> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.extensy.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Edit & Iterate

> Refine and improve your extension after the initial generation using re-prompting or manual code edits.

Your first generation gets you most of the way there. This guide covers how to close the gap — whether you prefer describing changes in plain English or editing the code directly.

## Two paths to a better extension

### Re-prompting (AI-powered)

Write a new prompt that describes what you want to change and let Extensy regenerate. This is the fastest path for most changes.

**Use re-prompting when you want to:**

* Add a new feature ("now add a Clear button to the popup")
* Change the UI ("make the popup background dark instead of white")
* Expand the target ("also run on reddit.com in addition to twitter.com")
* Fix a behavior ("the highlights should only apply to prices, not percentages")

**Example refinement prompts:**

> "The extension I just generated highlights every price on the page. Now also show a floating badge in the bottom-right corner that counts the total number of prices found."

> "The Pomodoro timer works, but I want the popup to show a progress bar instead of just a number."

> "The tab list shows tabs from the current window only. Update it to include tabs from all open windows, grouped by window title."

### Manual editing (direct code control)

Download the ZIP, open the files in a code editor, and modify them yourself. Use this path when you need precision the AI can't easily provide.

**Use manual editing when you want to:**

* Use a specific CSS property or value the AI didn't apply
* Paste in your own API keys, credentials, or proprietary logic
* Swap in custom icons or brand assets
* Add third-party libraries by referencing a CDN URL in `popup.html`

## Manual editing workflow

**1. Download and unzip**

Click **Download ZIP** from the Extensy dashboard and extract the folder to your computer.

**2. Open in a code editor**

Open the unzipped folder in VS Code or any editor of your choice. You'll see `manifest.json`, `popup.js`, `content.js`, and other generated files.

**3. Edit the relevant file**

Make your changes and save. Common targets:

* `popup.js` / `popup.css` / `popup.html` — popup UI and behavior
* `content.js` — how the extension interacts with web pages
* `manifest.json` — permissions, name, version, entry points

**4. Go to chrome://extensions**

Open Chrome and navigate to `chrome://extensions`.

**5. Reload the extension**

Find your extension's card and click the **reload icon (↺)**. Then refresh your test tab.

## Comparing the two approaches

| | Re-prompting | Manual editing |
| :- | :- | :- |
| **Speed** | 10–30 seconds | Depends on your coding familiarity |
| **Skill required** | None (plain English) | Basic HTML / CSS / JS |
| **Precision** | High — AI follows your instructions | Absolute — you control every line |
| **Credit cost** | 1 credit per generation | Free |

> [!WARNING]
>
> If you regenerate after making manual edits, the new ZIP will overwrite your changes. Finish all AI-based refinements first, then download for final manual polish — or keep a backup of your edited files.

## Tips for effective iteration

* **Be incremental** — Add one feature per prompt. Trying to change five things at once makes it harder to test what broke.
* **Reference what exists** — "In the extension I just generated, make the font in the countdown display 48px." This tells the AI exactly what to preserve.
* **Test after every change** — Load each version in Chrome and verify it on a real site before moving on.
* **Describe the bug, not the fix** — If something isn't working, explain the symptom: "The highlights appear but they overlap image elements." The AI often diagnoses and fixes the root cause better than a prescriptive instruction.
* **Share the error message** — If the browser console shows an error, paste it directly into your prompt.

> [!TIP]
>
> Extensy's AI is good at debugging its own output. If something is broken, paste the exact error message from Chrome's DevTools console into your next prompt and describe what you expected to happen.

> **[Prompting guide](https://docs.extensy.dev/using-extensy/prompting-guide.md)**
>
> How to write prompts that produce great results the first time.

> **[Download](https://docs.extensy.dev/using-extensy/downloading-your-extension.md)**
>
> What's inside the generated ZIP and which files to edit.


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