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30 Amazing Chrome Extensions for Designers and Developers
3 days ago
Searching for a tool to make cross-platform design a breeze? Desperate for an extension that helps you figure out the HTML code of that fantastic color palette? Looking for a trick that will supercharge your productivity this year? We’ve got you covered.
Chrome extensions are the bread and butter of a web designer’s workflow. From day-to-day productivity extensions to all-in-one coding tools, there are dozens of different ways to speed up your processes in the modern day.
In this article, we’ve condensed down 30 of the best Chrome extensions that every web designer and developer should know about in 2023. Let’s get into the list.
1. Window Resizer
Creating responsive designs for desktop and mobile is part and parcel of the web designer’s daily life—but that doesn’t mean we enjoy it.
Fortunately, Window Resizer takes the hassle out of cross-platform web design. The extension installs directly into Chrome and will reliably resize any page to fit all standard screen sizes, including desktop, tablet, and mobile. If you’re looking to save a couple of hours on your next big project, give this one a go.
2. Browser Stack
Equally time-consuming as designing for multiple platforms is optimizing web pages across browsers. Luckily, BrowserStack has got that laborious aspect of web design covered.
Whether it’s Chrome, Windows 10, or macOS Mojave, BrowserStack makes it easy to see precisely how your webpage will translate across different browsers. Simply install the extension and choose the browser you’d like to assess—the tool will handle the rest.
3. Page Ruler
Page ruler does exactly what it says on the tin. The extension allows you to draw a custom selection on your screen and find precise height and width measurements. It’s fast, straightforward, and accurate, meaning you never need to worry about one image being a pixel larger than the rest.
4. WhatFont
We’ve all been there. You’re deep-diving into your example folder to find the right motivation for your next project and have just landed on the perfect font. Now, if only you could remember what it was.
WhatFont takes the hassle out of figuring out a font by instantly identifying typefaces on a page. It even tells you the font size, weight, and color, meaning you can spend less time scouring the internet for obscure typefaces and more time on the things you’d much rather be doing.
While the extension hasn’t seen an update in a while, it still works as intended.
If you’re a designer on the hunt for the best new fonts, this is the ideal extension for you.
5. Lorem Ipsum Generator
Sick of typing out gibberish sentences and shopping lists to test the look of your web design? Lorem Ipsum Generator solves this problem by generating simple Latin filler text for you to use as a placeholder on your page.
Once you install the extension, all you need to do is specify how much text you need and then copy the result from the window. This one gets a 10/10 from us for ease of use.
6. FontsNinja
Not a fan of WhatFont? Try FontsNinja, a great alternative extension that allows you to determine a typeface in a few clicks.
As a bonus, we like to cross-reference the typeface between WhatFont and FontsNinja to make sure we’re actually getting the right font. Call it trust issues if you want, but it’s certainly effective.
7. ColorPick Eyedropper
Just spotted a beautiful shade of blue and want to borrow it for your next project? Spending hours trying to work out the HTML code for that sunset orange you found on an obscure webpage?
The ColorPick Eyedropper extension will reveal the values of any color you direct it to. It’s always there when you need it, so you don’t have to upload anything. Plus, it can even tell you the color of text. If you spend a lot of time looking for the perfect web design color palette, this extension is an excellent addition to your tech stack.
8. React Developer Tools
React Developer Tools is an outstanding extension for anyone who works with React. The toolkit offers various utilities that allow you to track, assess, and analyze every aspect of the React component tree.
From determining performance bottlenecks to debugging errors, if you work in React, this is the extension for you.
9. Web Developer Checklist
As developers and designers, we all love a great to-do list. Web Developer Checklist gives you a list of all of the things you need to do before you publish a webpage, from SEO and accessibility to website performance and mobile optimization.
If you’re a busy developer who spends a lot of time juggling projects, this extension will ensure you never miss a thing.
10. Notepad
Okay, we admit. This isn’t the most exciting extension, nor is it the most designer-specific. But it is undoubtedly one of the most valuable tools you can have at your disposal.
