TRACE FOR CHROME
VERSION 0.1.5
POINT.
We’ll help.
Everything you need to install TRACE, inspect your first element and understand the current browser boundaries.
01 / Install from Chrome
- Open TRACE in the Chrome Web Store.
- Choose Add to Chrome and confirm the installation.
- Pin TRACE from Chrome’s Extensions menu for one-click access.
- Open a standard website and press Start live inspect.
02 / Start inspecting
Open a standard website, select TRACE from the Chrome toolbar and press Start live inspect. Hover to preview an element. Click to lock it and open the full reader. Select an image, GIF, video, audio, canvas, SVG, embed or CSS background to see its available preview, description, source, dimensions, format and dominant colors.
03 / Keyboard controls
- Alt + Shift + T: open or close TRACE.
- Escape: unlock the current element; press again to exit.
- ⌘/Ctrl + C: copy the current CSS recipe.
- ↑ / ↓: move to the selected element’s parent or first child.
04 / Protected pages
Chrome does not allow extensions to run on internal pages such as chrome://extensions, the Chrome Web Store or browser settings. Open a normal https:// website to use TRACE.
05 / Browser limits
Cross-origin stylesheets may expose computed results while hiding the original font URL or keyframe source. Some media hosts allow the browser to display an image or video but block local pixel sampling; in that case TRACE still shows the available metadata and explains why a palette is unavailable. WebGL and inaccessible canvas pixels are read only at the computed-style layer. TRACE never downloads font files or uploads media for remote analysis.
06 / Plans and Full Reads
Hover previews and the color eyedropper are unlimited. A Full Read is counted only when you click an element and successfully open its complete analysis. Your first 30 days include unlimited Pro access. After that, TRACE Free includes 20 Full Reads every month. Copying, reopening a saved reference or selecting the same element again during a live session does not consume another read.
07 / Contact
Found a bug or a design worth studying? Write to hello@tracereader.app with the page URL, your Chrome version and a screenshot.