Chrome extension

Use the Chrome extension when you need a temporary public URL for a running localhost app without installing the package in the project. The extension runs from a popup, proxies to a port you choose, and leaves the app code untouched.

Who should use it

Designers and reviewers who need a shareable review URL.
Founders and operators who want tunnel controls in Chrome instead of a terminal.
Non-Node users who do not want to install a package into the app.
Developers who do not want wiremaven to patch project files or framework config.

Need framework integration, project-level setup, or the viewer overlay? Use the package or CLI path instead. The Chrome extension does not inject anything into the reviewed page.

Prerequisites

Chrome 116 or newer.
Your normal local dev server is running.
Your app is available on http://localhost:<port> or http://127.0.0.1:<port>.
v0.1 supports HTTP localhost. The extension does not support self-signed HTTPS.

Start and stop a tunnel

1. Install from the Chrome Web Store

Visit the wiremaven listing on the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome. Confirm the browser prompt to install the extension. No developer mode or unpacked folder required.

2. Enter the local port

Open the wiremaven popup and enter the port your app uses, such as 3000 or 4321. The extension does not auto-detect the port or start the dev server for you.

3. Choose the TTL

Choose how long the tunnel should stay open: 15, 30, or 60 minutes. Use the shortest window that matches the review session.

4. Start the tunnel

Click Start. The popup connects to the wiremaven relay and keeps status, expiry, and the recent event log in sync. The session token slug appears in the status pill. Grab the full public URL from the copy button in the toolbar.

5. Copy the public URL

Use the popup copy control and share the generated URL. Reviewers do not need the extension installed to open that public link. The machine running the localhost app needs the extension.

6. Stop the tunnel

Click Stop when the review ends or when you want to invalidate the current link before its TTL expires.

Limitations

No auto-detect for framework, port, or local server status.
No content scripts and no overlay injection into the reviewed page.
No self-signed HTTPS localhost support.
Fixed relay URL: wss://relay.wiremaven.com/tunnel/register.
v0.1 ships for Chrome. No Firefox, Safari, or Edge package.
Large request uploads time out against the relay before reaching localhost. Uploads around 1 MB pass; uploads around 4 MB fail. The exact threshold depends on relay load.

Privacy summary

The extension keeps session-scoped tunnel state in browser session storage so the popup and background worker stay in sync. That state includes the local port, relay token, public URL, expiry, current status, recent event log, and the latest visible error.

The extension proxies request and response bodies in memory. It does not write them to extension storage, analytics systems, crash reporters, or marketing trackers.

No analytics, telemetry, crash reporting, or advertising identifiers.
No browsing history, page-content scraping, or unrelated site access.
Network access is limited to http://localhost/*, http://127.0.0.1/*, and the fixed wiremaven relay.

The extension proxies traffic for your localhost tunnel. It does not request broad page permissions or collect product analytics.

Choose the right wiremaven path

Path	Best for	Project changes	Notes
Package	Developers who want framework integration and the viewer overlay.	Yes	Install `wiremaven`, run `wiremaven init`, and let the project integration handle the in-page review surface.
CLI	Terminal-first users or unsupported app setups.	No	Use `wiremaven-cli` for explicit session control without changing project files.
Chrome extension	Designers, reviewers, founders, non-Node users, or developers who want no project edits.	No	Runs from the Chrome popup, requires the normal dev server to be running, and does not inject overlays or modify pages.