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https://github.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity

Utility function to track browsing activity in a Chrome extension
https://github.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity

chrome-extension google-chrome javascript

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Utility function to track browsing activity in a Chrome extension

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README 

        
# chrome-track-activity

Utility function to track browsing activity in a Chrome extension.






## Usage



This package exports a single function `startTrackingActivity` which can be used to track a user's browsing activity. 



The following example demonstates its usage:



```javascript

function onSessionStart(session) {

  console.log("START", session.startTime, session.url);

}



function onSessionEnd(session) {

  console.log("END", session.endTime, session.url);

}

var stopTracking = startTrackingActivity(onSessionStart, onSessionEnd);

```



`startTrackingActivity` accepts two arguments:



1. `onSessionStart`: Invoked each time the user loads a new page in the foreground tab or navigates to an existing page. The argument `session` contains the `url`, `startTime` and `tabId` for the new page.



2. `onSessionEnd`: Invoked each time the user loads a new page in the foreground tab, changes the tab or window, closes the foreground tab, or leaves the browser window. The argument `session` contains the `url`, `startTime`, `tabId` and `endTime` for the page that was closed/changed.



The return value of `startTrackingActivity` is another function, which can called to discontinue tracking when it is no longer required.



## Installation



**IMPORTANT NOTE**: To use `startTrackingAcvitity`, you need to declare the ["tabs"](https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/tabs#manifest) permission in your extension's [manifest](https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/manifest) file.



### Method 1: Copy-paste



The easiest way to add the utility `startTrackingActivity` is to copy-paste the code from [`tracking.js`](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity/master/tracking.js) into your [background script/page](https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/background_pages). It's only 70 lines!



### Method 2: `` tag



First download the the file into your extension directory using the following command: 



```

curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity/master/tracking.js

```



Then include it in your background page using a script tag:



```html

<head>

   <script src="tracking.js">



```



Check out the [example](./example/) for an example of this approach.



### Method 3: Install from `npm`



Install the package from npm by running:



```

npm install chrome-track-activity --save

```



Then include it in your script using `require`:



```

var startTrackingActivity = require('chrome-track-activity');

```



## Running the Example



The `example` directory contains and example extension which uses `startTrackingActivity` to log the browsing activity of the user. 



First, clone the repository:



```

git clone https://github.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity.git

```



Then, follow the instructions on [this page](https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/getstarted#unpacked) to load the extension into your browser. 



Then, visit chrome://extensions and inspect the background page:



 



Open the 'Console' tab, leave the inspector window, and continue using the browser normally. You should see a log of the browsing activity as you enter and leave pages, like this:






The logic for the extension lives is [background.js](https://github.com/aakashns/chrome-track-activity/blob/master/example/background.js).