Google Chrome offers the best browsing experience there is, however, using Chrome without extensions is like eating ice cream without sprinkles. These are the very best Chrome extensions to help improve your web development, emails, blogging, social media and search engine optimization.
Web Development
The most widely used extension for web development, this tool provides a whole array of development options to help create your page.
An easy-to-use measuring tool that will give you the exact dimensions (in pixels) of any image, element, text box, etc. on a web page.
Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate
This extension is perfect for creating "How To" instructions. Screenshot a page and quickly add your own annotations, including arrows, highlights, and more.
Allows you to view a web page from the perspective of a number of other browsers, including iPad, iPhone, and Android devices to make sure that your page looks great no matter where it is being seen.
A tool used to quickly identify any given font.
Record and save actions while developing a web page. This extension also allows you to replay your actions so you can see exactly what you've been working on and how you did it.
This extension allows you to test out any number of fonts on your web page so that you can find the perfect fit.
A slow loading page is a quick way to deter visitors from your page. With this extension, you can check how long it takes for your page to load and see what is slowing down your page's loading time.
Automatically saves CSS changes made to a web page. This will save you from losing your work due to a crash or some other unexpected shutdown.
A quick wireframe overlay of any page to help understand exactly how a page is put together.
Similar to User Agent Switcher, this will let you view your page from a number of other platforms to make sure that it is optimized for other devices or browsers.
This extension will help you quickly find answers to your web development related questions, and will you save you the hassle of clicking through a Google search.
This extension puts an overlay on a web page to allow you to compare sizes and elements on your page.
View a page’s source code and instantly edit it.
Want to make sure your site looks good on different versions of Internet Explorer? This extension allows you to do so without ever needing to leave Chrome.
Want to know exactly what content management systems are being used on a web page? This extension will help you figure out exactly what tools were used to create the elements of a web page.
Pick and save colors from web pages.
Figure out exactly what a site was built with using this extension.
Finds the exact color number on any page.
This extension provides an eye dropper, gradient creator, and color picker.
Check how a page looks in various window sizes without the hassle.
Check how a page looks from different screen resolutions to make sure it is optimized for various devices.
Blogging
A spelling and grammar check is necessary to any piece of writing, and this extension will automatically check your text as you write it, working in a fashion similar to Microsoft Word's spell check function.
Counts the words and characters in a selected section of text on any web page.
Easily find and replace words. This is a great way to avoid repetitive writing or edit a piece for mistakes.
Allows you to open 2 web pages in one tab, making it easy to access information while blogging without having to open multiple Chrome windows.
Daily Use
Remembering every single password can be a difficult task, but you won't have to worry about it with this extension. LastPass works as a database of all your passwords, automatically filling them in when you visit a login page.
One of the most essential extensions, this will block unwanted ads and pop-ups, making your browsing experience much more enjoyable.
Clip articles, images, etc. directly into Evernote with this extension.
Automatically play Youtube videos at highest possible resolution. This extension will cut down on the time you have to wait for an HD video to load, and makes it easier to browse Youtube.
Sometimes, you need a little motivation to start your day, and Chrome's "New Tab" page can be a bit boring. This extension creates a personalized dashboard in place of the “New Tab” screen. Includes weather and a “To Do” list.
If you have a Google Chromecast, this extension will let you cast compatible web pages directly to your TV.
This extension is the easiest way to take quick notes directly on a web page without having to leave Chrome.
Sometimes, an online blog post or article will be filled with unnecessary images or advertisements, making it difficult to read. This extension strips it down to a simple, clean screen of text for maximum readability.
Distractions are your biggest enemy. Luckily, this extension will block those time-consuming sites that you always find yourself staring at for hours on end so that you can get your work done.
This extension will both save your passwords and automatically sign you into sites saved in your database.
Translates web pages to the language of your choosing.
Quickly save to your Pocket account.
On some sites, images may appear as thumbnails that can not be expanded without opening a new tab or leaving the current page. With this extension, you can simply hover over an image for it to enlarge without leaving the page.
Open, copy, and bookmark multiple links with ease.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
The MozBar is the ultimate SEO tool. This extension provides a wide variety of SEO tools, including custom keyword searches, link metrics, SEO statistics, and much more.
Broken links can cause visitors to question the credibility of your page and deter them from returning. This extension will quickly scan your page for broken links and highlight them so you can keep all of your links working.
This extension will help strengthen your page's links by crawling the web and providing instant analytics on your page's backlink status.
Ever wonder just how a video goes viral? This extension provides in-depth analytics on videos and includes information about how many times a video was viewed, tweeted, shared, and other ways in which it gained exposure.
This tool analyzing search engine statistics from all around the world and lets you know how well your posts are doing on a global scale.
Social Media
Sharing content across multiple social media platforms can require a lot of copy and pasting that you don't want to do, which can result in less exposure. Buffer makes it easy to share to all of your social media sites with just one click, cutting out the long process and helping you get your content viewed and shared across the web.
You may be unsure of just which of your social platforms creates the most traffic to your site, but this extension will tell you exactly how many people reach your page through various social media sources.
This extension will help you share your social media content with HubSpot, and schedule HubSpot content easily.
This Twitter dashboard helps understand what followers are tweeting about, following, sharing, etc. This is a great tool for crafting the perfect Twitter page.
Sometimes, the perfect .gif is exactly what your social media post needs to give it some life. This extension provides a whole archive of useful .gifs to add directly to your social media posts.
A quick and easy way to check your Instagram in your browser with a drop down menu that won't interrupt the page you're currently viewing.
Sites like Twitter only allow a short number of characters to get your message out, and links can seriously cut down on that 140 limit. This extension will help you create shortened links from any page for easy social sharing.
A quick, easy way to check the popularity of the hashtags you attach to your posts.
Analyze how many times a web page has been shared across a large number of social media platforms.
This extension lets you easily share content through your social media platforms, and provides a "score" of you social media influence.
Quickly and easily share content on Pinterest with this useful extension.
An easy way to share content and schedule posts via Google +
Instantly share content on Tumblr with a right click.
Export data from web pages to create an easy-to-read spreadsheet.
Tweet directly from the page you’re viewing without leaving.
Ever wonder why someone isn't answering your emails? This extension allows you to track your messages and see when your email is viewed by the receiver.
Gmail can usually only be accessed with an internet connection, but this extension allows you to write emails offline, and schedule them to be sent as soon as you are connected.
Instantly view a professional contact's LinkedIn information every time you open their email.
Craft a simple, professional signature for your emails with this extension.
This is an easy way to schedule emails to be sent at a late date or time.
Gmail's chat feature does not currently support image sharing, but this extension allows you to attach images to your Gchat conversations with ease.