How to install a Chrome extension from The Freelancer Kit

Chrome extensions from The Freelancer Kit are not installed from a store. You download the extension files, unzip them, and load the folder in Chrome yourself. It takes about a minute, and the extension then works like any other.

1. Download and unzip. On the extension's product page, download the ZIP file and unzip it into a folder you will keep. Do not delete this folder afterwards — Chrome loads the extension from it.
2. Open Chrome's extensions page. In Chrome, go to chrome://extensions (type it in the address bar).
3. Turn on Developer mode. Switch on Developer mode, at the top right of the extensions page. This is required for loading an extension from a folder.
4. Load the folder. Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder itself — the folder that contains manifest.json — not the ZIP file.
5. Pin it. The extension appears in your extensions list. Click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and pin it, so its icon stays visible.
6. Use it. Click the extension's icon to open it and follow its own instructions on its product page.

If it does not appear: check that Developer mode is on, that you selected the unzipped folder (not the ZIP), and that the folder you selected contains manifest.json. If Chrome ever shows a notice about developer-mode extensions when it starts, you can dismiss it and keep using the extension.

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About the author

Tariq Shahzad runs The Freelancer Kit from Pakistan. The site offers free tools and templates for freelancers — every product is free in full, and support is by email at tariqshahzad88@gmail.com. If a product does not work as described, email within 7 days and it will be fixed or replaced.