In today’s fast-moving world web development efficiency is key. Our best Chrome extensions advice offers a store of valuable or delightful tools. They are made to streamline your work and boost your productivity.
These extensions can help you with many things. They range from testing your code to making it faster. They also help with managing tasks and beautifying your website. Chrome extensions can become an effective asset in your development inventory.
How to Use and Manage Chrome Extensions for Devs?
Installing and managing Chrome extensions is a breeze. Here’s a quick guide:
1. Installation:
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your device and navigate to Chrome Web Store.
Step 2: Search for the extension by name or browse categories like “Developer Tools”.
Step 3: Select the extension and click “Add to Chrome”.
Step 4: Review the permissions of the extension requests. Then, confirm if you’re comfortable granting them.
You will download and install the extension in your Chrome browser.
2. Management:
To access Extensions, click on the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome. Then, scroll down and select “More tools” and “Extensions”. This opens the extensions management page.
3. Enabling/Disabling:
Toggle the switch next to the extension name. This activates or deactivates it.
Uninstalling: Click the trash can icon next to the extension you wish to remove.
4. Advanced Options:
Manage Permissions: You can review and change the permissions for each extension. You do this on the extension management page.
Incognito Mode: Some extensions may not work in incognito mode by default. You can configure this behavior in the extension settings.
Also read, 12 Amazing Web Development Projects for Beginners
Follow these steps. You can easily add powerful tools to your Chrome development environment. Then, you can manage them well.
Ready to explore the top 10 best Chrome extensions? Let’s dive in!
Top 10 Must-Have Chrome Extensions for Web Developers in 2024
Here are the 10 best Chrome extensions. They will improve your web development workflow in 2024.
1. Window Resizer
Simulates different screen sizes and resolutions with a single click. Perfect for ensuring responsive design across various devices.
- Pros: Easy to use, extensive list of presets, customizable dimensions.
- Cons: Limited to browser window resizing, doesn’t replicate device-specific behaviors.
- Target Users: Front-end developers, and UI/UX designers.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
2. Lighthouse
Chrome has a built-in auditing tool. It analyzes web pages for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
- Pros: Comprehensive reports, actionable insights, identify areas for improvement.
- Cons: The downside is that it requires some web development knowledge. You need this to interpret the results well.
- Target Users: All developers, especially those focused on performance optimization.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
3. JSONView
It formats JSON data. This makes complex data easy to inspect and understand.
- Pros: Easy to navigate, syntax highlighting, collapsible sections.
- Cons: Limited functionality beyond basic viewing and formatting.
- Target Users: Back-end developers, and API developers.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
4. Web Developer
It adds a toolbar with many functions. These include disabling images/scripts, clearing cache, and validating HTML/CSS.
- Pros: Versatile toolkit, simplifies common development tasks, aids in debugging.
- Cons: Extensive options might feel overwhelming for beginners.
- Target Users: All web developers, particularly those working on local development environments.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
5. ColorZilla
An eyedropper tool that allows you to identify the color of any element on a web page. Includes color history, gradient analyzer, and palette generation.
- Pros: Precise color picking, comprehensive color information, helpful for design consistency.
- Cons: Limited functionality beyond color-related tasks.
- Target Users: Front-end developers, UI/UX designers.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
6. WhatFont
It reveals the fonts used on any web page. This lets you find fonts for inspiration or use in your projects.
- Pros: It’s easy to use. It identifies many fonts on a page. It helps copy design elements.
- Cons: May not always identify custom fonts or fonts with limited online presence.
- Target Users: Front-end developers, UI/UX designers.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
7. Check My Links
The tool scans a web page for broken links. It makes sure all internal and external links work.
- Pros: Efficient broken link detection, helps maintain website quality and user experience.
- Cons: May generate false positives for dynamically loaded links.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
This is for all web developers. It’s especially for those working on large websites with many links.
8. Lorem Ipsum Generator
Generates placeholder text. It is for use in website development. It is handy for testing layouts and design elements.
- Pros: Quick and easy access to placeholder text, customizable output length and format.
- Cons: Limited functionality beyond generating placeholder text.
- Target Users: Front-end developers, UI/UX designers.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
9. Wappalyzer
It identifies technologies used on a web page. These include CMS, programming language, and analytics software. Valuable for understanding how other websites are built.
- Pros: Detects a wide range of technologies, and provides insights into competitor websites.
- Cons: Not always 100% accurate, might not identify custom-built solutions.
- Target Users: All developers, especially those interested in web technology trends.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
10. Firebug
A powerful web development tool offering debugging, editing, and monitoring functionalities. It is not a Chrome extension. But, it works with Chrome through a legacy add-on.
- Pros: Comprehensive debugging suite, allows for real-time code inspection and manipulation.
- Cons: It has a learning curve. Installing old add-ons might be hard for new users.
- Target Users: Experienced developers, those comfortable with advanced debugging techniques.
Download it from the Google Chrome store.
Also read, An Introduction to MVC Architecture: A Web Developer’s Point of View
Conclusion
The top 10 Chrome extensions for modern web developers in 2024 include Window Resizer, Lighthouse, JSONView, Web Developer, ColorZilla, WhatFont, Check My Links, Lorem Ipsum Generator, Wappalyzer, and Firebug.
These tools streamline design processes. They improve performance and debug code. They are essential for both experienced and new developers. By adding these extensions to your workflow, you can improve productivity. You can also simplify development and get better results.