Google Chrome has evolved since its launch from a simple browser to a complex browser with powerful and very useful extensions. At this moment, there are Chrome apps and extensions for almost everything, but we will focus our attention onto the web design and web development segment. I have compiled a list of 35 extensions or plugins (name them however you want) and I’m sure you’ll find them useful.
Firebug Lite
Firebug Lite is not a substitute for Firebug, or Chrome Developer Tools. It is a tool to be used in conjunction with these tools. Firebug Lite provides the rich visual representation we are used to see in Firebug when it comes to HTML elements, DOM elements, and Box Model shading. It provides also some cool features like inspecting HTML elemements with your mouse, and live editing CSS properties.
Handcraft
Handcraft is a web-based prototyping tool for interaction designers and front-end developers.
The design process doesn’t end with a wireframe or mockup. Bring your design into the browser and use HTML, CSS and Javascript to handcraft interactive prototypes that get sign off faster.
DropBox
As everyone knows Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and, share files online. Now you can use this widget to access you drop box account in Chrome!
Browser Compatibility Detector
Browser Compatibility Detector scans for potential incompatible issues on a web page, for popular desktop browsers(IE, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc).
Web Developer
The Web Developer extension adds a toolbar button to the browser with various web developer tools. This is the official port of the popular Web Developer extension for Firefox written by the same person.
HootSuite
With HootSuite’s unique social media dashboard, you can schedule and publish to Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Foursquare, WordPress and more. Plus you can easily track trending topics and view campaign results without switching sites or apps. Also, you can get to your know your audience with information about their social presences, level of influence and publishing habits.
YSlow
YSlow analyzes web pages and suggests ways to improve their performance based on a set of rules for high performance web pages. YSlow grades web page based on one of three predefined ruleset or a user-defined ruleset. It offers suggestions for improving the page’s performance, summarizes the page’s components, displays statistics about the page.
BuiltWith Technology Profiler
BuiltWith is a web site profiler tool. Upon looking up a page, BuiltWith returns all the technologies it can find on the page. BuiltWith’s goal is to help developers, researchers and designers find out what technologies pages are using which may help them to decide what technologies to implement themselves.
Koding
Koding (aka Kodingen) is an Online Development Environment including Code Editor, Cloud Hosting, Database Administration, and Collaboration with access to a Web-based file system and FTP & SVN integration.
HTML Instant
Edit HTML code in real-time. Just enter HTML, CSS, or Javascript in the left pane and you will get instant results as you type in the right pane. Great for editing on the fly and for teaching/learning HTML.
Dev HTTP Client
Dev HTTP Client is designed and developed by a developer for developers to make direct HTTP resource discovery, manipulation and testing more easily. Beside the main function, sending/receiving custom HTTP requests/responses, it allows permanently to save a request to a local repository for later reuse and moreover the request declaration can include variables that are context specific. With the use of contexts you can easily switch between various environments without modifying request declaration. (e.g. from a test environment to production)
Aviary Image Editor
An incredibly useful and fun web-based image editor that can be utilized by anyone looking to retouch and manipulate a photo. From basic image editing to manipulating complex effects, Aviary’s Advanced Image Editor delivers essential key features available in powerful desktop clients right through your browser. Aviary provides its users with an easy-to-use and accessible application that will spawn creativity and sharing with every use!
WOT
Web of Trust shows you which websites people trust for safe surfing, shopping and searching on the web.
Would you like to know which websites you can trust? The WOT add-on is a crowd-sourced safe surfing tool for your browser. Traffic-light rating symbols show which websites Internet surfers trust for safe surfing, shopping and searching on the web.
Wunderlist
Wunderlist is an easy-to-use task management app with cloud-synchronization for Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone and iPad. – It’s free!
The Wunderlist web app will boost your productivity. Organize your to-do lists on the web and synchronize it with your free Wunderlist account between Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android. Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide use Wunderlist everyday.
