iClicker Poll Notifier

Never miss an iClicker poll again. Get instant desktop and phone notifications when your instructor starts a question.

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial, community-built extension. It is not affiliated with iClicker or Macmillan Learning.

Features

Desktop Notifications

Get an instant popup notification on your computer the moment a poll starts. Works even if you're in a different tab or window.

Sound Alerts

A clear audio alert plays when polls start so you'll hear it even if you're not looking at your screen. Sound can be toggled on/off.

Phone Notifications via Telegram

Connect your Telegram account to receive notifications on your phone. Perfect for when you:

Step away from your laptop
Close your laptop lid
Want a backup notification method

Collaborative Detection

This is where it gets powerful. When anyone in your class using the extension detects a poll, everyone in that class gets notified.

More classmates using it = more reliable detection
If your internet lags but your classmate's doesn't, you still get notified
Share the extension with your class for best results

"LIVE" Badge

A red "LIVE" badge appears on the extension icon when a poll is currently active, giving you a visual indicator at a glance.

Smart Detection

The extension uses multiple detection methods to catch polls:

URL monitoring (detects /poll and /question/ in the URL)
WebSocket interception (catches real-time poll events from the server)
DOM observation (watches for poll-related elements appearing)
Text pattern matching (looks for phrases like "answer now", "time remaining")

Works While Viewing Old Questions

Even if you're reviewing a previous question's results, the extension will still detect and notify you when a new poll starts.

Auto-Join Sessions

Automatically registers you with the current class session when you visit an iClicker page. No manual setup needed.

Session Heartbeat

Keeps your session alive in the background so you stay connected for collaborative notifications.

Installation

Option 1: Chrome Web Store (Recommended)

Coming soon — currently under review

Click the Chrome Web Store link
Click "Add to Chrome"
Done!

Option 2: Manual Install

Step 1: Download

Click the green Code button at the top of this page
Click Download ZIP
Find the downloaded file and unzip it

Step 2: Open Chrome Extensions

Open Google Chrome
Type chrome://extensions in the address bar
Press Enter

Step 3: Enable Developer Mode

Look at the top right corner of the page
Find the switch that says Developer mode
Click it to turn it ON (it should turn blue)

Step 4: Load the Extension

Click the Load unpacked button (top left area)
Navigate to the folder you unzipped
Select the folder and click Open

Step 5: Verify Installation

You should see "iClicker Poll Notifier" in your extensions list
A bell icon 🔔 should appear in your Chrome toolbar
If you don't see it, click the puzzle piece icon and pin it

Setup

Basic Setup (Desktop Notifications Only)

Go to your iClicker class page (e.g., student.iclicker.com)
Click the extension icon in your toolbar
Make sure "Desktop notifications" is enabled
That's it! Keep the tab open and you'll be notified when polls start

Phone Notifications Setup (Optional)

Want to get notifications on your phone? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Enable Telegram in the Extension

Click the extension icon
Toggle ON "Send to Telegram"
A setup panel will appear

Step 2: Open the Telegram Bot

Click the "Open Bot in Telegram" button
This opens our bot: @IclickerNotificationBot
(Or search for it manually in Telegram)

Step 3: Get Your Code

Send any message to the bot (like "hi" or "start")
The bot will reply with a 6-digit code
This code expires in 10 minutes

Step 4: Connect

Go back to the extension popup
Enter the 6-digit code
Click "Connect"
You should see a green "Connected!" message

Step 5: Test It

Click "Send test" to verify it's working
You should receive a test notification on Telegram

How It Works

Poll Detection

When you have an iClicker page open, the extension constantly monitors for signs that a poll has started:

URL Changes — iClicker changes the URL to include /poll or /question/ when a poll is active
WebSocket Messages — The extension intercepts real-time messages from iClicker's servers
Page Elements — Looks for timers, submit buttons, and answer options appearing
Text Patterns — Scans for phrases like "Answer now" or "Time remaining"

Collaborative Notifications

When you connect to Telegram, you join a shared notification network:

You visit an iClicker class page
The extension automatically detects your course/activity ID
You're registered in that session with other users
When ANY user detects a poll, the server broadcasts to ALL users in that session
Everyone gets a Telegram notification within seconds

This means even if your detection fails (slow internet, tab in background too long), you'll still get notified if a classmate's extension catches it.

