMLImageElement).style.display = "none";
-                }}
-                />
-                <div className="min-w-0">
-                <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
-                <div className="truncate font-medium">{it.label}</div>
-                {isExternal && (
-                    <span className="rounded bg-muted px-1.5 py-0.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">
-                    new tab
-                    </span>
-                )}
-                </div>
-                <div className="truncate text-sm text-muted-foreground">{it.note}</div>
-                </div>
-                </div>
-                </a>
-            );
-        })}
+        <div className="space-y-3">
+        <div className="text-sm opacity-70">{item.note}</div>
+        <iframe
+        key={src}
+        src={src}
+        className="w-full h-[72vh] rounded-md border"
+        sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-forms allow-popups"
+        />
         </div>
     );
 }
@@ -151,39 +133,99 @@ function Grid({ items, external }: { items: Item[]; external: boolean }) {
 export default function UtilitySwitcher() {
     const router = useRouter();
     const sp = useSearchParams();
+    const openedRef = useRef<string | null>(null); // prevent double window.open
+    const [firstPaint, setFirstPaint] = useState(true);
 
-    const activeRaw = (sp.get("t") || "onsite").toLowerCase();
-    const active: Tab = (TABS.some((t) => t.key === activeRaw) ? activeRaw : "onsite") as Tab;
+    const activeKey = useMemo(() => {
+        const t = (sp.get("t") || ITEMS[0].key).toLowerCase();
+        return ITEMS.some(i => i.key === t) ? t : ITEMS[0].key;
+    }, [sp]);
 
-    function setTab(next: Tab) {
+    const activeItem = useMemo(
+        () => ITEMS.find(i => i.key === activeKey) || ITEMS[0],
+                               [activeKey]
+    );
+
+    function setTab(nextKey: string) {
         const q = new URLSearchParams(sp.toString());
-        q.set("t", next);
+        q.set("t", nextKey);
         router.replace(`/portal/utilities?${q.toString()}`, { scroll: false });
     }
 
+    // When landing on an external tab, open it once in a new tab.
+    useEffect(() => {
+        const item = activeItem;
+        if (!item) return;
+        const external = isExternal(item.href);
+        if (!external) return;
+
+        // Avoid duplicate opens in strict mode / re-renders
+        if (openedRef.current === item.key) return;
+        openedRef.current = item.key;
+
+        // Don’t auto-open on the very first paint if you prefer manual click only.
+        // Set to false to always auto-open, even on initial load of ?t=<external>.
+        const AUTO_OPEN_ON_FIRST_PAINT = true;
+
+        if (AUTO_OPEN_ON_FIRST_PAINT || !firstPaint) {
+            window.open(item.href, "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+        }
+        // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+    }, [activeItem?.key, activeItem?.href]);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        setFirstPaint(false);
+    }, []);
+
     return (
         <div>
         <div className="mb-4 flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
-        {TABS.map(({ key, label }) => (
-            <button
-            key={key}
-            onClick={() => setTab(key)}
-            className={cn(
-                "rounded-md border px-3 py-1.5 text-sm transition",
-                active === key ? "bg-primary text-primary-foreground" : "hover:bg-muted"
-            )}
-            >
-            {label}
-            </button>
-        ))}
+        {ITEMS.map((it) => {
+            const external = isExternal(it.href);
+            const iconSrc = it.icon ? `/images/utils/${it.icon}` : null;
+            const isActive = it.key === activeKey;
+            return (
+                <button
+                key={it.key}
+                onClick={() => {
+                    setTab(it.key);
+                    if (external) {
+                        // Also open immediately on click
+                        window.open(it.href, "_blank", "noopener,noreferrer");
+                    }
+                }}
+                className={cn(
+                    "flex items-center gap-2 rounded-md border px-3 py-1.5 text-sm transition",
+                    isActive ? "bg-primary text-primary-foreground" : "hover:bg-muted"
+                )}
+                title={it.note || it.label}
+                >
+                {iconSrc ? (
+                    // eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element
+                    <img
+                    src={iconSrc}
+                    alt=""
+                    width={16}
+                    height={16}
+                    className="h-4 w-4 rounded-sm border object-cover"
+                    onError={(e) => {
+                        (e.currentTarget as HTMLImageElement).style.display = "none";
+                    }}
+                    />
+                ) : null}
+                <span className="truncate">{it.label}</span>
+                {external && (
+                    <span className="rounded bg-muted px-1 py-0.5 text-[10px] uppercase tracking-wide text-muted-foreground">
+                    new tab
+                    </span>
+                )}
+                </button>
+            );
+        })}
         </div>
 
         <div className="rounded-md border p-4">
-        {active === "onsite" ? (
-            <Grid items={ONSITE} external={false} />
-        ) : (
-            <Grid items={SUBS} external={true} />
-        )}
+        <Panel item={activeItem} />
         </div>
         </div>
     );