Whether a seasoned or newbie web developer, you always want to be as efficient and productive as possible. And while there's a limit to the number of projects you can work on at a particular time, there's virtually no limit to the number of tools you can use to make your work easier and fun. Whether you’re looking for something to help you find things quicker, UX testers or help with security by design - there’s a chrome extension for it!
Some of the best tools in the developer environments are lightweight extensions, add-ons, and plugins that don't require tedious setup. We have rounded up some chrome extensions that every web developer must have.
1.CSS Viewer
As you would expect, this chrome extension is used by developers to check the CSS properties of any element on a web page. Using this tool saves time and makes retrieving critical information in real-time a lot easier.
Among the key elements, you can explore with a CSS Viewer include font, text, color, background, positioning, box, and effect attributes. Unlike the other alternatives in the market, this tool is much quicker and allows for transparent access.
Before using a CSS viewer, you must permit it to access your website data and history. That said, it doesn't collect, store or expose your sensitive data to third parties.
2. Lighthouse
This chrome extension is an automated tool for enhancing your apps' and web pages' performance and quality. Many professionals such as web designers, UX testers, and graphics designers use Lighthouse to audit site accessibility, progressive performance, SEO, and several other design aspects. You can use this extension on any website, regardless of the CMS it's built on, i.e., whether WordPress, Joomla, Shopify, Drupal, etc.
The ease of using the Lighthouse is perhaps one of the main reasons it's so popular in the market. To begin using the tool, you only need to enter the URL of the site you want to edit and activate the extension. It will automatically scan the site, perform a series of audits and give you the report. The latter will explain the benefits of the audits and the key page aspects to improve.
3. Daily.Dev
The Daily.Dev Chrome extension is designed to make the developers' life easier. It's not a productivity tool; rather, it's more of a news aggregator extension that keeps you up-to-date with everything web development and programming. With this tool, you can discover much about the web development world without having to scroll hundreds of web pages and without the tedious installation and setup.
Besides giving you top content from industry leaders and your favorite publications, you can also access tutorials and even reviews from multiple online sources. Once you have set up your feed, you can also post your views and articles on different topics, and the community gets to see them and give feedback.
The more positive feedback or upvotes you get on the topics you discuss, the more you earn your reputation and privileges within the community. If you are a serious developer looking to build your brand, this is another avenue to provide value and build your authority. It's also a way to earn more reviews and an online reputation in your specific development niche.
4. Hiver
Like most productivity tools web designers use, Hiver is highly optimized for effortless collaboration and enhanced accountability. It acts as an automated email-ticketing system but with a keen eye for details. Hiver is popular among developer teams that want to boost their Gmail communications with colleagues and clients.
Some extension features such as email tags, email delegation, and activity timelines make it possible to track time-sensitive emails and even auto-assign them to individual developers. Managers can also follow the updates and progress in real-time until the issues/cases have been resolved. Besides revamping team communication, Hiver also makes work more convenient and organized.
5. Window Resizer
Nearly a million developers use the Window Resizer extension in their day-to-day work. The tool tests the web design layout for various browser resolutions. It's incredibly easy to use, and installing and setting it up is a breeze. You can use the Window Resizer to customize the window width, height, preset icon, and position.
If you prefer the extension as a pop-up instead of having it pinned on your browser, you can quickly adjust the settings to your convenience. This makes it easier to switch between various screen resolutions and check if the media breakpoints work as expected.
Get Started Today
The above list of chrome extensions for developers isn't exhaustive, but just a few of the most popular and widely used tools. Typically, some chrome extension tools will work best for your unique applications than others, so feel free to try as many options as possible. Where necessary, you can check the customer reviews for each tool to understand their ideal use cases, pros, and cons before installing or purchasing.
That said, most tools in our list above are free or have free and premium versions. The free ones are always convenient, and you can use them without upgrading until and unless you want to unlock more features.
