Access should have a reason.
Browser permission prompts can sound broad. The useful question is what a tool needs to do, and when it can do it.
A page you choose, when you choose it
A browser can grant temporary access to the active page after you invoke an extension, often through a permission called activeTab. This lets a tool act on that page without necessarily granting standing access to every site you visit.
For example, measuring an element or extracting links needs access to the page being inspected. Temporary, user-invoked access has a different scope from permission to read pages across websites.
Some features reach beyond one page
Host permissions can grant access to specified websites or a broader set of sites. Tab permissions can expose information about multiple open tabs. Storage and download access serve different purposes again.
The scope matters. Tabs Mini needs open-tab information for search and duplicate detection. That is a different task from picking a colour or generating a QR code from text you supply.
What that access is for
This is a feature-level explanation, not a verified permission manifest for each beta build. Exact declarations will be confirmed with browser releases.
| Access | Why it can be needed | Relevant tools |
|---|---|---|
| Chosen page content | Capture, inspect, annotate, or extract content from the page you select. | Screenshot, Dev Ruler, Page Info, Notes, Expand, Read Later, Clean, Links, Images |
| Open-tab information | Search titles and URLs, compare duplicates, and close selected tabs. | Tabs Mini |
| Local storage | Keep a palette, notes, snippets, or a reading queue on your device. | Colour Picker, Notes, Expand, Read Later |
| Local files and exports | Save selected results or read an import file you choose. | Tools with export or import features |
| Same-origin request | Re-fetch the current page from the website that serves it. | Page Info |
| Text or colour you choose | Generate a QR code or copy a selected colour value. | QR, Colour Picker |
Read the prompt for the release you use
All twelve tools are in beta. Store listings are not yet available, and this site does not present a verified list of browser permission declarations.
When releases are available, check the browser’s actual permission prompt and the tool’s explanation. Do not assume permission requirements are identical across tools or browsers.
Find a tool’s access explanation