AdBlock
Block all advertisements on all web pages, even Facebook, Youtube, and Hulu. Your browser is automatically updated with additions to the filter: just click “Add to Chrome,” then visit your favorite website and see the ads disappear!
CSS Reloader
CSS Reloader is a browser extension that allows you to reload CSS without reloading the page itself.
IE Tab
It exactly emulates IE by using the IE rendering engine directly within Chrome. This will enable you to use ActiveX controls and test your web pages with different versions of IE (IE6, IE7, IE8, or IE9).
Google Tasks
Cloud9
Edit, run, and debug your code live. Collaborate with others on your projects. Cloud9 IDE has full Node.js debugging, as well as live JavaScript syntax checking and code completion. Syntax highlighters are available for many popular languages, and there’s even support for using TextMate theming.
Screen Capture
It’s easy to use this extension to capture visible content of a tab, a region of a web page, or the whole page as a PNG image.
You can also edit your captured image before saving it as a PNG image. Highlighting, redacting and adding text are supported.
csscan
Inspired by the Firefox Extension CSSViewer, this Chrome extension allows you to easily scan an element’s basic CSS properties without having to delve into the inspector window.
The extension adds a button to the toolbar. Clicking this button will enable the extension; you can then continue using the page, with the difference that a quick overview of CSS properties for the element your mouse cursor is hovering is displayed. To disable the CSS scanner, simply click the icon again.
Live CSS Editor
This extension provides a text box on any HTML page so that you can write CSS freely and immediately see the results. I use it every day for quick edits, product demos and other testing out new ideas.
Springpad
Easily save, organize and act on anything you want to remember – on the web and your phone. Springpad gives you free notebooks to save anything you want to remember. Save lots of different types of things all in one place:
– Notes and tasks
– Bookmarks
– Recipes
– Books, Movies, and Products
– Businesses and Restaurants
– Checklists, Shopping Lists and Packing Lists
… and much more!
Producteev
Producteev enables individuals and teams to manage their tasks from almost anywhere! Integrated with a broad range of communication channels, including an Android app, iPhone app, Web app, Windows and Mac desktop apps, Chrome extension, Gmail gadget, Browser bookmarklet and a lot more. Producteev works the way you do.
Postman – REST Client
Postman is a tool to help developers work with APIs more efficiently and avoid repetitive steps. Postman is a powerful HTTP REST client to help developers work with APIs more efficiently.
MultiSwitch
Whenever you have the need to simply switch between development, test and productive hosts you should use MultiSwitch. You are now able to customize the title of your environment. In this latest version the ip:port bug is also fixed.
Refresh Monkey
Automatically refresh a page at set interval. Monitor the page for a change and get notified in case of change.
Pendule
ShiftEdit
ShiftEdit is an online PHP, Ruby, Java, HTML, CSS and JavaScript editor with built-in (S)FTP and Dropbox. Ideal for web development.
SEO & Website Analysis
SEO report is an extension for Google Chrome™ done by WooRank that provides a very deep SEO report for any given website.
WooRank provides many SEO tips for your website to rank number 1 in Google™, Yahoo™ and Bing™. It is a powerful tool for internet marketing professionals, coders, designers, website usability expert, developers ( web development professionals ) and other digital professionals.
WhatFont
What is the easiest way to find out the fonts used in a webpage? Firebug and Webkit Inspector are easy enough to use for developers. However, for others, this should not be necessary. With this extension, you could inspect web fonts by just hovering on them. It is that simple and elegant.
Speed Tracer
Speed Tracer is a tool to help you identify and fix performance problems in your web applications. It visualizes metrics that are taken from low level instrumentation points inside of the browser and analyzes them as your application runs.
Neo Vision
Wave Accounting
Wave is the totally free, easy accounting app made for small business owners and freelancers. Wave makes it simple to get back in control of your finances, while saving time and money. Send professional invoices, track expenses, and eliminate accounting headaches. Join tens of thousands of small business owners in 198 countries who have already signed up for Wave, for free.
