Chrome Extension That Counts Words on Any Selection
Highlight any text, see word count, character count, and estimated reading time instantly.
Build a Chrome extension called "Word Counter Anywhere" that counts words on any text selection. The extension should: (1) detect text selection on any webpage via a content script, (2) when text is selected, show a small floating tooltip near the selection displaying: word count, character count (with and without spaces), sentence count, and estimated reading time (assume 250 words/min), (3) the tooltip should disappear when the selection is cleared, (4) provide a popup with a textarea where the user can paste any text and see the same stats, (5) include an options page to configure reading speed (words per minute) and toggle the floating tooltip on/off. Permissions: storage, activeTab. Manifest V3 with content script.
What this extension does
Counts words, characters, sentences, and estimated reading time for any text selected on any webpage. A floating tooltip appears near the selection with all stats. Also provides a popup textarea for pasted text.
How it works
A content script listens for selection events and calculates word/character/sentence counts using regex. The tooltip is rendered with shadow DOM to avoid CSS conflicts. The popup uses the same calculation logic on user-pasted text.
Permissions used: storage, activeTab
Who builds this
For writers checking their drafts, editors enforcing word limits, students hitting essay length requirements, content marketers respecting platform character limits, and anyone counting text frequently.
How to build it in 3 minutes
- Sign in to PlugThis and open the chat input.
- Copy the prompt above and paste it into the chat.
- PlugThis generates the full Manifest V3 extension in 60-90 seconds.
- Download the zip, extract it, and load it via
chrome://extensionsdeveloper mode.
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