Trace Browser Companion

Browser Companion extension for the Trace desktop app. Sends active tab context to your local time tracker — privacy-first, no cloud. Trace — Privacy-First Automated Time Tracking Trace is a local-first, AI-powered time tracker for professionals who need accurate, billable-grade timesheets without surveillance-style cloud tracking. It runs as a desktop app on macOS, Linux, and Windows, passively capturing your active window, detecting idle time, and turning raw activity into organized timeline blocks. Trace automatically classifies your work using configurable rules, local AI, and smart heuristics — then lets you export clean timesheets and invoices in CSV, DOCX, XLSX, or PDF. What Trace does on the desktop - Automatic activity tracking — Monitors your active window and idle time in the background. - Timeline blocks — Groups raw events into meaningful app/session segments. - Smart classification — Categorizes work into projects with rules, local AI, or heuristics. - Screenshots — Optional scheduled capture for verification (stored locally). - Billing & exports — Build timesheets and generate invoices from tracked data. - 100% local-first — Your data stays on your machine. No cloud account required. What this extension does Trace Browser Companion is the official Manifest V3 companion for the Trace desktop app. It watches your active browser tab and sends the page title, URL, and domain to the Trace app running on your computer. This gives Trace richer context for web-based work — so time spent in GitHub issues, Figma files, Google Docs, Jira tickets, or any web app can be accurately grouped and classified alongside your desktop activity. Key features - Lightweight background service worker — Minimal battery and memory impact. - Debounded heartbeats — Sends tab context efficiently without constant polling. - Popup status panel — Quickly see whether Trace is connected and tracking. - No remote servers — All data flows directly to the local Trace app on your machine. How to use it 1. Install and launch the Trace desktop app on your computer. 2. Install this Trace Browser Companion extension. 3. The extension automatically connects to Trace on localhost:5600 and begins enriching your timeline with browser context. If the popup shows "Not connected," make sure the Trace desktop app is running. Important: requires the Trace desktop app This extension is not a standalone time tracker. It is designed to work together with the Trace desktop application. Download Trace for your platform at your website or GitHub releases page.