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https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension

Linklens(previously glimpse) is a lightweight Chrome extension that improves browsing efficiency by allowing you to instantly preview any link in a clean, modal overlay without leaving your current page.
https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension

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Last synced: 6 days ago
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Linklens(previously glimpse) is a lightweight Chrome extension that improves browsing efficiency by allowing you to instantly preview any link in a clean, modal overlay without leaving your current page.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          



# 🔍 LinkLens



**Preview any link instantly with Ctrl+Click or Long-Press**



*Formerly known as Glimpse*



[![Version](https://img.shields.io/badge/version-1.3.4-blue.svg)](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension/releases)

[![License](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-green.svg)](LICENSE)

[![Chrome Web Store](https://img.shields.io/badge/chrome-web%20store-orange.svg)](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/linklens/gpbempopkomagldobkjildebaendgonn)



[Features](#-features) • [Installation](#-installation) • [Usage](#-usage) • [Settings](#%EF%B8%8F-settings) • [Privacy](#-privacy)






---



## 📥 Installation



### 🌐 Chrome Web Store (Recommended)



**[➜ Install from Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/linklens/gpbempopkomagldobkjildebaendgonn)**



Click the link above and hit **"Add to Chrome"** - that's it! The extension will install automatically and be ready to use in seconds.



### 🛠️ Manual Installation (Developer Mode)



Perfect for trying out the latest features before they hit the store!



1. **Download the Extension**

   ```bash

   git clone https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension.git

   ```

   Or download the [ZIP file](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension/archive/refs/heads/main.zip) and extract it



2. **Open Chrome Extensions Page**

   - Navigate to `chrome://extensions/`

   - Or click Menu (⋮) → **More Tools** → **Extensions**



3. **Enable Developer Mode**

   - Toggle the **Developer mode** switch in the top-right corner



4. **Load the Extension**

   - Click **Load unpacked**

   - Select the `linklens-extension` folder you just downloaded

   - Done! ✅ The extension icon should appear in your toolbar



5. **Start Using**

   - `Ctrl` + click any link, or just long-press it!



---



## ✨ Features



### 🖱️ **Dual Trigger Methods**

Choose your preferred way to preview:

- **Quick Preview**: `Ctrl` + click (or `Cmd` + click on Mac)

- **Long Press**: Hold mouse button for 500ms (customizable 300-1500ms)

- **Both Work Together**: Use whichever feels natural!



### 🎯 **Universal Compatibility**

- ✅ Works on **X-Frame-Options** protected sites (pkg.go.dev, docs.python.org, etc.)

- ✅ Smart **Cloudflare** detection - works on protected sites

- ✅ Automatic fallback for incompatible pages

- ✅ Respects security headers during verification flows



### 🎨 **Highly Customizable**

- 🎨 **6 Theme Colors** - Match your style

- 📐 **Adjustable Window Size** - 60% to 95% viewport

- 🌓 **Dark Mode** - Easy on the eyes

- 💨 **Backdrop Blur** - Optional background blur effect

- ⚡ **Animation Control** - Smooth or instant (your choice)



### ⚡ **Blazing Fast Performance**

- 🚀 Zero-jitter instant previews

- 🎯 GPU-accelerated animations (when enabled)

- 🧠 Smart memory management

- 📊 60fps smooth scrolling



### 🔐 **Privacy First**

- 🚫 **Zero data collection** - Nothing leaves your device

- 🔒 **Local processing only** - All operations happen on your machine

- 👁️ **No tracking** - No analytics, no telemetry

- 🛡️ **Minimal permissions** - Only what's absolutely necessary



---



## 🚀 Usage



### Quick Start



1. **Browse any website** as normal

2. **Hover over a link** you want to preview

3. **Choose your method**:

   - **Fast**: Hold `Ctrl` (or `Cmd` on Mac) and click

   - **Easy**: Long-press the link (hold for 0.5 seconds)

4. **Preview appears** in a beautiful floating window

5. **Close** by clicking outside, pressing `Esc`, or clicking the × button



### Visual Feedback



- 🔵 **Long-press active**: Link highlights with subtle blue outline

- ⏱️ **Timer running**: Hold steady for 500ms (customizable)

- ❌ **Cancelled**: Move mouse >10px or release early

- ✅ **Preview opens**: Full-screen overlay with your content



---



## ⚙️ Settings



Click the **LinkLens icon** in your toolbar to customize everything:



### 🎯 Trigger Settings

| Setting | Options | Default | Description |

|---------|---------|---------|-------------|

| **Modifier Key** | Ctrl / Alt / Shift | Ctrl | Quick preview key |

| **Mac Support** | ON / OFF | ON | Use Cmd instead of Ctrl |

| **Long Click** | ON / OFF | ON | Enable long-press trigger |

| **Long Click Duration** | 300ms - 1500ms | 500ms | Hold time for long-press |



### 🎨 Appearance

| Setting | Options | Default | Description |

|---------|---------|---------|-------------|

| **Theme Color** | 6 presets | Purple | Accent color |

| **Apply to Header** | ON / OFF | OFF | Themed window header |

| **Dark Mode** | ON / OFF | OFF | Dark theme |

| **Window Size** | 60% - 95% | 80% | Preview size |

| **Background Opacity** | 20% - 90% | 60% | Overlay darkness |

| **Backdrop Blur** | ON / OFF | OFF | Background blur |



### ⚙️ Behavior

| Setting | Options | Default | Description |

|---------|---------|---------|-------------|

| **Auto-close Timer** | 0s - 30s | Off | Close after inactivity |

| **Animations** | ON / OFF | OFF | Smooth transitions |

| **Sound Effects** | ON / OFF | OFF | Audio feedback |



---



## 🔒 Privacy



LinkLens is built with privacy as a core principle:



