ProxyServe Autor: Yashkumar Navadiya

Overview

Take command of your browser's network activity with Proxy & Request Interceptor. Designed for web developers, QA testers, security professionals, and power users, this extension offers robust proxy management capabilities combined with detailed network request logging and inspection tools. Gain granular insight into how web pages load resources, interact with APIs, and utilize your network connection, all while easily routing your traffic through the proxies you define.

Core Features

• Advanced Proxy Management:
  • Multiple Proxy Profiles: Configure and save settings for various proxy servers (HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS v4/v5 - adjust based on actual support).
  • Easy Activation: Quickly switch between configured proxies or direct connection via the extension's popup or options page.
  • Clear Status Indication: Always know which proxy profile is currently active (if any).
  • Dedicated Options Page: A comprehensive interface (options.html) for adding, editing, deleting, and organizing your proxy server details (address, port, username/password - if authentication supported).
• Network Request Logging & Interception:
  • Real-time Monitoring: Observe network requests initiated by the active browser tab as they happen.
  • Detailed Information: Log essential data for each request, including:
    • Full URL
    • Request Method (GET, POST, etc.)
    • HTTP Status Code (200, 404, etc.)
    • Request and Response Headers (Specify if both are logged)
    • Timestamps and Duration (If implemented)
    • Content Type
  • Dedicated Log Viewer: Access a structured view of logged requests (likely within the options page or a dedicated panel/tab) for analysis.
  • Filtering & Searching: (If implemented) Easily find specific requests within the logs based on URL, type, or other criteria.
  • Log Management: Options to clear the log or pause/resume logging.
• User-Friendly Interface:
  • Intuitive Popup (popup.html): Provides quick access to enable/disable the proxy, switch profiles, view current status, and potentially access the logs or options. (Tailor based on your popup's features)
  • Organized Options (options.html): Clearly laid-out sections for managing proxies, configuring logging behavior, and accessing other settings.

Why Use Proxy & Request Interceptor?

• Web Development & Debugging:
  • Analyze API calls made by your frontend application.
  • Debug CORS issues by inspecting request/response headers.
  • Understand resource loading order and identify bottlenecks.
  • Verify that assets are loading correctly from CDNs or specific endpoints.
• Testing:
  • Test web applications under different geographical conditions by routing traffic through specific proxy locations.
  • Simulate different network profiles or test proxy authentication mechanisms.
  • Verify tracking scripts or third-party integrations are firing correctly.
• Network Analysis:
  • Gain visibility into the often-hidden network requests made by websites.
  • Understand where data is being sent by a particular tab.
  • Troubleshoot connectivity issues related to specific requests.

Permissions Explained

This extension requires specific permissions to provide its core functionality. We believe in transparency, so here's why each is necessary:

• proxy: (Essential) This permission allows the extension to modify the browser's proxy settings according to the profiles you configure. Without it, the proxy management features cannot work.
• storage: Used to securely save your configured proxy profiles, logging preferences, and other extension settings locally on your computer. This allows your settings to persist between browser sessions.
• tabs: Enables the extension to identify the currently active tab. This is crucial for focusing the network request logging on that specific tab's activity and potentially applying tab-specific rules in the future. It also allows opening the extension's options page or log viewer in a new tab.
• host permission (<all_urls>): (Essential for Logging) To intercept and log network requests, the extension needs permission to access data from any website you visit while monitoring is active. This broad permission is fundamental for observing the full network traffic of the monitored tab.
• host permission (Specific URLs: *://ip-api.com/*, *://dns.google/*, *://api.apilayer.com/*): These permissions are required only if the extension integrates specific features that rely on these external services. For example:
  • ip-api.com might be used to display your current external IP address.
  • dns.google could be used for custom DNS lookups or diagnostics.
  • api.apilayer.com might be used for other integrated API services.
• (Required if using webRequest for interception/auth) webRequest / webRequestAuthProvider: These permissions are necessary for the extension to observe network requests for logging/analysis purposes and to handle authentication challenges from proxy servers that require a username and password. This is the standard mechanism for interacting with network traffic at this level.

Commitment to Privacy

Your privacy and data security are paramount.
* Local Processing: All network request analysis and proxy management happen locally within your browser.
* Local Storage: Your proxy settings and logs (if saved) are stored using the browser's secure local storage mechanisms on your machine.
* No Remote Transmission: This extension does not collect or transmit your browsing history, personal data, or network request contents to any external servers owned or operated by the developer.