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Chrome Extension

The Chat Aid Chrome Extension brings AI-powered answers directly to your browser, allowing you to ask questions and get instant answers without leaving your current webpage.

Overview​

The Chrome Extension provides quick access to Chat Aid from anywhere in your browser:

  • Instant Access - Open Chat Aid with a keyboard shortcut or browser button
  • Context Awareness - Ask questions about selected text or current webpage
  • YouTube Summaries - Automatically summarize YouTube videos
  • Google Docs Integration - Get answers based on Google Docs content
  • Multi-Source Search - Search company data, teams, or specific widgets
  • Address Bar Search - Type a/ in the address bar to search quickly

Installation​

Installing the Extension​

  1. Visit the Chrome Web Store
  2. Search for "Chat Aid"
  3. Click Add to Chrome
  4. Click Add Extension to confirm

Initial Setup​

  1. After installation, click the Chat Aid icon in your browser toolbar
  2. Click Login when prompted
  3. Sign in with your Chat Aid account
  4. Grant any necessary permissions

The extension is now ready to use!

Key Features​

⚡ Quick Access​

Keyboard Shortcut:

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + 1
  • Mac: Command + Shift + 1

Opens the Chat Aid panel on any webpage.

Address Bar Search:

  1. Type a/ in your browser's address bar
  2. Press Tab or Space
  3. Type your question
  4. Press Enter

Chat Aid opens with your question ready to answer.

📝 Selected Text Questions​

Ask questions about text you've selected on any webpage:

  1. Select text on any webpage
  2. Right-click and select Chat Aid from the context menu
  3. The selected text is automatically added to your question

Use Cases:

  • Get definitions or explanations of technical terms
  • Find company documentation related to selected text
  • Ask follow-up questions about content you're reading

🎥 YouTube Video Summaries​

Automatically summarize YouTube videos:

  1. Navigate to any YouTube video
  2. Open the Chat Aid extension
  3. Click the Summarize Video option
  4. Chat Aid provides key points from the video transcript

What Gets Summarized:

  • Main topics covered
  • Key takeaways
  • Important quotes or statements
  • Action items (if applicable)
Language Support

Video summarization works with videos that have English captions/transcripts available.

📄 Google Docs Integration​

Get answers based on Google Docs content:

  1. Open any Google Doc in your browser
  2. Open the Chat Aid extension
  3. Ask questions about the document
  4. Chat Aid can read and reference the document content

Privacy:

  • You must grant Google Drive permissions
  • Only documents you have access to are read
  • Content is not stored permanently

🎯 Targeted Search​

Search specific sources directly from the extension:

Search Teams:

  • Select a team from the dropdown
  • Questions search only that team's data sources

Search Widgets:

  • Select a custom widget (if you're an admin)
  • Questions use the widget's configuration

Search Custom APIs:

  • Access custom API integrations
  • Execute custom workflows from the browser

🌐 Webpage Context​

Ask questions about the current webpage:

  1. Open Chat Aid extension on any webpage
  2. The extension automatically detects page metadata
  3. Ask questions like:
    • "Summarize this page"
    • "What are the main points?"
    • "Extract action items from this article"

Settings and Configuration​

Accessing Settings​

  1. Click the Chat Aid icon in your toolbar
  2. Click the ⚙️ icon or right-click the extension icon
  3. Select Options

Default Answering Method​

Configure where Chat Aid searches for answers:

Available Options:

  • Company Wiki - Search all company-wide data sources
  • Teams - Search specific team data
  • Widgets - Use custom widget configurations
  • Custom APIs - Execute custom integrations

To Change:

  1. Go to extension settings
  2. Select Default answering method
  3. Choose your preferred option
  4. Changes apply immediately

Common Use Cases​

Research and Learning​

Scenario: Reading a technical article with unfamiliar terms

  1. Select the unfamiliar term
  2. Right-click → Chat Aid
  3. Ask "What does [term] mean in our company's context?"
  4. Get answer with relevant internal documentation

Documentation Lookup​

Scenario: Need to find company policy quickly

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + 1 (or Cmd + Shift + 1 on Mac)
  2. Type your question: "What is our remote work policy?"
  3. Get instant answer with source links
  4. Click sources to read full documentation