### What We DON'T Do

- ❌ **No data collection** - We don't store or transmit any information

- ❌ **No browsing history** - We never track what sites you visit

- ❌ **No analytics** - Zero telemetry or usage statistics

- ❌ **No external servers** - Everything happens locally on your device

- ❌ **No third-party code** - No external dependencies or scripts



### What We DO

- ✅ **Local storage only** - Settings saved on your device via Chrome's sync

- ✅ **Minimal permissions** - Only what's needed for core functionality

- ✅ **Open source** - Code is public and auditable

- ✅ **Transparent** - All operations documented



### Permissions Explained



**`declarativeNetRequest`**: Required to remove X-Frame-Options headers so websites can load in preview iframes. Only affects preview frames, never your main browsing.



**`storage`**: Saves your preferences (theme, window size, etc.) and syncs across devices where you're signed into Chrome.



**``**: Allows the extension to detect Ctrl+clicks and long-presses on any page, and enables previews for any website you visit.



---



## 📋 Changelog



v1.3.4 (Latest) - Critical Bug Fixes 🐛



#### 🔧 Bug Fixes

- **Fixed**: Long-press feature breaking normal clicks on complex sites (Reddit, social media)

  - Removed visual feedback that was interfering with click event detection

  - Simplified navigation prevention logic

  - Normal clicks now work perfectly alongside long-press feature

- **Fixed**: Favicon and title misalignment in preview header

  - Added proper vertical centering for consistent alignment across all websites

- **Fixed**: Dark mode not applying to backdrop

  - Backdrop now turns solid black when dark mode is enabled

  - Blur is automatically disabled in dark mode for clean appearance

  - Dark mode settings now update immediately without reload



v1.3.3 - Long Click Support 🖱️



#### ✨ New Feature - Issue #3

- **Added**: Long-press/long-click trigger to open previews without modifier keys

- **Added**: Customizable long-click duration (300ms - 1500ms, default 500ms)

- **Added**: Visual feedback during long-press (subtle blue highlight)

- **Added**: Smart cancellation if mouse moves >10px or releases early

- **Enhanced**: Both trigger methods work independently (Ctrl+click OR long-press)

- **Improved**: More accessible for touchpad users and those who prefer not using modifier keys



v1.3.2 - Performance & Compatibility Overhaul



#### 🔧 Critical Fixes

- Re-enabled declarativeNetRequest to strip X-Frame-Options headers

- Sites like pkg.go.dev, docs.python.org now work in iframe previews

- Fixed backdrop blur showing when disabled in settings

- Fixed button size inconsistency

- Fixed animation jitter on complex pages



#### ⚡ Performance Improvements

- Separated blur animation for 60fps performance

- Added GPU acceleration with will-change hints

- Hardware-accelerated transforms

- Memory management improvements

- Animations OFF by default



#### 🎨 UI Enhancements

- Enhanced backdrop blur with smoother animation

- New backdrop blur toggle in settings

- Button visual consistency across all screen sizes

- Better shadows and rounded corners

- Improved responsive sizing



#### 🛡️ Security & Compatibility

- Comprehensive Cloudflare domain exclusions

- Defense-in-depth with domain + path exclusions

- Smart Cloudflare detection maintained

- Safe header handling for verification



Earlier Versions



### v1.3.1 - Enhanced UI & Theme Control

- Fixed theme color application to preview header

- Fixed animation toggle functionality

- Added background opacity control

- Improved popup design



### v1.3.0 - Comprehensive Settings Panel

- Complete settings interface

- Configurable modifier keys, themes, window sizes

- Auto-close timers, sound effects, dark mode

- User-friendly popup with save/reset



### v1.2.0 - LinkLens Rebrand

- Complete rebrand from Glimpse to LinkLens

- New professional icon

- Updated UI and documentation



### v1.1.2 - Smart Cloudflare Detection

- Works on Cloudflare-protected sites

- Disables only during active verification

- Precision challenge detection



### v1.0.0 - Initial Release

- Basic link preview functionality

- Ctrl+click trigger

- Minimal design



---



## 🤝 Contributing



We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:



- 🐛 **Report bugs** - [Open an issue](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension/issues)

- 💡 **Suggest features** - [Start a discussion](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension/discussions)

- 🔧 **Submit PRs** - Fork, code, and submit!

- 📖 **Improve docs** - Help make this README even better

- ⭐ **Star the repo** - Show your support!



---



## 📄 License



MIT License - see [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.



---



## 🔗 Links



- 🌐 **Chrome Web Store**: [Install LinkLens](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/linklens/gpbempopkomagldobkjildebaendgonn)

- 💻 **GitHub**: [fyzanshaik/linklens-extension](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension)

- 🐛 **Issues**: [Report a bug](https://github.com/fyzanshaik/linklens-extension/issues)

- ☕ **Support**: [Buy me a coffee](https://coff.ee/fyzanshaik)



---






**Made with ❤️ by [fyzanshaik](https://github.com/fyzanshaik)**



If LinkLens helps you browse better, consider [buying me a coffee](https://coff.ee/fyzanshaik)! ☕