Everything you need to install the extension, deploy your own worker, connect it in Settings, and start using R-Searcher on your own backend.
Step 01
Install the extension
R-Searcher is available as a Chrome extension build, and the full source code for the extension and worker now lives in a public repository. You can install the packaged extension, then connect it to your own worker deployment.
📸[ Screenshot: Chrome Web Store listing page ]800x260px
After installation, you'll see the R-Searcher icon in your Chrome toolbar. Pin it for quick access.
📸[ Screenshot: R-Searcher icon pinned in Chrome toolbar ]400x120px
⚡Important: the extension will not start processing pages until you deploy a worker and save its base URL in Settings.
Step 02
Deploy your own worker
R-Searcher now follows a self-hosted model. The browser extension sends requests to a worker you deploy yourself, so this step is what makes the extension operational.
The public repository contains the worker code and the self-hosting docs. A minimal setup looks like this:
cd worker
cp wrangler.toml.example wrangler.toml
npm install -g wrangler
wrangler login
wrangler secret put AI_API_KEY
wrangler deploy
After deployment, Wrangler prints a base URL such as https://your-worker-subdomain.workers.dev. Keep that URL handy for the next step.
🛠️Additional materials and the self-hosted version now live in the same public repo, so you can inspect the exact extension and worker code before deploying.
Step 03
Point the extension at your worker
Open the extension settings page, paste your deployed worker base URL into Worker / API base URL, save it, and accept the browser permission request for that origin if Chrome asks.
Without this step the extension has nowhere to send analyze and explain requests, so install alone is not enough.
📸[ Screenshot: Settings page with backend URL ]480x360px
🔐If you later change worker domains, save the new URL again so the extension can request access for that backend origin.
Step 04
Analyze an article
Open any article on a supported HTTPS page in Chrome and click the R-Searcher icon in the toolbar. You'll see the popup with a "Read" button.
📸[ Screenshot: Popup with Read button, before analysis ]360x280px
Click Read and R-Searcher will extract the article content and send it to AI. In a few seconds you'll see three tabs:
Essence — 3-5 sentences that tell you what this article is about, what the main finding is, and why it matters. Read in 20 seconds and decide if you want to go deeper.
Notes — A structured markdown digest with headings, bullet points, and key terms highlighted. This is the content worth saving — paste it into Notion, Obsidian, or any note app.
Next — Search queries to go deeper, relevant experts and publications, and related topics to explore. Use this to plan your next read.
🎬[ GIF: Click Read → loading → three tabs appear → switching between tabs ]720x380px · 6-10 sec loop
📋Copy button copies the currently active tab in markdown format with a link to the source article.
Step 05
Explain any text
Select any text on a supported HTTPS page and a small "What's this?" button will appear. Click it to get a plain-language explanation of the selected text.
R-Searcher detects the type of content — technical, scientific, historical, legal, medical, or general — and adapts the explanation style accordingly.
📸[ Screenshot: technical explanation ]400x200px
📸[ Screenshot: scientific explanation ]400x200px
💡You can also use CtrlShiftE to explain selected text without clicking the button. Works in minimal mode too.
Step 06
Go deeper with follow-up questions
After getting an explanation, follow-up buttons appear below the result. These let you dig deeper without leaving the page and keep the reading flow on the same screen.
Which buttons appear depends on the content type detected by R-Searcher:
Explain differently— Always shown. Explains from a completely different angle.
Show an example— For technical content. A concrete real-world example.
Where is it used?— When applications exist. Lists 3-5 real-world uses.
Why does it matter?— For science, history, medical content. Explains the significance.
🎬[ GIF: Click follow-up button → loading → new explanation replaces old ]560x280px · 4-6 sec loop
Step 07
Use hotkeys
R-Searcher works entirely via keyboard — you never have to open the popup or click a tooltip button.
Explain selected text
CtrlShiftE
Analyze full page
CtrlShiftR
Copy last result
CtrlShiftC
⚙️To change hotkeys, go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts in your browser.
📸[ Screenshot: chrome://extensions/shortcuts page with R-Searcher hotkeys ]720x200px
Step 08
Optional interface settings
After the backend is configured, you can come back to Settings to adjust how the extension behaves on the page. This is where you control tooltip visibility, minimal mode, and the saved backend URL.
Minimal Mode
Hides the tooltip button when you select text. Use hotkeys only. Good for power users who find the button distracting.
Show tooltip button
Toggle the "What's this?" button on text selection. Enabled by default. Disabling this keeps the selection clean.
📸[ Screenshot: Full settings page ]480x360px
↻If requests suddenly start failing after a backend change, reopen this page, verify the worker URL, and save it again.
FAQ
What happens to the text I send?
The extension reads the current page locally in the browser. When you trigger an action, it sends the selected text or extracted article content to the worker URL you configured in Settings. What happens after that depends on your own deployment and infrastructure choices. See our Privacy Policy for the site-side details.
Why isn't the analysis showing the full article?
Some pages are noisy, access-restricted, or unusually large, so the extractor may not recover the full article cleanly. Try a simpler article page first, then inspect your worker logs if the problem repeats.
Why does the explanation appear in a different language?
R-Searcher detects the language of the text or article and responds in that same language. This is intentional — if you select English text, you get an English explanation. If you select French text, you get a French explanation.
The tooltip button doesn't appear when I select text
Check if Minimal Mode is enabled in Settings — it hides the button. Also check if Show tooltip is toggled on. On some pages with strict content security policies, the extension cannot inject UI elements.
Why doesn't it work right after install?
Because the extension needs a backend before it can process anything. Deploy the worker, then paste its base URL into Worker / API base URL in Settings and save it.
Something isn't working — how do I report a bug?
Use the Bug Report form on our website. Please include what you were trying to do, what happened, and the URL of the page if relevant.
Need the full setup details?
The public repository contains the extension source, worker source, additional materials, and the self-hosting guide.