Firebug has always been a favorite tool for web developers, which is why they preferred to use Firefox as their base browser for development. However, Chrome has also been working on improving their developer console for years and today it has become as good as Firebug. Also, since Chrome has become the most used browser, developers have begun the switch to Chrome.
Chrome’s simplicity, easy-of-use, and features offer many benefits that are incomparable to other browsers. Add that to the increasing number of extensions made available to web developers nowadays, and we’ve got a browser that has more than it is given credit for.
Here’s a collection of some of the best and necessary Chrome extensions for web developers.
iMacros for Chrome
iMacros is a handy-dandy extension that records your actions and saves them so that you won’t have to keep repeating them again and again. Once it’s saved all you need to do is click a button and let it test your pages as many times as you like.
Web Developer Toolbar
Wouldn’t we love a toolbar that has everything a web developer would need? This is exactly what this extension is for, and is certainly one of the most useful extensions for a web developer.
Marmoset
Marmoset is perfect for coders who like to take regular snapshots of their code for promos or portfolios. You can also add a theme and effects to make the snap shots look even more beautiful.
Window Resizer
Developers are used to having a plethora of windows and applications running on their computer at the same time. It’s highly inconvenient when you have to keep finding the arrows and handles to resize and multitask. This extension give you drop down menu that lets you resize on the fly.
What Font
Have you ever been to an amazing webpage with an amazing font and had trouble identifying the typeface or font family? Thanks to this awesome Chrome extension, you can pinpoint exactly what font you’ve chanced upon.
Color Pick Eye-Dropper
We’ve all worked with color picker in design programs, but what about the browser? This cool tool allows you to pick color and select color values right from your browser.
Page Ruler
A web developer often needs to measure the length, width, and position of specific elements. The Page Ruler extension allows you to draw a ruler to any page and check out its measurements.
Lorem Ipsum Generator
Nobody writes their own Lorem Ipsum! This wonder extension does exactly what the name suggests: quickly deliver default text to your design.
DevTools Autosave
Any web designer’s kit is incomplete with an autosave tool. This Chrome extension easily saves changes to your CSS and JS code that was written in Chrome DevTools.
Clear Cache
You might have to clear your cache from your toolbar or deal with annoying pop-ups or confirmation messages every once in a while, which can be quiet frustrating for a busy developer. This extension allows you to clear app cache, downloads, file systems, form data, history, local storage, passwords.
Image Downloader
This extension was rated as 4 out 5 on Awaaaards for top Chrome extension for developers. This is a fabulous extension that allows you to “bulk download” images from any webpage once you have filtered them.
Session Manager
Browser tabs management can become quiet cumbersome. Session Manager saves your browsing state and allows you to re-open a session later so that you don’t have to reopen the page again and again.
Resolution Test
What this extension does is priceless. It allows you to test different resolution sizes for a particular webpage to see what’s best for the “look and feel”.
Edit this Cookie
Google Chrome’s very own cookie manager isn’t that great. Some must have realized this eventually and developed this brilliant extension to make it a whole lot easier to edit, add, search, delete, or block cookies.
Alexa Traffic Rank
With this free extension, you can easily analyze important information related to any website. It provides you with all the data about the website (traffic rank, reviews, search analytics, speed, etc) without interrupting your browsing.
CSS Shack
CSS Shack is a great Chrome extension for designers who are great at Photoshop but not at coding. This tool allows you to create design, give them CSS styling and export it to your CSS file. This saves you from the trouble of writing entire CSS. A great alternative to Photoshop for mockups and slicing.
Instant Wireframe
The name says it all. This extension allows you to view any webpage as a wireframe. It will be useful when you have to change a specific element in your existing website or want to give it a complete makeover.
Learn More: Responsive Web Design Tools For Your Design