I made a CLI tool to create web extensions with no build configuration
Hello HN! I'm the creator and solo developer of Extension.js, a development tool for browser extensions with built-in support for TypeScript, WebAssembly, React, and modern JavaScript. Developers use it to spend less time configuring the compilation config or learning new frameworks and more time actually writing code. Most projects similar to Extension.js rely on some sort of abstraction or configuration to get started, making the initial development process slow given the extra learning curve and setup guidelines. By using Extension.js, adding the package to your npm scripts is all it…
In plain words
Extension.js is a CLI tool for building browser extensions that requires no build configuration. It supports TypeScript, WebAssembly, React, and modern JavaScript out of the box. Developers can create cross-browser extensions by adding the package to npm scripts and running a single command, eliminating the need to learn new frameworks or manage complex setup processes. The tool is designed for web developers building browser extensions.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hello HN! I'm the creator and solo developer of Extension.js, a development tool for browser extensions with built-in support for TypeScript, WebAssembly, React, and modern JavaScript. Developers use it to spend less time configuring the compilation config or learning new frameworks and more time actually writing code. Most projects similar to Extension.js rely on some sort of abstraction or configuration to get started, making the initial development process slow given the extra learning curve and setup guidelines. By using Extension.js, adding the package to your npm scripts is all it takes to get started developing cross-browser extensions with no build configuration. Say goodbye to extensive configurations to create your next cross-browser extension! Creating a new extension is super easy. This command will create a new extension named "my-extension" in the current working directory. In your terminal: npx extension@latest create my-extension You can also create an extension based on any extension hosted on GitHub. Just add the URL of the folder where the manifest is located and run `npx extension@latest dev <github_url>`. For instance, you can try the Chrome Sample "page-redder" (https://github.com/GoogleChrome/chrome-extensions-samples/tr...). I first created this project as a way to teach others how to develop browser extensions, until I realized that a good amount of my teachings would involve setting up a new project. With Extension.js, the abstractions and configurations needed to create cross-browser extensions are handled by a simple command-line interface, allowing developers to focus on the actual development of their next extension. Any feedback is appreciated. I've been using it for a while in personal projects but it is now mature enough for others to give it a go. I'm looking forward to hear what you all have to say! :D
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