Best Chrome Extensions for Web Developers
Introduction
Since the needs of every web developer are different, developers are welcome to customize their browsers to suit their needs. We can say that part of this customization is extensions or plugins that can help a lot in the developer’s workflow.
In 2021, around 65.27% of the world’s people are using Google Chrome, according to data from June this year. Since the Google Chrome browser is the most widely used in the world and web developers use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox the most, we decided to show you a list of the best Google Chrome extensions that can be useful for web developers.
ColorZilla
ColorZilla is an extension that allows the user to find any hue that is in the browser. The selected color can be edited and this extension also offers a CSS gradient editor. Most of these options are already built into Chrome DevTools, so this extension may not be of much concern to some developers.
Available at: ColorZilla
Lighthouse
Lighthouse is an open-source extension and serves as an automated tool to improve the performance, quality, and accuracy of your web applications. It can be used for any website, public or one that requires authentication. Lighthouse specifically audits performance, accessibility, progressive web apps, SEO, and more.
The tool performs a series of tests on the page and generates a report on how successful the page is. Based on this report, the user can conclude what he can do to improve his web application.
Lighthouse can be installed and run as a Google Chrome extension, but it also comes as a built-in tool within Chrome DevTools. It is recommended that you use Chrome DevTools workflow rather than Chrome Extension workflow. The DevTools workflow allows testing of local sites and authenticated pages, while the extension does not.
Available at: Lighthouse
Wappalyzer
Developers use a variety of technologies and usually look for inspiration by looking at other sites and applications which is why an extension like Wappalyzer comes across as very useful. The extension analyzes the site and shows what technologies it was created with.
With the help of this extension, you can find out which CMS, framework, eCommerce platform, JavaScript libraries, programming languages, analytics, marketing tools, payment processors, CRM, CDN are used by the site, and much more. A good alternative to this extension is: WhatRuns
Available at: Wappalyzer
Fake Filler
Fake Filler is a simple extension that serves to fill in all input fields on a page with randomly generated fake data, usually for filling out forms. This extension is useful because it saves time for developers and testers, without it everything would have to be done manually every time, which would take a lot of time.
Available at: Fake Filler
CSSViewer
CSSViewer is a simple extension that allows you to display CSS properties in an ordered order. The extension was originally made as an add-on for Firefox, after which a version for Chrome was released. Of course, developers can always use Chrome DevTools to view the CSS properties of an element, but this extension allows faster and more transparent access.
Available at: CSSViewer
JSON Viewer
JSON Viewer is an extension that enables the printing of JSON and JSONP and offers the possibility of customization so that the code looks beautiful and pleasing to the eye.
Available at: JSON Viewer
React Developer Tools
If you are a front-end developer and use React at some point you will surely start using the React Developer Tools extension if you have not already, this extension is required. The extension adds React debugging tools to Chrome Developer Tools. Allows you to inspect React component hierarchies using Chrome Developer Tools.
Available at: React Developer Tools
WhatFont
As the name of the extension itself says, WhatFont is used to identify fonts on web pages. The extension is easy to use, just drag the mouse over the letter and the extension will display the font name, for more detailed options you need to use the left mouse click. A good alternative to this extension is: Fonts Ninja
Available at: WhatFont
Redux DevTools
Redux DevTools is an extension that serves for debugging the application’s state changes. The extension provides power-ups for your Redux development workflow. The extension is not limited to Redux, it can be used with any other state-managed architecture.
Available at: Redux DevTools
Open in VSCode
An extension that can be useful in certain situations. Allows you to open GitHub and GitLab links in Visual Studio Code. Just right-click on any link from the file and the “Open in VSCode” option opens the selected file. If you think that this extension is not so useful, the next hack may be more useful.
For example, if we have the following repository: https://github.com/testuser/testrepo it is enough to add only “1s” in the following way: https://github1s.com/testuser/testrepo and the complete online repository opens. It should be borne in mind that this is not an official project supported by GitHub but an open-source project that can be used as needed.
Available at: Open in VSCode
Web Developer
The Web Developer is one of those extensions that was primarily developed for the Firefox browser since Firefox is also a great browser for developing. The extension adds a toolbar button to Chrome that provides various web developer tools. The Web Developer extension can also be used by people involved in digital marketing.
