OpenHighlights — A privacy first Chrome extension for…

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About this project

OpenHighlights is a Chrome extension focused on privacy, allowing users to highlight text and take notes on webpages and PDFs without any cloud reliance. With features like instant search, custom tags, and offline exporting options, it makes organizing knowledge straightforward while keeping user data secure.

OpenHighlights is a privacy-first Chrome extension designed to enhance the way users interact with text on webpages and PDFs. This tool allows users to highlight text, attach notes, and organize knowledge effectively using tags and collections, all while being fully local and operating without the need for accounts or cloud services.

Key Features

Highlighting and Note-taking: Easily highlight webpage text through a user-friendly floating toolbar or by using the right-click menu. Users can choose from five different highlight colors, with highlights retained even after page reloads. Each highlight can have editable Markdown notes with a character counter.
Knowledge Organization: Utilize a collapsible Chrome side panel that includes powerful search capabilities, filters, customizable tags, and collections for better organization of highlights and notes. Exporting options are available in Markdown, JSON, or plain text formats.
PDF Support: View and highlight PDF documents seamlessly through PDF.js integration.
Instant Search: Quickly locate highlights, notes, and page titles with an instantaneous search feature.
User Customization: Personalize the experience with options for themes, default highlight colors, font sizes, backup settings, and keyboard shortcuts. Shortcut keys such as Ctrl+Shift+H for highlighting, Ctrl+Shift+N for notes, and Ctrl+Shift+S for saving enhance usability.

Technology Stack

OpenHighlights is built using the latest web technologies, including React, TypeScript, Vite, Tailwind CSS, Zustand, and Dexie for IndexedDB data management, complemented by PDF.js for PDF functionalities and Vitest for unit testing.

Privacy-First Approach

In Phase 1, all user data is stored locally in IndexedDB on the user's device. The extension operates without any analytics or remote APIs, ensuring complete user privacy.

Development Details

For developers interested in contributing, the architecture follows a feature-based layout for organized development. With a clear roadmap for future enhancements—including potential AI features and synchronization capabilities—OpenHighlights is continuously evolving. See the documentation for installation guides, architecture details, and contribution guidelines.

Explore a new way to interact with information online with OpenHighlights, where privacy and productivity meet.