Like tons of other writers, I use online word processors like Google Docs and their mobile equivalents to complete projects on a daily basis. As a result, Google Chrome has become the center of my creative universe.
This brings a ton of efficiency and convenience to my workday as a blogger and content creator, especially because I can take advantage of Chrome’s built-in web store of extensions. Believe me when I say that having with these online tools at my disposal has made me a better writer and creative thinker overall.
The best part? Each of the apps on this list — all of which are among my absolute favorites — won’t cost you a dime to install or integrate into your writing suite. Some of them have premium upgrades available, so spending that money is up to you, but in terms of getting started, they’re all absolutely free.
Let’s get right into it and explore 5 free Google Chrome extensions every blogger needs:
1. Grammarly
It’s never a pleasant experience to send an email, deliver the supposed final draft of a document or publish a new blog post on your website that is littered with spelling and grammar mistakes.
Listen, to err is human. Even if you’re reading and re-reading your own prose thinking you’ve finally wiped every typographical snafu from your text, it’s inevitable that a few will slip through the cracks (who knows, maybe a few will rear their ugly heads further down in this post … wouldn’t that be embarrassing).
Point is, it happens to everyone. However, what’s not kosher is making a mistake-riddled piece of content public, even if it’s to just one reader or recipient, because of carelessness.
Enter Grammarly, the foremost freemium Google Chrome spelling and grammar correction sidekick.
Free to install on other word processors and OS’s too, I like their Chrome extension because it provides real-time suggestions in basically any open rich text editor. Whether it’s inside a third-party CMS or the online document editor of your choice.
Disclaimer: Just like every other spellcheck app known to mankind, Grammarly isn’t perfect. It’ll occasionally suggest the odd correction that isn’t actually a mistake or blatantly miss a typo that, in theory, it shouldn’t have.
So, as a savior for the lazy or rushed, it will fall short, as will any other solution you place that burden on. However, as another set of automated eyes on your work, you can do far worse than Grammarly
Also, if you have the extra cash to shell out for the premium version, I definitely recommend it.
2. Save to Google Drive (or Another Cloud Service Provider)
At the risk of sounding like a corporate shill for Google, the banner of weed-selling apps, let me preface this by quickly shouting out other popular cloud storage service Chrome extensions, like Microsoft OneDrive, that offer you much of the same functionality.
However, since Chrome is a Google product, it only makes sense that Drive would be the most seamlessly integrated browser extension in this category. In that sense, Save to Google Drive is one of the handiest writing aids offered in the browser’s extension store.
The app will take a screenshot of whatever content you have open in a given tab (with only a limited number of restrictions) and save it directly to the Google Drive account you have linked with your browser’s profile. It will also push a link notification immediately after the image uploads, so you’ll be able to see the file’s Drive location.
This is incredibly useful for quickly storing references, pictures or infographics you want to use in a blog post, examples of a potential final product, and so much more. The extension also chooses .png as the default file format for the images you save, so the quality and color specifications will be internet-friendly right out of the gate.
As someone who is constantly misplacing interest quotes or inspirational examples from other articles, this app has saved my creative skin more than a few times and, down the line, it can potentially do the same for you.
3. Pocket
Speaking of saving things for posterity, I definitely wouldn’t be in the professional position I am today if it weren’t for Pocket.
A big part of making a living as a writer is consuming a lot of other people’s writing. It keeps you informed, it keeps you energized, it keeps you honest. That said, with so much interesting online content being produced every day, it’s hard to keep up with it all.
That is, if you’re not using this glorious app.
Pocket is a great place to store links of articles you can to read, complete with the ability to assign one or multiple tags to each one to help you compartmentalize your reading list. The app will also provide you with personalized recommendations based on your link saving history.
The Chrome extension is where things get really easy. All you have to do is click on the Pocket logo and boom! Your link is saved to your profile automatically. Adding a tag is optional but, in my experience, highly recommended so that your reading list doesn’t get out of hand.
For writers who are looking for a streamlined, intuitive way to keep track of the various blog posts, PDFs and even social media posts they want to read later on, Pocket is my favorite safe space when it comes to content that intrigues me. I always look forward to the end of my day when I finally get to knock one or two of those pieces off of my must-read list.
4. Power Thesaurus
Every writer I’ve ever had a conversation with always extols the virtues of the synonym. When it comes to crafting prose that’s fresh and vibrant instead of dull and repetitive, they are an essential tool.
However, using Google searches to search for those vocabulary alternatives is so early-2000s. I mean, if I had to open a tab every time I needed to say something a different way, my browser would’ve just given up long ago.
A great way to avoid that kind of time consumption and frustration is with Power Thesaurus, the one-click Chrome extension that sits in the corner of your browser window, waiting for a word to analyze. In seconds, you’ll be treated to a short list of common synonyms that can be expanded if you need to dig deeper.
The settings are flexible too, allowing you to adjust the number of alternate words listed in the extension’s preview pop-up or whether or not to include antonyms as well.
As online word processor apps have grown and evolved, some small-but-crucial functionality has been lost in translation, including the ability to right-click for a synonym lifeline. Power Thesaurus bridges that gap and makes writing compelling copy that much easier.
5. uBlock
Finally, we come to potentially the most controversial item on this list — the ad blocker.
Lots of content professionals still make a great deal of money through PPC advertising, so I can understand why this topic is still divisive in certain circles. Some who work in the advertising space may find themselves at a disadvantage if they use one.
I’m in neither of those camps. In fact, even though I’d written my fair share of ad copy, I strongly dislike seeing them on webpages from a viewing experience standpoint.
Thus, my inclusion of uBlock on my list of indispensable Chrome extensions. There are alternatives out there for this one as well, but I prefer this particular app for its minimalist feel and light CPU footprint (in other words, it won’t slow down your browser).
It also cuts out the commercial portions of clips on streaming platforms like YouTube, so YAY!
Note: A recent security scare concerning uBlock and other major ad blocker providers means you should do your research before making one of them part of your Google Chrome ecosystem.
Those are the five free Chrome extensions that I think every blogger needs to install (if they haven’t already). Did I miss your favorite app? Is there an essential extension that I haven’t discovered yet? Let me know in the comments!