Precise links

SUMMARY

This extension makes the browser support links that point to any range of text in a page. You can thus create a link (e.g. for bookmarking or citing) to a specific quote, instead of only to the document as a whole or to a section that was marked by the author with a named anchor.

Following a precise link will scroll to and select the specified text. To create a precise link, right-click on the selection (or long-tap, etc.), and choose 'Copy link to selected text'. Paste this address wherever you are making the link (note that this extension enables you to create links to, but not from a selection).

The link format was suggested in a W3C note [1], and builds on the Web Annotation standard[2]. The precise segment it points to is specified in the link's fragment identifier, so a link may look like:

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Koala&oldid=781295795#selector(type=TextQuoteSelector,exact=fluffy%20ears)

Ideally browsers would start supporting precise links natively. The format may however still change when/if it becomes standardised, so links created with this extension might never be widely understood. In browsers not supporting the feature, the link will luckily still point to the page as a whole.

Consider this extension as experimental. Besides the mentioned specification being a draft, this extension currently only supports the TextQuoteSelector defined there, and can still use some improvements. Help is welcome!

[1]: https://www.w3.org/TR/2017/NOTE-selectors-states-20170223/#frags
[2]: https://www.w3.org/TR/annotation-model/

The latest version of Precise links is available on the Chrome web and is currently being used by 7 active users. The initial version was launched on 2018-06-22.

HOW TO INSTALL Precise links FROM A CRX FILE

1. Download Precise links CRX file
2. NOTE: Sometimes the browser may block downloading / installing CRX file from outside the Chrome Web Store. If so, you may need to download the ZIP file instead
3. In the URL bar, go to chrome://extensions
4. Enable Developer mode

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