Video Content Processing​

Scenario: Long training video to review

  1. Navigate to YouTube video
  2. Open Chat Aid extension
  3. Click Summarize Video
  4. Review key points in seconds instead of watching entire video

Google Docs Analysis​

Scenario: Complex spreadsheet or document to understand

  1. Open Google Doc or Sheet
  2. Open Chat Aid extension
  3. Ask "What are the main insights from this document?"
  4. Get structured summary and analysis

Permissions​

The extension requires these permissions:

PermissionPurpose
StorageSave your settings and preferences locally
Context MenusAdd "Chat Aid" option to right-click menu
TabsOpen Chat Aid in new tabs when needed
IdentityAuthenticate with your Chat Aid account
Google Drive (optional)Read Google Docs for context-aware answers
Privacy

The extension only accesses data when you explicitly use Chat Aid features. No data is collected without your action.

Keyboard Shortcuts​

ShortcutActionCustomizable
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 1Open Chat Aid panel✅ Yes
a/ + Tab in address barStart address bar search❌ No

To Customize Shortcuts:

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts
  2. Find "Chat Aid"
  3. Click the edit icon
  4. Set your preferred shortcut

Troubleshooting​

Extension Not Working​

Problem: Extension icon appears but nothing happens when clicked

Solution:

  1. Check if you're logged in (click the icon to see login status)
  2. Try logging out and back in
  3. Refresh the page and try again
  4. Check for extension updates in Chrome Web Store

Google Docs Not Loading​

Problem: Can't ask questions about Google Docs

Solution:

  1. Grant Google Drive permissions when prompted
  2. Make sure you have access to the document
  3. Refresh the document page
  4. Re-authenticate with Google if needed

YouTube Summaries Not Available​

Problem: Can't summarize YouTube video

Solution:

  • Ensure the video has captions/transcripts available
  • Check that captions are in English
  • Try refreshing the page
  • Some videos may block transcript access

Context Menu Not Appearing​

Problem: Right-click menu doesn't show Chat Aid option

Solution:

  1. Refresh the webpage
  2. Check that extension is enabled in chrome://extensions
  3. Try disabling and re-enabling the extension
  4. Restart Chrome browser

Best Practices​

Efficient Questioning​

✅ Do:

  • Be specific about what you're looking for
  • Provide context when asking about selected text
  • Use team/widget selection for targeted searches

❌ Don't:

  • Ask overly broad questions without context
  • Expect answers about content Chat Aid hasn't been trained on
  • Use for personal questions unrelated to company data

Privacy Considerations​

  • Don't select sensitive text on public websites to ask questions
  • Be mindful of what content you're sharing with Chat Aid
  • Use company-approved channels for sensitive queries

Performance Tips​

  • Close the panel when not in use to save browser resources
  • Clear browsing data if extension becomes slow
  • Update to the latest extension version regularly

Platform Compatibility​

Supported Browsers​

  • ✅ Chrome - Full support (versions 88+)
  • ✅ Microsoft Edge - Full support (Chromium-based)
  • ✅ Brave - Full support
  • ⚠️ Opera - May work with compatibility mode
  • ❌ Firefox - Not supported (different extension architecture)
  • ❌ Safari - Not supported

Supported Websites​

The extension works on most websites, with some exceptions:

✅ Fully Supported:

  • YouTube (with video summaries)
  • Google Docs (with document reading)
  • Google Sheets (context aware)
  • Public websites
  • Internal company sites

⚠️ Limited Support:

  • Sites with strict Content Security Policies
  • Some single-page applications
  • Banking/financial websites (may block extensions)

❌ Not Supported:

  • Chrome Web Store pages
  • chrome:// internal pages
  • Extension settings pages

Updates and New Features​

The extension updates automatically through the Chrome Web Store.

Recent Updates:

  • YouTube video summarization
  • Google Docs integration
  • Address bar search with a/ keyword
  • Multi-source search (teams, widgets, APIs)
  • Improved authentication flow

To check your version:

  1. Go to chrome://extensions
  2. Find "Chat Aid"
  3. Version number is displayed below the extension name

Need Help?

Our support team is here to help you get the most out of Chat Aid.