Prerequisites
Before installing the ContentEngine Chrome extension, make sure you have an active ContentEngine account and are using Google Chrome version 100 or later. The extension also works with Chromium-based browsers such as Brave, Arc, and Microsoft Edge, though the installation steps may differ slightly. You will need your ContentEngine API token to connect the extension to your workspace, so have that ready or know how to generate one from your account settings.
The extension requires minimal permissions. It needs access to the active tab so it can read page content when you trigger a capture, and it needs network access to communicate with the ContentEngine API. It does not run in the background or collect browsing data when you are not actively using it.
Installing the extension
Visit the Chrome Web Store and search for 'ContentEngine' or follow the direct link from your ContentEngine dashboard under Settings and then Integrations. Click 'Add to Chrome' and confirm the permissions dialog that appears. The ContentEngine icon will appear in your browser toolbar within a few seconds. If you do not see it, click the puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar to find it in the extensions list and pin it for easy access.
After installation, the icon will display a small red dot indicating that it has not yet been configured. Click the icon to open the setup popup where you will enter your API token and choose your default workspace. The setup process takes less than a minute and you only need to do it once per browser profile.
Configuring your connection
Open the extension popup and paste your ContentEngine API token into the token field. You can find your token by navigating to Settings, then API Tokens in your ContentEngine dashboard. Select the workspace you want captured content to be sent to from the dropdown menu. If you manage multiple workspaces, you can switch between them at any time without re-entering your token.
The configuration screen also lets you set default capture preferences. You can choose whether to capture the full page text, just the selected text, or only the page metadata by default. You can also enable or disable the floating action button that appears on every page, which provides one-click access to the capture function. Once you save your settings, the red dot on the icon will disappear and the extension is ready to use.
Capturing content from any page
To capture content, navigate to any web page that inspires you and click the ContentEngine icon in your toolbar. The capture panel will slide in from the right side of the page showing a preview of the extracted content including the title, URL, key paragraphs, and any images. You can edit the title, add tags, write a personal note, and select which content bucket the capture should land in before clicking Save.
For faster captures, you can highlight specific text on a page before clicking the icon. The extension will automatically focus the capture on your selection rather than the full page. This is especially useful when you find a single paragraph, statistic, or quote that sparks an idea. All captures appear in your ContentEngine idea bank within seconds and are automatically tagged with the source URL for future reference.
Using LinkedIn integration
The Chrome extension includes a native LinkedIn integration that adds a ContentEngine button directly to the LinkedIn feed interface. When you see a post that resonates with your audience or sparks an idea for your own content, click the ContentEngine button that appears below the post. The extension will capture the post text, author name, and engagement metrics and send them to your idea bank with a single click.
You can also use the extension while composing LinkedIn posts. Open the extension popup from any LinkedIn page and select 'Draft from ContentEngine' to pull in a previously generated draft and paste it directly into the LinkedIn composer. This workflow lets you plan content in ContentEngine and publish it to LinkedIn without switching between tabs or copying and pasting manually.
Keyboard shortcuts and power tips
Speed up your workflow with keyboard shortcuts. Press Alt+Shift+C on Windows or Option+Shift+C on Mac to open the capture panel instantly without clicking the icon. Press Alt+Shift+S to perform a quick save that captures the current page with default settings and no preview step. You can customize these shortcuts by visiting chrome://extensions/shortcuts in your browser.
For power users, the extension supports right-click context menu actions. Right-click any image, link, or selected text to see ContentEngine options in the context menu. You can send an image directly to your media library, save a link as a reference, or create a new idea from selected text. Combining keyboard shortcuts with context menu actions can reduce your capture time to under two seconds per item, making it effortless to build a rich idea bank throughout your daily browsing.