Side Panel

A side panel stays open while users browse — ideal for research assistants, note-taking, and dashboards.

Add a side panel

In Settings → Surfaces, click Side Panel. ChromeShip registers sidePanel in permissions, sets the default path in the manifest, and configures chrome.sidePanel.setPanelBehavior({ openPanelOnActionClick: true }) so the side panel opens when users click the extension icon.

Set as entry surface

To open the side panel when users click the extension icon, go to Settings → General and select Side Panel as the entry surface. ChromeShip updates the background bootstrap to call chrome.sidePanel.setOptions at import time — no manual configuration needed.

Width

The side panel is typically 320–420px wide. Design flexible layouts that work across that range. Use h-screen overflow-hidden to constrain the panel to its viewport.

Persistence

The side panel stays open across tabs. Use Chrome storage for state that survives panel closes — the panel unmounts and remounts when the user switches tabs, so component state is lost.