macOS processes › Browsers and web content
What is Safari Networking on Mac?
com.apple.WebKit.Networking, shown in Activity Monitor as Safari Networking, does the network loading for Safari and other apps that use WebKit, such as fetching pages and managing cookies and the cache.
What it does
Web pages don't connect to the internet themselves. They ask this process, which downloads resources, stores cookies and website data, and manages the disk cache. Keeping it separate means a page can't reach your cookies for other sites directly.
Why it gets busy
- Many tabs loading at once, like after restoring a session.
- Large downloads in Safari.
- Sites that make constant requests, like live feeds or heavy tracking.
- A large store of website data.
Why is Safari Networking using so much CPU?
Safari Networking loads everything your web pages request. Many tabs loading at once, big downloads or request-heavy sites keep it busy.
Is it safe to quit?
Safari launches a replacement. Pages that were loading may fail and need a reload.
How to calm it down
- Avoid reopening dozens of tabs at once. Load them as you need them.
- Remove stored data for sites you don't use in Safari › Settings › Privacy › Manage Website Data….
- Use a content blocker extension to cut down tracker requests.
In SystemWatch
The website edition of SystemWatch shows this process's network connections, so you can see which sites it's talking to.