Notepad allows you to take vital notes in seconds. You don’t even need to log in. That means less time spent jotting down important info and fewer cluttered files on your system.
11. HTML Validator
Developers are no strangers to HTML tools, and you likely have a few in your tech stack already. Where HTML Validator differs is in its simplicity.
This handy tool will quickly and easily check and validate your HTML code within a browser. If there are any errors in your markup, this extension will find them.
Sure, HTML Validator is not as advanced as many of the other tools out there, but we like to use this extension as a handy final check before we hit the send button.
12. Broken Link Checker
Ah, broken links—the easiest way to make a great website look completely archaic.
Broken Link Checker is a free extension that checks your site’s health. The handy tool will scan your pages and domains to provide a list of every link that is broken or dead, including 404 errors, images, and CSS links. If your website has an intricate hierarchy and dozens of navigation options, Broken Link Checker will save you hours when trying to keep your pages up to date.
13. Loom
Ever spent hours sending screenshots back and forth trying to explain a problem? The inventors of Loom certainly have.
Loom is a simple screen recording tool that makes it easy to create and share videos with your clients or colleagues. It’s a great way to highlight bugs and walk clients through key changes quickly. Once you’ve made your video, you’ll receive a link that you can share with anyone you please. Unclear screenshots and confusing text documents, begone.
14. EditThisCookie
EditThisCookie allows you to create, edit, protect, delete, and block cookies on individual pages. You can even import them into JSON or export them for analysis. If you spend a lot of time dealing with website cookies, you’ll find this tool incredibly useful.
15. Site Palette
Sure, ColorPick Eyedropper is excellent for finding individual colors. But what happens when you need to get all of the colors from a website at once? Enter Site Palette.
Site Palette analyzes the coding of a given web page and provides a reliable color palette for you to use as a reference in your work. Plus, you can even generate links to share your palette with others. It’s precise, instantaneous, and easy to use.
16. CSS Viewer
CSS Viewer allows you to quickly identify the CSS properties of anything on a page, meaning you spend less time trawling through websites to determine the individual properties of every element. Rejoice!
Simply hover over an element, such as text or an image, and the extension will provide you with instant CSS information. You can even copy the code straight to your clipboard.
17. Bookmark Sidebar
Designers and developers have a lot of websites and workflows to access on a day-to-day basis. Bookmark Sidebar makes finding what you’re looking for easier.
This handy extension allows you to add, delete, and organize your bookmarks via drag and drop. This helps you keep track of all of those extra tabs and ensures you never spend hours of your time hunting for that elusive webpage.
18. Hiver
Sharing a joint email with colleagues is standard practice in the design industry these days. But sadly, the more people you have on your Gmail account, the harder it is to keep track of what’s going on. Fortunately, Hiver has a solution.
Hiver is a collaboration extension for teams that share accounts on Gmail. The tool allows colleagues to track emails, assign messages to different people, and collaborate on email writing. You can even set up follow-up email reminders to ensure no one forgets to send that all-important brief.
19. Session Buddy
How many minutes per day do you spend trying to find that one specific tab that you’re absolutely sure was there a minute ago? Probably more than you think.
The Session Buddy Chrome extension lets you manage all of your tabs in one simple dashboard. Plus, if you accidentally delete one, you can view and restore closed tabs in an instant.
If you’re like us and constantly spend your day on the hunt for missing tabs, Session Buddy is the lifesaver you need.
20. Lightshot
How many screenshots do you take in a day? Five? Ten?
Between sending bugs to colleagues and discussing content with clients, it feels like we never stop taking snapshots of our work.
Lightshot is a nifty screenshot extension. Once you’ve installed the tool, simply select the feather icon on your hotbar and map out the dimensions you want to capture. You can then save the screenshot for your own use or share it via a link.
21. Save Images To Google Photos
We’ve all been there. About an hour ago, you found an image that was perfect for your website design. Now, you’ve lost it. Disaster.
Save Images To Google Photos is a convenient little tool that helps you avoid this exact scenario. The extension allows you to save images that you find online directly to Google Photos. It’s much faster than saving a dozen images to your hard drive and means you never miss the chance to snatch up that perfect design for your page.
