ChatGPT Search & Productivity Companion

Browser extension bringing AI assistance directly into web search workflows.

Browser Extension · 2023 · Sole Developer

Technology

JavaScript
Manifest V3
Chrome API
CSS3
OpenAI API

Overview

Switching tabs to check ChatGPT and then switching back loses your train of thought. This extension puts AI-generated answers right next to standard Google and Bing results, so you don't have to.

It renders markdown responsively, syntax-highlights code blocks, and stores the API key client-side in Chrome sync storage — no server in between.

Manifest V3's service-worker model (as opposed to Manifest V2's persistent background page) means the extension's background context can be suspended between events — the streaming response handler has to be written so it survives a service-worker restart mid-stream instead of assuming it stays alive for the whole request.

The challenge

Problem: Manifest V3 extensions don't get a persistent background page — the service worker can be terminated by Chrome between events to save resources, which is a problem for a feature built around a long-lived streaming connection to an LLM API that might run for several seconds.

Approach: Kept the streaming connection and partial-response state in the content script's context (which stays alive as long as the tab is open) rather than the background service worker, and used the service worker only for the parts that genuinely need extension-level privileges (API key storage, cross-origin fetch).

Result: Streaming responses render reliably even when Chrome recycles the background service worker mid-session, instead of silently dropping a response that was most of the way through rendering.

Key features

Side-by-side search results integration for Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo
Streaming responses using Server-Sent Events (SSE), resilient to Manifest V3 service-worker suspension
Syntax highlighting with one-click code copying
Client-side credential storage, no server-side tracking