There are a tonne of Chrome extensions out there. The extensions that are most useful to you will depend on your needs and how you use the internet. However, here are some suggestions for extensions that are useful for family history.
Chrome extensions are small software programs that you can install in the Chrome browser to change its functionality. They can help automate selected functions, modify functions and just make life easier for you. You can download them from the Chrome Web Store.
Five chrome extensions
Google Translate – If you have this extension installed, when you visit a website that has text in another language you merely have to click on the GT icon in right corner of the search bar to translate the page into English.
PrintFriendly helps you print a webpage or convert it to a PDF without all the advertisements. On the preview screen you can also delete other sections, such as photographs or paragraphs you do not need, before printing or converting to PDF. Do not forget to check for copyright and cite it properly. The product has a URL for the website, but if you need a full citation you will need to create that yourself. Or…
Cite This For Me is a Chrome extension that creates a source citation for a webpage. I have not tried this one, as I prefer to create my citations manually. There are a few extensions around like this, but not all include the Chicago style, which is the one we use in family history. This one does, however it uses Chicago 16, not 17A.
The Wayback Machine helps you find archived copies of websites. This can be useful if a website no longer exists, or you want to view an older version because the article you want is no longer on the website. Access it via the Internet Archive website, or you can add the Chrome extension to make it more accessible. Note: Not all websites are archived.
TinEye is a reverse image search engine. You can search by pasting in the URL of an image or uploading an image. The app provides a list of websites that have used that image and the date. You can use it to help you identify the subject of the image and possibly its provenance. The list may even contain a link to a higher resolution copy of the image.
Warning and disclaimer
You should always investigate any software program before installing it on your computer. I provide no guarantee that the apps in this post are free from problems. When deciding whether to install a browser extension you should do things like checking the website of the app’s developer and running them through a scammer check website. Always check the description to find out what personal information the app collects and make sure that you are comfortable with it doing so.
More information
For more of my articles about resources and tools for family history, go to the Resources page.