22. Wappalyzer
Ever come across a great website and wanted to know how it was created? Well, now you can.
Wappalyzer shows you exactly how a website was built. Whether that perfect page is the product of CSS, Javascript, Python, or PHP, Wappalyzer will give you everything you need to know, all from the comfort of your web browser.
23. Daltonize
According to some estimates, as many as 1 in 20 people are color blind. That’s 5% of the population!
If you’re a designer looking to make your website as accessible as possible, Daltonize may just be the tool for you. This helpful extension lets you simulate color blindness directly in your browser, allowing you to optimize your page to be even more inclusive.
24. Clear Cache
Remember that time you spent over ten minutes trying to figure out why your setting changes weren’t appearing on your screen? Chances are, it was all down to your browser cache.
Clear Cache allows you to wipe your browser cache in just a few clicks. You don’t have to go through a bunch of annoying dialogue options, and you don’t even need to hit confirm. Just specify what you want to clear, and click go. It gets the job done fast, and that’s why we love it.
25. Grammarly
Okay, look. We know what you’re thinking. Grammarly, really?
Yes, really. While Grammarly isn’t a developer or designer-specific tool, it’s a true game-changer for anyone who needs to create written content in their role.
Whether you’re writing emails, creating documents, or even leaving code comments, Grammarly will ensure everything you produce is clear, concise, and mistake-free.
It goes without saying that we’re always running our work through the platform. And, if you’re the kind of designer who always forgets about that all-important comma (don’t worry. We’re no exception), this indispensable tool will be a valuable addition to your tech stack.
26. ClickUp
Many designers and developers are familiar with ClickUp, the all-in-one project management software for teams. But few realize the platform also has an excellent Chrome extension that packs in a handful of the software’s core features.
ClickUp’s Chrome extension allows developers to track time, make notes on screenshots, and create new tasks at the touch of a button. Plus, if you already use the main platform, everything you perform with the extension will handily sync back to your primary ClickUp workflow.
27. uBlock Origin
Ever feel like the working solution to a coding problem always seems to be tucked away on page five of Google?
Unfortunately, this means we have to navigate a whole host of ad-riddled sites and distracting content to find what we’re looking for.
uBlock Origin is an outstanding extension that does a great job of filtering and blocking out all of the annoying ads developers encounter on a daily basis. It goes beyond the role of a traditional ad blocker, even allowing you to block out cookie warnings, overlays, and hosts-based lists. If you’re a professional plagued by pop-ups, this is the extension for you.
28. Dark Reader
Designers and developers spend most of their days in front of a screen. Unfortunately, this does little to help with eye health. That’s where Dark Reader steps in.
This handy extension automatically enables dark mode on most websites, reducing harsh glare and making your screen more manageable for the eyes. It’s a simple, effective tool that might just save our sight somewhere down the line. Your eyes will thank you.
29. WAVE
WAVE is a handy extension that will inform you if your page is responsive and easy to navigate. From reminding you about missing alt tags to checking font size and ensuring your page hierarchy is in order, this is a great tool for any designer looking to fine-tune their page for SEO.
30. Image Downloader
If you’ve ever found yourself needing to download images one by one from a webpage, this extension is for you.
Image Downloader does exactly what it says on the tin. It allows you to download images in bulk from web pages. This is especially handy if you need to repurpose pictures on different pages or have dozens of display ads to create. You can even filter which images you download based on dimensions.
Summing Up
The Chrome Web Store is full of inventive tools for designers and developers, and more are being added every day. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Chrome extensions. If this list is anything to go by, we’re in for a lot of productivity-boosting treats further down the line.
Did we miss anything on our list? Is there a function that makes your role as a designer easier? Got a dev tool you want to shout about? Tweet at us and let us know your thoughts.
Robert Reeve
Robert is an experienced marketing professional with extensive experience working with brands to refine go-to-market plans, SEO campaigns, and content marketing strategies. A committed writer with a keen eye on the latest developments, Robert specialises in producing content across all things tech and marketing.
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