Available at: Web Developer
Picture-in-Picture Extension
For some it will be a useful extension, for others, it may not. Picture-in-Picture is a Chrome extension that allows you to watch videos in a floating window on top of other windows. It’s great for following tech talk or maybe tutorials while using other sites. This extension was developed by Google.
Available at: Picture-in-Picture Extension
Window Resizer
As a developer, it is important to test your application and apply responsive design. Windows Resizer allows you to mimic different screen resolutions so you can test the design layout. It is possible to set specific test resolutions that can later be exported and imported to another computer.
Available at: Window Resizer
Amino: Live CSS Editor
The Animo extension is like CSSViewer but more advanced. Allows you to write custom CSS code for any website and displays changes in real-time. It is possible to customize colors, fonts, and layout. Custom CSS code can be saved and used on other devices using Chrome. Animo is considered the best Chrome extension for custom CSS. As with the CSSViewer extension, some options already exist built into Chrome DevTools, so someone won’t even need this extension.
Available at: Amino: Live CSS Editor
Yet Another Lorem Ipsum Generator
You’ve probably heard of Lorem Ipsum by now. This extension represents the Lorem Ipsum Generator which provides lorem ipsum text that can be copied and used on the website most commonly as a text placeholder. With this extension, paragraphs of different lengths, titles, dates, email addresses, and links can be added.
Available at: Yet Another Lorem Ipsum Generator
Clear Cache
In each browser, there is an option to clear the cache, which can be configured. The Clear Cache extension allows you to set all the options once, after which just a mouse click is enough to perform the complete cleaning process in a few seconds.
Available at: Clear Cache
PerfectPixel by WellDoneCode (pixel perfect)
The PerfectPixel extension allows you to use a semi-transparent image over the website so you can perform a pixel-by-pixel comparison between the website and the image. This is a very useful extension for developers because it allows you to create a website exactly as it was designed.
Available at: PerfectPixel by WellDoneCode (pixel perfect)
Image downloader
Image Downloader is a great and useful Chrome extension that allows you to download all the images from a specific website. Images can also be downloaded from websites where images are hidden for download. With this extension, it is possible to extract the image link as well as download the image directly. A good alternative to this extension is: Image Downloader
Available at: Image downloader
GoFullPage – Full Page Screen Capture
The GoFullPage extension captures a screenshot of the current page without some additional permissions. This extension is very useful for web developers because with one click it provides a full overview of a webpage that can be shared later.
Available at: GoFullPage
Page Ruler Redux
The Page Ruler Redux is a very useful extension that provides a ruler for measuring pixel dimensions and positioning. It is possible to measure the width, height, and position of any element on any website.
Available at: Page Ruler Redux
LambdaTest
One of the key steps in the software development process is to test the application. The LamdbaTest extension provides a cloud-based platform for performing cross-browser testing on 2000+ real browsers and different browser versions for different devices. Such tests help make a website or web application cross-browser compatible, and therefore more robust.
For desktop devices, it is possible to test on Windows and macOS, and for mobile devices, it is possible to test on Android and iOS. It is possible to perform a screenshot testing over 25 devices in a single go. LambdaTest is one of the better extensions for developers, designers, and of course testers.
Available at: LambdaTest
Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker
Ghostery is a privacy extension that aims to prevent all intrusive ads that are usually on websites which is why it has a built-in adblocker. It also has built-in tracking protection to protect your data and block 3rd websites from being tracked, a page speed booster, and an optimizer to make the browsing experience more enjoyable. Ghostery has a dashboard with which the user can adjust their settings.
Available at: Ghostery – Privacy Ad Blocker
Session Buddy
Since Google Chrome is known to require a lot of RAM during operation, an extension such as Session Buddy comes in handy. This is an extension for developers and designers and provides help with managing browser tabs. It enables bookmark manager, saves sessions, and returns them later as needed thus relieving the browser and freeing up a lot of memory. Session Buddy allows you to manage all tabs from a single page, organize them by topic, and offer a quick tab search. If a system crash occurs Session Buddy will restore all your tabs as you left them.
Available at: Session Buddy
Conclusion
Extensions are great and you should use them and explore new ones as they appear. However, it is recommended that you use fewer extensions as more extensions can be distracting. Also, you shouldn’t trust extensions completely as they may not be available tomorrow.
It’s best to choose between 5 and 10 extensions that will work for you, and add a new one or remove an old one from time to time. Play around with the extensions and see which ones work best for you.
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