Settings

Click the extension icon to access these settings:

Setting	Description
Desktop notifications	Toggle desktop popup notifications on/off
Play sound	Toggle the audio alert on/off
Send to Telegram	Enable/disable phone notifications
Test notification & sound	Send a test to verify desktop alerts work
Send test (Telegram)	Send a test notification to your phone
Disconnect	Unlink your Telegram account
Scan Page for Poll Elements	Debug tool to see what the extension detects

Troubleshooting

Desktop notifications not appearing

Check Chrome's notification permissions
- Go to chrome://settings/content/notifications
- Make sure notifications are allowed
Check your system notification settings
- On Mac: System Preferences → Notifications → Google Chrome
- On Windows: Settings → System → Notifications → Google Chrome
Make sure the extension is enabled
- Click the extension icon
- Verify "Desktop notifications" is toggled on
Try the test button
- Click "Test notification & sound" in the popup
- If this works but real polls don't, the detection might need adjustment

Sound not playing

Check the sound toggle
- Click the extension icon
- Make sure "Play sound" is enabled
Check your system volume
- Make sure your computer isn't muted
Chrome autoplay policy
- Chrome sometimes blocks audio
- Try clicking anywhere on the iClicker page first

Telegram not working

Code expired
- Codes expire after 10 minutes
- Send a new message to the bot to get a fresh code
Wrong code
- Make sure you're copying the full 6-digit code
- Don't include any spaces
Already connected
- If you were previously connected, click "Disconnect" first
- Then reconnect with a new code
Bot not responding
- Make sure you're messaging @IclickerNotificationBot
- Try sending /start to the bot

Extension not detecting polls

Keep the tab open
- The extension needs the iClicker tab to be open
- It can be in the background, but don't close it
Refresh the page
- Sometimes a fresh page load helps
- Press F5 or Cmd+R / Ctrl+R
Check you're on the right page
- Make sure you're on student.iclicker.com or similar
- The extension only runs on iClicker domains
Use the debug scanner
- Click "Scan Page for Poll Elements" in the popup
- This shows what the extension sees on the page

Privacy

We take your privacy seriously. Here's exactly what we do and don't collect:

What We DON'T Collect

Your iClicker username or password
Your poll answers or responses
Your grades or scores
Your browsing history
Any personal information

What We DO Collect (only if you enable Telegram)

Telegram Chat ID — A number that lets us send you messages
Course/Activity IDs — Anonymous identifiers from the iClicker URL so we know which class session you're in

Where Data Is Stored

Locally — Your settings (sound on/off, etc.) are stored in your browser
Server — If you use Telegram, your chat ID and session info are stored on Cloudflare Workers

Data Retention

Session data expires automatically after 6-10 hours
You can delete your data anytime by clicking "Disconnect"
Uninstalling the extension removes all local data

See our full Privacy Policy for complete details.

For Developers

Project Structure

iclicker-notifier/
├── manifest.json       # Chrome extension manifest (MV3)
├── content.js          # Runs on iClicker pages, detects polls
├── background.js       # Service worker, handles notifications
├── popup.html/js       # Extension popup UI
├── offscreen.html/js   # Audio playback (MV3 requirement)
├── config.js           # Backend URL configuration
├── icons/              # Extension icons
├── sounds/             # Notification audio
└── backend/
    ├── worker.js       # Cloudflare Worker (API + Telegram)
    ├── wrangler.toml   # Cloudflare configuration
    └── SETUP.md        # Backend deployment guide

Tech Stack

Extension: Vanilla JavaScript, Chrome Extension Manifest V3
Backend: Cloudflare Workers + KV storage
Notifications: Telegram Bot API

Running Locally

Clone this repo
Go to chrome://extensions
Enable Developer Mode
Click "Load unpacked" and select the repo folder

Deploying Backend

See backend/SETUP.md for Cloudflare Workers deployment instructions.

Support

Having issues or want to suggest a feature?

Telegram: Message the bot with /feedback your message
GitHub: Open an issue

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

Report bugs
Suggest features
Submit pull requests

License

MIT License — feel free to use, modify, and distribute.

Made with ❤️ by students, for students.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
backend		backend
icons		icons
sounds		sounds
.gitignore		.gitignore
.webstoreignore		.webstoreignore
PRIVACY.md		PRIVACY.md
README.md		README.md
background.js		background.js
config.js		config.js
content.js		content.js
manifest.json		manifest.json
offscreen.html		offscreen.html
offscreen.js		offscreen.js
popup.html		popup.html
popup.js		popup.js

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