Tools make a world of difference when you’re trying to get a lot done in a short amount of time. So, today, I want to talk about a set of those tools, specifically, Chrome extensions.

If you use Google Chrome as your default browser, these extensions can save a boatload of unnecessary tasks and efforts that bog down your time with just a click or two. The Chrome extensions I’m about to share with you today are all ones I use myself.

These extensions are not “necessary” to your blogging or creative business, but definitely useful. You may not need all of them, but I hope you’ll find at least a few of them as helpful as I do.

What are Chrome Extensions and Why Do We Want Them

Chrome extensions as small pieces of software that you can attach to your Chrome browser and enhance the browsing experience and perform various tasks right on the browser window (without leaving the browser or having to open a new tab.)

We want them because they make life easier. For example, one of the Chrome extensions I use all the time (which I’ll include below in my list) is the Grammarly extension. It allows me to check my grammar, spelling, and writing quality in real time on various online platforms such as WordPress, Medium, Gmail, etc.

The list I’m about to share with you has some extensions that are generally good and should be useful to any user. Some of the other extensions are more fitting for bloggers and creators. A few help me be more efficient across tasks such as reading and researching. I’ll do my best to highlight which extension is best for what (or rather, how I personally use them) as I list each of them below.

So, without further ado, here’s a list of Chrome extensions I use and love.

1| Easy Screenshot

This is a simple extension that allows you to take screenshots, and based on which option you choose, you can take screenshots of a manually selected section of the screen, only the visible area, or the full page. To use it, left-click on the extension and then choose your option.

I find it super useful as I often write various tutorials and guides showing how certain software/services work. You’ll find plenty of screenshots on my Canva, Medium, ConvertKit, SiteGround, and other, similar tech tutorials. And I take those screenshots using the Easy Screenshot Chrome extension.

Easy Screenshot is free to use and doesn’t require signing up or giving your info.

Get Easy Screenshot

2| Loom

Loom is by far one of my favorite Chrome extensions. You use it to easily record your screen. As someone who creates a lot of video tutorials, I find Loom not only easy to use but more user-friendly than similar products out there.

The Loom Chrome extension is mighty useful, but you can also install it on your computer.

Loom is free to use but has a premium plan for power users who need enhanced features such as unlimited videos, longer videos, and more. You can compare the different Loom plans here and choose what’s right for you.

You can check out the Chrome extension by clicking the button below. It’s free to start but requires creating an account to use the service.

Get Loom

3| ColorPick Eyedropper

Folks who design (any fellow Canva template sellers, out there?), gather around! This is the Chrome extension that’ll change your lives.

ColorPick Eyedropper lets me click anywhere on a webpage (including on images) and gives me the hex code (as well as RGB values) for the selected color.

I often get ideas for color palettes from various sites and photos, so being able to see what the color codes are is a lifesaver. Seriously, I don’t know what I’d do without this extension.

It’s not easy coming up with new and different color palettes for all my Canva templates, you know. So this is what I do: I search the web for inspiration (stock photo sites like Unsplash, for example) and then use the ColorPick Eyedropper extension to create a palette for a new Canva template (or a social media graphic, a new website, a landing page, etc.)

ColorPick Eyedropper is free to use and doesn’t require an account.

Get ColorPick Eyedropper

4| WhatFont

Just as you need ideas for your color palette, sometimes you need ideas for fonts.

If you come across a website that uses a cool font and you want to know what that font is, the WhatFont Chrome extension will tell you that without having to inspect the codes. All you need to do is click the extension and then hover your mouse over the font. A tooltip will appear with the name of the font used.

Just keep in mind that if a website hides the font name by renaming the font file, then you won’t know what it is. But thankfully, most websites use the real font name, so… phew!

Get WhatFont

[Quick note: I’ve recently deleted this extension because I don’t use it as often, and I find it equally easy to pull up the Chrome inspection tool and find the font name that way. But I decided to add this extension to this list because not everyone is savvy when it comes to reading codes, so for them, the WhatFont extension should be pretty useful.]

5| Grammarly

Honestly, is there anyone who doesn’t use Grammarly at this point?

Thankfully, Grammarly has a Chrome extension that checks your writing on most sites in real time. If you write directly on a web editor such as WordPress, Medium, social media platforms, or emails, having Grammarly is super useful.

And if you have a Grammarly premium plan, it even checks more advanced stuff. (Like, is there a better word different from what you’re using? Or, can you write a sentence differently to make it more readable?)

Not everyone needs the premium Grammarly plan (I used to have it, but not anymore as I find the free version sufficient for my needs), but I do recommend at least the free version to anyone who does any type of writing.

You will need to create an account on Grammarly.

Get Grammarly

6| Tailwind

Before talking about Tailwind, let’s talk about Pinterest for a second.

Pinterest is the only platform that actually helps me bring traffic to my website. Of course, my main traffic driver is good old Google (thanks to my SEO efforts) but Pinterest is a close number two. I honestly recommend that ALL bloggers use Pinterest to drive traffic to their blogs (as well as eCommerce and small-business websites.)

