18 Jul 2025
038 — Extensions of Me
The OpenGraphs browser extensions are live! Well, at least some/most of them!! I share the latest updates on what I am working on for https://www.opengraphs.com, along with some browser extension inconsistencies.
You can find the OpenGraph Browser Extensions here:
Chrome - https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/opengraphs/kiifpjdcadbbbhoocoobahkogpnmngio
Firefox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/opengraphs/
Microsoft Edge - https://microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/opengraphs/cfhfplinkfammfoljdakadohdgggkmch
And, here’s the link to the post on IndieHackers:
https://www.indiehackers.com/post/dirt-for-sale-breaking-ground-on-opengraphs-com-gkZlrGXD4nH5381idGWq
Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD1yMVA40nE
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Welcome to the wacky world of browser extensions in 2025. Between varying manifest version support, as well as inconsistencies in the user experience and capabilities of browser extensions on the same browser engine (looking at you Arc and Dia, on Chromium), it can be hard to provide a consistent nice experience between them all, but I am doing the best I can. So far, the best experience across the extensions are in both Google Chrome (native) and Microsoft Edge.
The thing that makes the experience so good is the Side Panel support, which was introduced with the rollout of Manifest V3. The beauty of the Side Panel API is that it allows the extension to remain open while you are navigating a site within a tab, or even changing tabs, which makes it great when you are trying to review the open graph/Twitter|X Card/meta data for sites and pages. Unfortunately, the Side Panel API is not yet supported in Firefox, nor Opera, and the semi-annoying thing is that it is unfortunately not consistently implemented on other Chromium-based browsers, like Arc and Dia. Basically, I have some work to do on the extension for Chrome if I want to make it usable in these non-standard browsers, but I’ll be getting to that at some point, and also sharing all the inconsistencies in the Browser Extension world across the board, both within browser ecosystems and across them.
Other than the browser extensions, I have been working on the OpenGraphs site, mainly focused on the copy and wrestling with the resistance as I try to showcase what OpenGraphs can be, how it can help automate a lot of busy work, and makes it a breeze when you want to go back and mass update the open graph images and data for big sites. The goal is to have an updated home page, browser extension pages, and tool page up and live by the next recordings.
To follow along, you can find me at https://www.ryanhefner.com, follow me on Bluesky @ryanhefner.com (https://bsky.app/profile/ryanhefner.com) and keep up with the show on https://www.allplay.fm and @allplay.fm (https://bsky.app/profile/allplay.fm).
Help yourself, while supporting the show, by trying some of the services that I use, and highly recommend:
Transistor FM (https://transistor.fm/?via=allplay)
Fathom Analytics (https://usefathom.com/ref/EKONBS)
#buildinpublic #podcast #startups #webdevelopment #webdesign #bluesky #indiedev #bootstrapping #indiehackers
