QA Team Guide

Install the
Optics Extension

Follow these steps to install and test the Optics browser extension for QA recording and error monitoring.

Internal Testing Only — Do not share download links publicly

1

Download the Extension

Get the latest version of the Optics extension package from our internal distribution.

Download Extension ZIP

Don't have the download link?

Ask your team lead for the latest pre-signed download URL, or run pnpm extension:release to generate a new one.

2

Unzip the Package

Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a permanent location on your computer.

macOS

Double-click the ZIP file to extract, or use:

unzip optic-extension-latest.zip -d ~/optic-extension

Windows

Right-click → Extract All, or use PowerShell:

Expand-Archive optic-extension-latest.zip -DestinationPath C:\optic

Important: Keep this folder in a permanent location. If you delete or move it, the extension will stop working.

3

Open Chrome Extensions

Navigate to Chrome's extension management page.

Option A: Type in the address bar:

chrome://extensions

Option B: Use the menu:

  1. Click the three dots menu (⋮) in Chrome
  2. Go to Extensions → Manage Extensions
4

Enable Developer Mode

Turn on Developer mode to load unpacked extensions.

Developer Mode

Toggle in the top-right corner

Once enabled, you'll see additional buttons: "Load unpacked", "Pack extension", and "Update".

5

Load the Extension

Click 'Load unpacked' and select the unzipped extension folder.

  1. Click the Load unpacked button
  2. Navigate to the folder where you extracted the ZIP
  3. Select the folder containing manifest.json
  4. Click "Select Folder" (or "Open" on Mac)

The Optics extension should now appear in your extensions list!

6

Pin & Start Testing

Pin the extension to your toolbar and start your QA session.

Pin the Extension

  1. Click the puzzle icon (🧩) in Chrome toolbar
  2. Find "Optics QA" in the list
  3. Click the pin icon to keep it visible

Start Recording

  1. Click the Optics icon in toolbar
  2. Select your project
  3. Click "Start Recording"
  4. Perform your QA tests!

What You Can Test

Error Capture

Trigger JavaScript errors and verify they're captured with full stack traces and context.

Session Replay

Record user interactions and verify the playback accurately reproduces the session.

Extension UI

Test the popup interface, settings panel, and project switching functionality.

Troubleshooting

Extension not loading?
  • Make sure Developer Mode is enabled
  • Check that you selected the folder containing manifest.json
  • Try refreshing the extensions page
  • Check Chrome DevTools console for errors
"Manifest file is missing or unreadable"

Make sure you're selecting the correct folder. The folder should directly contain manifest.json, not a subfolder.

How do I update the extension?
  1. Download the new ZIP file
  2. Replace the old extracted folder contents
  3. Go to chrome://extensions
  4. Click the refresh icon (↻) on the Optics extension card

Need Help?

If you run into issues, reach out to the engineering team or check the internal docs.

Go to DashboardView Documentation