And… Tailwind app is the only reputable and Pinterest-approved app that lets you do amazing things such as schedule Pins directly from your website or from Pinterest. I highly recommend you sign up for a paid Tailwind subscription. Trust me, it’s one of those products worth investing in.

As for the Tailwind Chrome extension, you’ll need it for scheduling directly from websites and/or Pinterest.

You’ll need a Tailwind account to use this service (and Chrome extension.)

Get Tailwind

7| Word Counter Plus

Is this just me or do you too find yourself wanting to know how many words are in a paragraph you’ve just typed up (or in an essay you’re reading on a website?)

If it’s just me, you can disregard this. But if you’re obsessed with finding out the word count on any piece of text, whether a selection or an entire article, then you need this extension.

All you have to do is select a section of the text, right-click, and then click “Word Counter Plus” from the available options (once you’ve installed the Word Counter Plus Chrome extension, that is.)

Word Counter Plus is free and requires no signup.

Get Word Counter Plus

8| MozBar

Have you tried looking up info for your articles? How do you know that the site you’re reading is one you can trust?

Well, Moz—the company that also made one of our beloved WordPress plugins called Yoast SEO—came up with a scoring system for websites based on their trustworthiness and referring backlinks, called the Domain Authority or DA. And MozBar the Chrome extension shows you the DA of any given website when you visit the site. (The screenshot above is showing the DA of The Side Blogger—37. Not too shabby for a blog!)

Please be aware that a DA score doesn’t tell the whole story. You need more ways to vet a website, especially if you’re going to cite from it. For example, the website medium.com has a DA score of 95 (crazy good!) but I do not recommend citing from it because anyone can publish anything on Medium. The same goes for Wikipedia.

But the DA score is a good place to start, so the MozBar Chrome extension helps with that.

Mozbar is free but does require you to have an account on Moz.

Get MozBar

9| Evernote Web Clipper

Another favorite of mine is Evernote Web Clipper, and I use it often during research.

Whenever I find useful information on a particular website, I use the Evernote Web Clipper to add the site (or a selected section, like a screenshot) in a notebook on my Evernote account. If you look at the screenshot above, you’ll see that the Chrome extension gives you many different ways to save an article or parts of it. You can also choose which notebook you wish to save it to.

Whether you’re saving a full article or just a selected screenshot, Evernote saves the link to the website as well, which helps you easily access the website at a later time.

The extension is free to use and Evernote also has a free plan (and personally, the free plan is all I need), but you do need an Evernote account to use the Evernote Web Clipper Chrome extension.

Get Evernote Web Clipper

10| Google Dictionary

English is not my first language, and as a writer, that can be limiting. Everyday conversations or even writing blog posts isn’t a big deal, but I do struggle if and when I come across a rather… well… difficult or uncommon word. That’s when the Google Dictionary Chrome extension comes to the rescue.

When reading an article, all I have to do is select a word to see its meaning. Handy, right? I love this little extension 🙂

And as with most Google stuff, it’s free to use.

Get Google Dictionary

11| Super Simple Highlighter

Are you that person who likes to highlight and underline books when reading?

If you are, then you’ll love this Chrome extension: Super Simple Highlighter.

It does exactly what the name suggests: it lets you highlight texts on a website. Simply select the text you wish to highlight, then right-click and choose “Super Simple Highlighter” from the options shown.

You can choose a highlight color and even a style! It’s rather fun to play with 😉

The best part? These highlights are saved automatically in your browser’s memory so the next time you visit the same website, you should see your highlights. Unless (and until) you clear your browser cache.

Oh, and it’s free and doesn’t require an account.

Get Super Simple Highlighter

12| PrintFriendly

If you study other people’s articles to learn the craft of writing, then you’ll love the PrintFriendly Chrome extension. It allows me to quickly turn any web page into a PDF document that I can save up and print using my Canon printer. You can even delete images and other unnecessary stuff with a few clicks before you save the PDF document (useful because you don’t want to print those or they’ll eat up all your printer ink!)

Get PrintFriendly

13| Pocket

The last Chrome extension in this list is Pocket. It’s one of many different types of bookmark solutions available out there—I just happen to like Pocket. Heck, even Evernote Web Clipper allows you to bookmark articles. But I prefer Evernote for saving clippings rather than bookmarking and use Pocket for that instead.

Pocket lets you categorize your bookmarks too, which is cool. I like to use Pocket as a way to save articles for reading them later, or, if I’m working on a particular project, then I use tags to help me categorize online research material all in one place for quick and easy access.

Pocket is free to use but requires the creation of an account.

Get Pocket

---

And that is all, guys 🙂 As stated already, these extensions are by no means “necessary” for bloggers or creators. However, I do personally like and use them A LOT! So I thought maybe you could find at least a few of these useful too.

Do you have a Chrome extension you cannot live without? Share it with me (and other readers) in the comments!

Also, make sure to join my newsletter for regular blogging tips, updates, and product discounts + some super cool freebies!