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🌱 Introducing Green Software Indicator: a Browser Extension for a greener web

As developers, we obsess over performance, accessibility, and design β€” but how often do we think about the environmental impact of the websites we build?

That’s why I built Green Software Indicator β€” a simple yet powerful Chrome and Edge extension that evaluates websites for sustainable development practices in real time.


What It Does

Every time you visit a website, the extension automatically analyzes it for common green software best practices, including:

  • βœ… Image Optimization (modern formats like WebP, lazy loading)
  • βœ… Minified Resources (compressed JS/CSS)
  • βœ… Server-side Compression (gzip, Brotli, etc.)
  • βœ… Reduced HTTP Requests (bundled assets, CDNs)
  • βœ… Energy-Efficient Design (dark mode support, async scripts)

It then gives a color-coded badge (βœ“ Green, ~ Yellow, βœ— Red, ? Gray) and a detailed breakdown when you click the icon in your browser toolbar.

Demo Screenshot


Why This Matters

According to the Green Software Foundation, software contributes significantly to global carbon emissions β€” from data transfer and rendering to power usage on user devices.

Small optimizations in your frontend code β€” like compressing images or enabling dark mode β€” can actually reduce electricity consumption at scale.

Green Software Indicator is a gentle reminder of how our decisions as developers have real-world consequences.


πŸ› οΈ Try It Now

You can install the extension from either store:

No login. Just browse and click.


πŸ’š Looking for Contributors!

This is a community-first project. The repo is open source:
πŸ‘‰ https://github.com/kasuken/green-software-indicator

Here’s how you can help:

  • Improve or add new evaluation criteria (e.g., WebAssembly, power hints)
  • Enhance performance analysis
  • UX/UI feedback for the popup interface
  • Translate the UI to other languages
  • Spread the word β€” share with friends & colleagues

Even small contributions matter. Let’s build a more sustainable web.


πŸ”– Stay ahead of the dev curve
I created a Curated RSS Feed Bundle for Web Developers β€” a hand-picked OPML file of the best dev blogs and websites on the internet.
πŸ’‘ Just download, import into your favorite RSS reader (like Feedly or NetNewsWire), and enjoy fresh insights every day.

πŸ‘‰ Grab it on Gumroad β€” stay sharp without the noise.

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