Getting Started

Installation

Install BraceKit in your Chrome browser in under 2 minutes.

2 min read

Installation

BraceKit is distributed as an unpacked Chrome extension. Installation takes under two minutes.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  • Google Chrome v109 or later (or Chromium-based browsers: Edge, Brave, Arc)
  • Bun runtime installed (bun.sh)
  • An API key from at least one supported provider

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/your-org/brace-kit.git
cd brace-kit

Step 2: Install Dependencies

bun install

This will install all required dependencies including React, Zustand, and Tailwind CSS.

Step 3: Build the Extension

bun run build

The build process:

  1. Bundles all TypeScript/React files
  2. Copies static assets (icons, manifest)
  3. Outputs everything to the dist/ folder

You should see output like:

✓ Built background.js
✓ Built content.js
✓ Built index.js
✓ Built onboarding.js
✓ Copied static files

Step 4: Load in Chrome

  1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
  2. Enable Developer mode (toggle in top-right corner)
  3. Click Load unpacked
  4. Select the dist/ folder from your BraceKit directory

Important: Select the dist/ folder, not the project root!

The BraceKit icon will appear in your Chrome toolbar.

Pin the Extension

For quick access, pin BraceKit to your toolbar:

  1. Click the puzzle piece icon (Extensions menu)
  2. Find BraceKit
  3. Click the pin icon

Step 5: Configure Your API Key

  1. Click the BraceKit icon to open the sidebar
  2. Click the Settings icon (⚙️) in the top-right
  3. Navigate to AI Provider
  4. Select your preferred provider
  5. Enter your API key
  6. Click Save

You’re ready to chat! See the First Chat guide to learn the basics.

Development Mode

For development with hot reload:

bun run dev

This starts a development server. Changes to source files will automatically rebuild the extension.

Note: You still need to refresh the extension in chrome://extensions/ after changes.

Updating BraceKit

To update to the latest version:

git pull origin main
bun install
bun run build

Then refresh the extension in Chrome:

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/
  2. Find BraceKit
  3. Click the refresh icon (↻)

Your settings and conversation history are preserved.

Troubleshooting

Extension not loading

  • Make sure you selected the dist/ folder, not the project root
  • Check for build errors in the terminal
  • Verify Chrome version is 109 or later

Build errors

# Clear node_modules and reinstall
rm -rf node_modules bun.lockb
bun install
bun run build
  • Click the BraceKit icon in the toolbar, not the extensions menu
  • Try refreshing the page
  • Check the browser console for errors (F12 → Console)

API requests failing

  • Verify your API key is correct
  • Check your API key has sufficient credits
  • Ensure the correct endpoint URL is configured

For more help, see the Troubleshooting guide.