Browser extensions extend your web browser with additional features, modify web pages, and integrate your browser with the other services you use. This guide will introduce you to the world of browser extensions and help you get started.
If you’re a geek, this stuff is obvious to you. We geeks take this for granted — we know exactly what browser extensions can do, when to use them, and what to avoid. But not everyone knows all this stuff.
Why Would You Want to Use Browser Extensions?
You might want to use a browser extension for a few different reasons:
- To integrate with other services you use. For example, Evernote offers an extension that allows you to easily clip websites and save them to your Evernote account.
- To add additional features to your browser. For example, the JoinTabs extension for Chrome gives you a button you can click to combine all your Chrome tabs from multiple windows into a single window.
- To modify websites as they appear on your computer — adding, removing, or modifying content. For example, the InvisibleHand extension adds information to shopping websites, informing you if there’s a cheaper price available on a competing retailer’s website.
