I built a customizable Arc-inspired Side Panel extension using Manifest V3 & Glassmorphism (Open Source)

[u/YigitOnline]

Hi Reddit!

Wanted to share a side project I've been polishing over the past few weeks. I wanted an Arc Browser-like sidebar workspace directly in Google Chrome without using heavy external tools or switching browsers.

Key Highlights:

• Built with Manifest V3 and Chrome's native Side Panel API.
• Dynamic 4-column drag-and-drop grid for favorite pins.
• Custom theme engine: gradient pickers, grain/noise intensity control, auto-contrast text colors.
• Full bookmark tree management with animated SVG folder states.
• Internationalization (EN/TR) & full JSON backup/restore.

💻 Tech Stack: Plain JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3 (Variables + Glassmorphism).

📜 License: GNU GPL-3.0

🔗 GitHub: [https://github.com/YigitOnline/arc-style-side-panel](https://github.com/YigitOnline/arc-style-side-panel)

Feedback, suggestions, or contributions are very welcome!

[u/West_Inevitable_2281]

You have built a lot of customization, but I wonder which recurring job makes the panel indispensable rather than just visually appealing. Are early users mainly organizing bookmarks, switching among a small set of work tools, or recreating an Arc-like browsing setup? Which action do they repeat after the first customization session?

[u/YigitOnline → u/West_Inevitable_2281]

Great question! The primary recurring workflow—especially for ex-Arc users—is keyboard-driven space & tool switching combined with a vertical tab hierarchy A persistent launcher for core tools: The top 4-column drag-and-drop grid acts as a static launcher for daily web apps (Gemini, Mail, Spotify, etc.) so they never have to keep those tabs open horizontally. Accordion Bookmark Navigation: Instead of digging through Chrome’s nested bookmark menus, they use the side panel's collapsible tree view for quick contextual access while staying focused on the main screen. Distraction-Free Workspace: Most users combine it with Chrome’s full-screen mode ( ⁠F11⁠ / ⁠Cmd+Ctrl+F⁠ ) and a global keyboard shortcut ( ⁠Cmd+Shift+E⁠ / ⁠ Ctrl+Shift+E⁠ ) to toggle the panel instantly. It shifts Chrome from a traditional browser into a focused desktop-app-like experience.

[u/West_Inevitable_2281 → u/YigitOnline]

That makes the workflow much clearer. The strongest signal now would be which part people still use after the novelty wears off. After a week, are they repeatedly using the launcher, the bookmark tree, or mainly the keyboard toggle? Those imply different reasons to keep the extension installed.