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Posted on Feb 12 • Originally published at zenn.dev

I Can't Code, But I Built 6 Chrome Extensions in a Week Using AI — Here's My Exact Workflow

#ai #chrome #productivity #tutorial

Introduction

I can barely write code.

But using AI, I built 6 Chrome extensions in one week. For simple ones, I could ship one per hour.

This article walks through the exact workflow I use as a non-programmer to build Chrome extensions with AI.

Key insight: I only pay for Claude's Pro plan. Design and specification writing is the most critical step, so that's where I invest.

The Overall Flow

① Research with AI (find monetizable app ideas)
    ↓
② Summarize & rank with Claude
    ↓
③ Start building from #1
    ↓
④ Create detailed specs with Claude
    ↓
⑤ Hand off to Claude Code
    ↓
⑥ Done

Step 1: Research

I use three AI tools for research: Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini.

Each AI gives surprisingly different research results, so using multiple tools is highly recommended.

Example prompt:

Give me 10 Chrome extension ideas that could be monetized.
Focus on ideas with low competition that are feasible
for a solo developer.

Step 2: Rank & Prioritize

I feed all the research into Claude and ask it to create a ranked list based on market opportunity, development complexity, monetization potential, and competition level.

Step 3: Create Detailed Specs

This is the most important step. The better your spec, the better the output. I use Claude to create a comprehensive specification document.

The spec document IS the product. Claude Code just implements it.

Step 4: Build with Claude Code

My standard tech stack: React + TypeScript, Vite + CRXJS, Tailwind CSS, 8-language internationalization.

Step 5: Monetize

For monetization, I use ExtensionPay — it integrates with Stripe and only takes a few lines of code.

Key Takeaways

You don't need to code — you need to write good specifications
Use multiple AIs for research
ExtensionPay makes monetization easy
Claude + Claude Code is my go-to combo

All My Chrome Extensions (14 as of Feb 2025)

What started as 6 extensions has grown to 14. All built with AI.

🎯 Productivity

PromptStash — Save & manage AI prompts (supports 19+ AI services)
DataPick — Extract data from web pages without code
SnippetVault — Code snippet manager
ReadMark — Remember your reading position

🧘 Digital Wellbeing

YouTube Shorts Killer — Hide YouTube Shorts completely
X Detox — Remove noise from X (Twitter)
ZenRead — Distraction-free reading mode

🛒 E-commerce / Reselling

Rakuten Sellers Analytics — Analyze sellers on Rakuten marketplace
Arbitra — Cross-platform price comparison

🔧 Web Utilities

Japanese Font Finder — Identify fonts on any website
TVerPlus — Improve TVer streaming experience
Yahoo Comfort Mode — Better Yahoo! Japan browsing

🏠 Real Estate

Rental Property Analysis — Analyze rental properties
Purchase Property Analysis — Analyze properties for purchase

🔗 Full portfolio → S-Hub

Have you tried building with AI? What's your workflow?

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