Two installation paths

You can install minirep in Chrome in two ways:

• Release zip: best for end users who only want to use the extension
• Build from source: best for contributors, internal customization, or local development

Install from the pre-built release zip

This is the recommended path for most users.

1. Open the project’s GitHub Releases page
2. Download the latest release zip
3. Unzip it locally
4. Find the extracted folder that contains manifest.json
5. Open chrome://extensions
6. Enable Developer mode
7. Click Load unpacked
8. Select the extracted folder that contains manifest.json

Common mistake

Chrome cannot install the zip directly through Load unpacked. You must unzip the release first and point Chrome at the extracted directory that contains manifest.json.

Build from source

Use this path if you want the current source version or want to change the code.

npm install
npm run build

The unpacked extension will be created in:

.output/chrome-mv3

Load it in Chrome through chrome://extensions using Load unpacked.

How to confirm you selected the right folder

The correct folder contains files and directories such as:

• manifest.json
• panel.html
• devtools.html
• chunks/
• icon/

If those files are one level deeper than the folder you selected, Chrome will not load the extension correctly.

First launch

After install:

1. Open a target site in Chrome
2. Open DevTools
3. Open the minirep panel
4. Reload the page or interact with the application
5. Start reviewing captured requests

Updating the extension

If you installed from a release zip

1. Download the new release zip
2. Unzip it
3. In chrome://extensions, either:
   • click Reload on the existing extension if it already points to the updated extracted folder
   • or use Load unpacked again and select the new extracted folder

If you built from source

npm install
npm run build

Then reload the extension from chrome://extensions.

Troubleshooting install issues

The minirep panel does not appear in DevTools

• reload the extension from chrome://extensions
• close and reopen DevTools
• confirm the extension loaded without manifest errors

The extension loads, but no traffic appears

• reload the inspected page after opening DevTools
• make sure you are viewing the correct tab
• generate real application activity so requests populate

The release zip installs, but the UI is broken

• verify you selected the folder containing manifest.json, not a parent directory
• remove the old unpacked version and load the fresh extracted folder again