Everything you need to get the most out of R-Searcher — from install to daily use.
Step 01
Install the extension
R-Searcher is available in the Chrome Web Store. Click "Add to Chrome" and confirm the permissions — that's it.
📸[ 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
⚡Free early access: 5 analyzes / week, 70 explains / week. Weekly limits reset Monday at 00:00 UTC.
Step 02
Analyze an article
Open any article 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 03
Explain any text
Select any text on a webpage 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 04
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 — each costs one explain request from your weekly limit.
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 05
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 06
Settings
Open Settings from the bottom of the popup or via the options page. You can manage interface toggles and customize your reading experience.
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: Settings page ]480x360px
FAQ
What happens to the text I send?
Your text is sent to our backend and forwarded to Google Gemini to generate a response. It is not stored after the request completes. See our Privacy Policy for full details.
Why isn't the analysis showing the full article?
R-Searcher has a character limit for article analysis to work reliably. If the article exceeds this limit, try a shorter page.
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.
When does my weekly limit reset?
Weekly limits reset on Monday at 00:00 UTC. Early access includes 5 analyzes / week and 70 explains / week. Join the waitlist to hear about updates and improvements.
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.
Still have questions?
Send us feedback or report a bug — we read everything.