Which Browser Extensions do Web Developers Use?

Rey Bango 51 Comments

NOTE: This is about extensions you use for web development, not typical ones like LastPass, Adblock or Ghostery.

As the developer tools inside browsers have matured and become feature-rich, the reliance on 3rd party extensions to fill the gaps has gone down considerably with most extensions being only needed for specific use cases (e.g.: framework-specific). Since Microsoft announced that Microsoft Edge will eventually get extensions, I wanted to do a quick check to see what extensions are important to web developers. So with that, I ask the question:

“Which DEVELOPER-CENTRIC browser extensions are you using & can’t live without and how frequently do you use them?”

Answer in the comments please.

Rey Bango

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51 Comments

  5. Allow-Control-Allow-Origin:* for Chrome (lets you force CORS to work).
    Buffer to schedule my blog posts.
    LocalStorage Monitor – an extension I wrote that just flags when a site is using LocalStorage. I don’t keep dev tools open all the time (especially on the laptop screen), and I like to know when a site is making use of LocalStorage.

  7. Unless the sandbox is ironclad (haha), none.

    Seriously, it’s hard to imagine enabling any plugins unless the permission structure is granular enough to support domain, scheme, and page level permissions. Examples: Deny Flash for all but the following URLs, deny PDF for third part content, allow cross domain requests only for HTTPS schemes.

  15. Stylish, Firebug, Web Developer Toolbar, Postman, Colorzilla, AdBlock (cause I don’t have time to waste loading ads that I’ll never click on), BrowserStack, LiveReload, YSlow, Window Resizer, and personal extensions I’ve written to scan rendered code for specific conditions/issues.

  16. DummyText was the best lorem ipsum generator since it lets you customize paragraph #, words, p tags

    Web Developer Toolbar

    Fontface Ninja

    Google Publisher Toolbar (button extension, not really a toolbar) for GPT ad debugging

    jsoff button for quick access to disabling JS (web developer toolbar blocks the net request, this is a shortcut to chrome devtools disable javascript)

    Extensions Manager for toggling extensions on and off

    clickable links (i turn this on and off as desired using extensions manager)

    Copy Link Text (copies unformatted text, different from copying formatted text and using cmd-shift-v to paste)

    CSS Diff (dev tools pane)

    Insomnia REST Client

    jQuery Audit

    JSONView

    Octo Linker

    octotree

    Pretty Pull Requests (Github)

    React Developer Tools

    wasavi — use vi inside a textarea editor

    Xdebug helper (toggled on and off as needed)

  17. Chrome:
    – GitHub Awesome Autocomplete
    – Hide Files on GitHub
    – Octo Linker
    – Octotree
    – OneTab
    – React Developer Tools
    – JSONView

  19. Native Browser DevTools, Disconnect, Firefox Privacy Protection with Strict List (very useful to test sites), HTTPSEverywhere, uBlock Origin (temp. enabled).

  21. Gone are the days of web developer toolbars and extensions. Now all I hang on to is JSONView.

  23. Awesome Screenshot, Github EditorConfig, Google Analytics Debugger, HTML5 Outliner, JSONView, Page Ruler (mostly for alignment, not pixel measuring), React Developer Tools.

  25. – Accessibility Developer Tools
    – JSONView
    – OctoTree (gives me file drawer on GitHub)
    – Postman
    – Tab Size on GitHub (forces code on GitHub to 4 spaces)
    – W3Schools Hider
    – Livereload

  26. Regular browsing:
    * uBlock origin
    * 1Password
    * Google personal blocklist (solely to hide w3schools haha)
    * Octo linker (so useful)

    Dev profile:
    * EditThisCookie
    * PageSpeed Insights
    * Postman
    * React Dev Tools
    * Snappy Snippet

  27. Chrome:
    – uBlock Origin
    – LastPass
    – Postman
    – AngularJS Batarang

  30. Colorzilla (semi-often)
    Resize Window (not often)
    Colorblinding (semi-often)
    Toggle JavaScript (often)
    CSS Dig (semi-often)
    High Contrast (semi-often)
    Tenon (semi-often)

  31. I’m just using Chrome’s DevTools extensively and AWRStudyr.

    The last one, AWRStudyr, is a Chrome extension I made that shows instant tech and SEO insights on the current web page: server, analytics, advertising, page speed, mobile-friendly and more. Sorry for the plug, but I hope others might find it interesting as well.

