Auto Refresher

A lightweight Chrome/Edge browser extension that auto-refreshes the active tab at a configurable interval. Built with Manifest V3 and TypeScript, with zero runtime dependencies.

Demo

Features

• Configurable intervals — seconds, minutes, hours, or days
• Per-tab control — each tab runs its own independent refresh timer
• Persistent state — closing and reopening the popup retains the current config
• Active/inactive icons — visual indicator on the toolbar icon when a tab is refreshing
• Auto-cleanup — closing a tab automatically removes its timer and stored config
• Input validation — enforces minimum 1-second and maximum 7-day intervals
• Privacy-first — no data collection, no network calls, no remote code

Documentation

For detailed architecture, implementation plan, security considerations, and testing strategy, see the Architecture Overview.

Installation

From Chrome Web Store / Edge Add-ons

Edge Add-ons: Under review — link coming soon

From source (Developer mode)

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/karthikveeraj/AutoRefresher.git
   cd AutoRefresher

2. Install dependencies and build:

   npm install
   npm run build

3. Load in your browser:

   • Chrome: Go to chrome://extensions/ → enable Developer mode → click Load unpacked → select the dist/ folder
   • Edge: Go to edge://extensions/ → enable Developer mode → click Load unpacked → select the dist/ folder

Usage

1. Click the Auto Refresher icon in the toolbar
2. Set the refresh interval (e.g., 30) and time unit (e.g., Seconds)
3. Click Start — the page will auto-refresh at the specified interval
4. Click Stop to cancel

Set interval	Click Start	Refreshing	Stop

Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• Chrome 88+ or Edge 88+

Commands

Command	Description
npm install	Install dependencies
npm run build	Clean build — compile TypeScript and copy assets to dist/
npm run watch	Watch mode — recompile on file changes
npm run clean	Delete the dist/ folder
npm test	Run tests
npm run test:watch	Run tests in watch mode

Project Structure

AutoRefresher/
├── src/
│   ├── background.ts       # Service worker — timer & tab management
│   ├── popup.ts             # Popup UI logic
│   ├── popup.html           # Popup markup
│   ├── popup.css            # Popup styles
│   └── types.ts             # Shared TypeScript types
├── artifacts/               # Icons, demo GIF, screenshots, and store assets
├── tests/                   # Jest tests
├── scripts/                 # Build helper scripts
├── docs/                    # Architecture & design documentation
├── .github/workflows/       # GitHub Actions CI
├── manifest.json            # Extension manifest (Manifest V3)
├── tsconfig.json            # TypeScript config
├── jest.config.js           # Jest config
├── LICENSE                  # MIT License
└── dist/                    # Build output (git-ignored)

How It Works

• Intervals ≥ 60s use chrome.alarms API — reliable and survives service worker restarts
• Intervals < 60s also use chrome.alarms — works at any frequency for unpacked/dev extensions
• Config is stored per-tab in chrome.storage.local
• On tab close, chrome.tabs.onRemoved cleans up the alarm and storage entry

Permissions

Permission	Why
alarms	Schedule periodic refresh timers
storage	Persist per-tab refresh config
activeTab	Access the current tab to reload
tabs	Detect tab close for cleanup

No content scripts, no <all_urls>, no network access.

License

MIT