Before you start #
You need Google Chrome installed on your computer. Loupely’s Chrome extension doesn’t work in other browsers. If you’re on a Mac, Windows PC, or Linux machine with Chrome, you’re good to go.
You also need a self-hosted WordPress site to get the full value out of Loupely. The extension captures browser-side data on its own, but the server-side capture (PHP Errors, WooCommerce pipeline events, Hook Execution) requires the WordPress Plugin to also be installed on your site. See Installing the Loupely WordPress Plugin for that step.
How to install the Loupely Chrome extension #
- Open the Chrome Web Store. Go to chrome.google.com/webstore in your Chrome browser.
- Search for Loupely. Type “Loupely” in the search bar and find the Loupely extension in the results. Make sure the developer is listed as Loupely LLC.
- Click Add to Chrome. A permissions dialog will appear showing what the extension needs access to. Click Add extension to confirm.
- Pin the extension. After installation, click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome’s toolbar (top right), find Loupely in the list, and click the pin icon next to it. This keeps the Loupely icon visible in your toolbar so you can access it on any page without going back to the extensions menu.
- Click the Loupely icon in your toolbar to open the popup. From here you can sign in to your account or create one if you haven’t yet.
What the extension needs access to #
During installation, Chrome will show you what the extension is requesting permission to access. Loupely requests access to the active tab (to capture browser-side diagnostic data from the page you’re on) and to your WordPress site’s REST API endpoint (to retrieve server-side data via the plugin). It doesn’t read your browsing history and it doesn’t run in the background on pages you haven’t asked it to diagnose. Every capture is triggered by you clicking the diagnose button.
After installation #
The extension installs in seconds. Once it’s pinned to your toolbar, the next step is installing the WordPress Plugin so the extension can reach your server’s data. If you skip the plugin, the extension will operate in browser-only mode, which captures browser-side signals but misses everything happening on the server. Most WordPress problems worth diagnosing have a server-side component, so you’ll want both installed.
See Connecting the Extension to Your WordPress Site once both are installed.
Troubleshooting the installation #
If the extension installs but the icon doesn’t appear in your toolbar, it’s almost always because it didn’t get pinned. Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome’s toolbar, find Loupely, and pin it. If the extension doesn’t appear in the Chrome Web Store search results, make sure you’re searching in Chrome (not another browser) and that you’re on the correct Chrome Web Store URL: chrome.google.com/webstore.