  33. Native Developer Tools (Firefox, Chrome) – always, have replaced Firebug permanently
    HTML Validator (Firefox) – always
    Web Developer (Firefox/Chrome) – very often
    Chrome Logger (Chrome, native support in Firefox 43+) – often
    CSS Reloader (Firefox, Chrome) – always
    Fangs (Firefox) – sometimes
    Omnivalidator (Firefox) – sometimes
    Phoenix (Firefox) – often
    QuickJava (Firefox) – often (very convenient for turning off JS support)
    Valence (Firefox) – sometimes
    Page Speed Insights (Chrome) – sometimes
    Adobe Edge Inspect (Chrome) – rarely

  35. Chrome:
    – Privacy Badger
    – Disconnect
    – Authy
    – Enpass Password Manager
    – Pushbullet
    – The Great Suspender

  37. I do both design and development, so I have a mix of tools for that….

    Develop / Design extensions:
    1. Fireshot (screen capture)
    2. Colorpeek (Best extension EVER – great design tool)
    3. DevTools Theme: Zero Dark Matrix (because I’m blinded when I inspect otherwise!)
    4. JSONView
    5. Web Developer (although why I keep this I don’t know – I haven’t used it in forever)
    6. WhatFont

    Productivity extensions:
    1. Card Colors for Trello
    2. Nests for Trello
    3. Trellists: Trello Lists Master

    Everyday items extensions:
    1. Adblock Plus
    2. Send to Kindle

  40. Chrome

    #Regular browsing
    – Adblock Plus
    – Buffer
    – Ghostery
    – Hover Zoom
    – Pushbullet
    – Spaces
    – The Great Suspender

    #Development mode
    – Goo.gl URL shortener
    – CodePen OmniSearch
    – Corporate Ipsum
    – CSS Diff
    – CSS Dig
    – Form Filler
    – JSONView
    – Postman
    – PrettyPrint
    – Snappy Snippet
    – XML Tree
    – Google Analytics Debugger
    – PageSpeed Insights

  41. With Chrome as main browser:
    – Colorzilla
    – Tcpiputils
    – JSONView
    – Chrome UA Spoofer
    – Fireshot
    – Clear Cache
    and..
    – Brain
    – Coffee

  42. Adblock, Awesome Screenshot, Bitly, BrowserStack, Chroma, Chrome Remote Desktop, Clear Cache, Download Manager, Facebook AdBlock, Google Calendar, Google Cast, Image Downloader, Instant Translate, LastPass, Magic Actions for YouTube, Nimbus Screenshot and Screencast, Personalized Web, Stop Autoplay for Youtube, uBlock Origin, Viewport Resizer, Vysor, Wikiwand, WOT,

  44. Chrome is KING, therefore all these are on Chrome!
    The ones with the asterisk are the ones that are really on all the time.

    * 1Password
    AdBlock (sometimes when I have to test for people who use it)
    * Awesome Screenshot
    Chrome Remote Desktop
    ColorZilla
    DomFlags (rarely but it is there just in case)
    * EditThisCookie
    Google Analytics Debugger
    * Google Cast
    Keep Awake (for ChromeBook Kiosks)
    PageSpeed Insights
    Postman (disabled now cause PAW is awesome – Mac only)
    * Quick Javascript Switcher
    Responsive Inspector (disabled for now but still there)
    Speed Tracer (By Google)
    Web Developer Checklist
    * Window Resizer
    YSlow

  48. Chrome:
    – uBlock
    – Ghostery
    – Dimensions
    – EditThisCookie
    – Fontface Ninja
    – HTTPS Everywhere
    – LastPass
    – The Great Suspender
    – Postman

  49. AngularJS Batarang
    Bookmark Manager
    Chroma
    Chrome Remote Desktop
    CSS Diff
    CSS Grady
    CSS Reloader
    Dimensions
    EditThisCookie
    Eye Dropper
    Fireshot
    Google Analytics Debugger
    Google Calendar
    Google Cast
    HTTP Headers
    Image Downloader
    JSONView
    Microformats
    Page Analytics (by Google)
    Palette for Chrome
    PerfectPixel by WellDoneCode
    QR-Code Tag Extension
    React Developer Tools
    Reticle
    Ripple Emulator (Beta)
    SEOquake
    SnappySnippet
    The Great Suspender
    Type Sample
    Wappalyzer

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