Installation

Learn how to install Salesforce Navigator on your Chrome or Chromium-based browser.

Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure you have:

• ✅ Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, or another Chromium-based browser
• ✅ Salesforce Lightning Experience access (Classic is not supported)
• ✅ Active Salesforce session (you must be logged in)

Salesforce Classic Not Supported

Salesforce Navigator is built for Lightning Experience only. Classic pages are not supported. If your org uses Classic, consider migrating to Lightning for the best experience.

Installation Methods

Method 1: Chrome Web Store (Recommended)

Coming Soon

The extension will soon be available on the Chrome Web Store for easy one-click installation. Check back soon or install manually using Method 2.

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store page (link coming soon)
2. Click Add to Chrome
3. Click Add Extension in the confirmation dialog
4. The extension icon appears in your browser toolbar

Method 2: Manual Installation (Developer Mode)

For early access or development purposes:

Step 1: Download Source Code

Clone the repository or download the ZIP:

git clone https://github.com/denysderhachov/salesforce-navigator.git
cd salesforce-navigator

Or download ZIP:

1. Go to GitHub Repository
2. Click Code → Download ZIP
3. Extract the ZIP file to a folder

Step 2: Enable Developer Mode

1. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
2. Toggle Developer mode in the top-right corner
3. The toggle should be blue/on

Step 3: Load Unpacked Extension

1. Click Load unpacked button
2. Navigate to the salesforce-navigator folder
3. Select the folder (not individual files)
4. Click Select Folder or Open

The extension will appear in your extensions list.

Step 4: Pin Extension (Optional)

1. Click the extensions puzzle icon in your toolbar
2. Find Salesforce Navigator in the list
3. Click the pin icon to keep it visible

Verify Installation

After installation:

1. Navigate to any Salesforce Lightning page
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+M (or Cmd+Shift+M on Mac)
3. The Navigator Panel should appear

If the panel opens, installation is successful! 🎉

Permissions Explained

Salesforce Navigator requests the following permissions:

Permission	Reason
activeTab	Access the current Salesforce tab to inject UI elements
storage	Store user preferences (button position, settings)
cookies	Retrieve Salesforce session ID (sid cookie) for API authentication
scripting	Inject content scripts into Salesforce pages
tabs	Open Record Editor and Query Tool in new tabs
windows	Support "Login as User" in incognito windows

Privacy & Security

Salesforce Navigator does not send your data to external servers. All API calls go directly to your Salesforce instance. The extension is open source—review the code anytime.

Host Permissions

The extension requests access to these Salesforce domains:

• https://*.salesforce.com/
• https://*.lightning.force.com/
• https://*.my.salesforce-setup.com/

This allows the extension to work across all Salesforce orgs and instances.

Keyboard Shortcuts

After installation, verify that keyboard shortcuts are configured:

1. Navigate to chrome://extensions/shortcuts
2. Find Salesforce Navigator
3. Verify shortcuts are set:

Command	Default Shortcut	Description
Open Navigator Panel	Ctrl+Shift+M	Open metadata search
Edit Current Object	Ctrl+Shift+E	Open record editor
Open Query Tool	Ctrl+Shift+Q	Open SOQL query tool
Toggle Inspector	Ctrl+Shift+I	Toggle inspector panel

Customize Shortcuts

You can change shortcuts on the chrome://extensions/shortcuts page. Click the pencil icon next to any command and press your preferred key combination.

Mac Users

On macOS, use Cmd instead of Ctrl:

• Cmd+Shift+M - Navigator Panel
• Cmd+Shift+E - Record Editor
• Cmd+Shift+Q - Query Tool
• Cmd+Shift+I - Inspector Panel

Troubleshooting Installation

Extension Not Appearing

1. Verify you're in Developer mode (chrome://extensions/)
2. Click Load unpacked again and select the folder
3. Check browser console for errors (Ctrl+Shift+J)

Shortcuts Not Working

1. Check chrome://extensions/shortcuts
2. Ensure shortcuts are not conflicting with other extensions
3. Try customizing shortcuts to different key combinations

Permission Errors

If you see permission errors:

1. Navigate to chrome://extensions/
2. Find Salesforce Navigator
3. Click Details
4. Scroll to Site access
5. Ensure it's set to "On all sites" or "On specific sites" (Salesforce domains)

Session ID Not Retrieved

If features don't work:

1. Ensure you're logged into Salesforce
2. Refresh the Salesforce page
3. Try logging out and back in
4. Check that cookies are enabled in your browser

Updating the Extension

Chrome Web Store Version

Extensions from the Chrome Web Store update automatically. You'll receive updates within a few hours of release.

Manual Installation Version

To update a manually installed extension:

1. Pull latest code: git pull origin main
2. Navigate to chrome://extensions/
3. Click the reload icon on the Salesforce Navigator card
4. Refresh any open Salesforce tabs

Manual Updates Required

If you installed manually, you must update manually. Consider installing from the Chrome Web Store once available for automatic updates.

Uninstalling

To remove the extension:

1. Navigate to chrome://extensions/
2. Find Salesforce Navigator
3. Click Remove
4. Confirm in the dialog

All stored preferences will be deleted.

Multi-Org Setup

Salesforce Navigator works across multiple Salesforce orgs automatically:

1. Log into different orgs in different tabs or browser profiles
2. The extension retrieves the session ID for each tab individually
3. No additional configuration needed

Browser Profiles

For managing multiple orgs, consider using Chrome Profiles. Each profile has its own cookies and sessions, preventing conflicts.

Next Steps

Now that you've installed the extension, you're ready to start using it!

• Getting Started Guide - Learn the basics
• Navigator Panel - Search metadata and setup pages
• Record Editor - Edit records with vim keybindings
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Master all commands

Need Help?

If you encounter issues during installation, please open an issue on GitHub. Include your browser version, OS, and any error messages.