Install the downloaded ZIP

  1. Download the extension ZIP and, if desired, compare its SHA-256 value with the checksum shown on this page.
  2. Extract the ZIP to a permanent local folder. Keep the extracted folder: Chrome loads the extension from that location.
  3. Open chrome://extensions in Chrome and enable Developer mode.
  4. Click Load unpacked. Select the extracted folder that directly contains manifest.json, not the ZIP or an outer wrapper folder.
  5. Pin WebToSpark from the Extensions menu. Open a supported page, wait for it to load, then open the toolbar popup.
  6. Choose Current page, Markdown and Chrome Downloads for your first export. Check the preview, then export and open the saved file.

Update an existing installation

Keep any files you want to retain. Extract the new release and replace the contents of the same extension folder, then click Reload on its card at chrome://extensions. Refresh website tabs so they use the new content scripts.

Keeping the same folder and extension installation helps preserve local settings and history. Removing the extension or clearing its data can remove local history and allowance records. Exported files are separate from extension storage.

Optional setup

Chrome Downloads works without a Native Host. Pro authorized directory saving may require granting folder access again after a browser restart.

The optional Native Host is macOS-only and requires Node.js on PATH plus separate installation for your extension ID. It is not needed for a first download-based export.

If your first export is incomplete

Exports reflect loaded page content. The ordinary exporter does not scroll, paginate, expand replies, crawl links or fetch hidden data. Check the preview and extraction warnings before relying on a file.

Reload a sleeping tab before exporting it. Chrome internal pages, the Chrome Web Store, other extensions and the built-in PDF viewer cannot be injected. Check the selected folder contains manifest.json if Chrome rejects the installation.