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AI Web Summarizer - Help Guide

A comprehensive guide to getting the most out of AI Web Summarizer.

Table of Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Installation
  3. Configuration
  4. Using the Extension
  5. Features in Detail
  6. Keyboard Shortcuts
  7. Text-to-Speech
  8. API Providers
  9. Troubleshooting
  10. FAQ
  11. Privacy & Security

Getting Started

What is AI Web Summarizer?

AI Web Summarizer is a browser extension that uses artificial intelligence to summarize, translate, and fact-check webpages, articles, and documents. Instead of reading entire articles, you can get a concise summary or translation in seconds.

What You Need Before Installing

  • Firefox 142+ (for Firefox version) or Chrome (for Chrome version)
  • An API key from at least one supported provider:
    • OpenAI - Requires payment, offers GPT-4o, GPT-5.4 series
    • OpenRouter - Offers free tiers

Installation

Firefox Installation (Permanent)

  1. Download the latest .xpi file from the Releases page
  2. Open Firefox and navigate to about:addons
  3. Click the gear icon ⚙️ and select "Install Add-on From File..."
  4. Select the downloaded .xpi file
  5. Click "Add" when prompted
  6. The extension icon appears in your Firefox toolbar

Note: This installs permanently and persists across restarts.

Firefox Installation (Temporary/Development)

  1. Open about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox
  2. Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
  3. Select the manifest.json file in the firefox/ folder
  4. The extension loads temporarily (removed when Firefox closes)

Chrome Installation

Option 1: Chrome Web Store (recommended)

  1. Visit AI Web Summarizer on Chrome Web Store
  2. Click "Add to Chrome"
  3. The extension icon appears in your Chrome toolbar

Option 2: Load unpacked

  1. Download or clone this repository
  2. Open chrome://extensions/
  3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top-right)
  4. Click "Load unpacked"
  5. Select the chrome/ folder (the entire folder, not a file inside)
  6. The extension icon appears in your Chrome toolbar

Note: Unpacked extensions persist across restarts. Chrome may show a developer mode warning—this is normal and harmless.

Configuration

First-Time Setup

On first use, the Settings panel opens automatically:

  1. Select Provider - Choose OpenAI or OpenRouter
  2. Enter API Key - Paste your key from the provider's website
  3. Choose Model - Select from available models for your provider
  4. Set Language - Choose the target language for summaries, translations, and TTS
  5. Save Settings - Click the save button

Accessing Settings

  • Quick access: Click the extension icon → Settings (gear icon)
  • Full settings: Right-click extension icon → Options

Settings Explained

Setting Description
Provider OpenAI (paid) or OpenRouter (includes free tier)
API Key Your personal key from the provider
Model AI model used for summarization
Language Target language for summaries, translations, and TTS
TTS Voice Voice used for text-to-speech
TTS Speed Speech rate (0.5x to 2.0x)
TTS Pitch Voice pitch (0.5 to 2.0)
Theme Light or dark appearance
Extraction Mode How page content is extracted (Auto, Readability, Current)
Streaming Show summary text as it generates in real-time
Usage Statistics Local metrics tracking (can be disabled)

Using the Extension

Method 1: Popup

  1. Click the extension icon in your toolbar
  2. Adjust quick settings (provider, model, language) if needed
  3. Click "Summarize", "Translate", or "Fact Check"
  4. View results in the popup or dedicated window

Method 2: Context Menu

  1. Right-click anywhere on a webpage
  2. Select "Summarize This Page with AI" or "Translate This"
  3. A dedicated window opens with the result

Method 3: Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Ctrl+Alt+S Summarize current page
Ctrl+Alt+T Translate current page
Ctrl+Alt+F Fact-check current page

Method 4: Text Selection

  1. Highlight any text on the page
  2. Click the extension icon
  3. Click "Summarize" or "Translate"
  4. Get a focused summary or translation of your selection

Features in Detail

Multi-Provider AI Support

OpenAI

  • Direct API access to OpenAI's models
  • Models: GPT-5.4 Nano, GPT-5.4 Mini, GPT-5.4, GPT-4o (Legacy)
  • Requires paid API usage

OpenRouter

  • Access to curated models via OpenRouter
  • Free tier with auto-selection of best available model
  • Available models: Gemini 3 Flash, DeepSeek V3.2, Claude Haiku 4.5, Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6, Mistral Small 3.2, GPT-5.4 Mini

Content Extraction

The extension intelligently extracts content using one of three modes:

Auto (default): Uses Mozilla Readability for article-style pages, falls back to DOM extraction for other pages. Best for most users.

Readability: Always uses the Mozilla Readability parser. Produces cleaner output for news articles and blog posts but may fail on non-article pages.

Current (legacy): Uses the built-in DOM-based extraction. Good for non-article pages where Readability doesn't work well.

All modes:

  • Remove ads, navigation menus, sidebars
  • Strip headers and footers
  • Focus on main article content
  • Handle dynamic content (JavaScript-rendered pages)

Limits:

  • Firefox: Extracts up to 12,000 characters, sends 10,000 to API
  • Chrome: Extracts up to 12,000 characters, sends 10,000 to API

Change extraction mode in Settings → Content Extraction.

Fact-Check Mode

Verify claims on any webpage:

  1. Click extension icon
  2. Click "Fact Check"
  3. AI analyzes the content and provides factual assessment
  4. Useful for news articles, claims, statistics

Translation Mode

Translate any webpage or selected text into your chosen language:

  1. Click extension icon
  2. Click "Translate"
  3. AI translates the page content and preserves meaning and tone
  4. Works with full pages or selected text

Interactive Chat

Ask custom questions about any webpage:

  1. Click extension icon
  2. Scroll to "Ask AI Anything"
  3. Type your question
  4. Click "Send" or press Ctrl+Enter
  5. Receive AI response based on page content

Follow-Up Questions

After receiving a summary, ask follow-up questions:

  1. View summary in result window
  2. Type question in chat input
  3. Get context-aware responses

Usage Statistics

The extension tracks local usage metrics to help you understand your usage:

  • Actions: Summarizations, translations, fact checks, custom prompts, follow-up questions
  • Extraction: Which extraction mode is used and how often Readability succeeds or falls back
  • Provider & Model: Breakdown of API calls by provider (OpenAI/OpenRouter) and model
  • Errors: API and extraction error counts
  • Timeline: First and last usage dates

Privacy: All data is stored locally in your browser and is never sent anywhere. You can disable or reset statistics at any time in Settings → Usage Statistics.

Streaming Responses

Watch summaries generate in real-time:

  • Text appears progressively
  • No waiting for complete response
  • Cancel mid-generation if needed

Enable/disable in Settings → Streaming.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Browser Summarize Translate Fact-Check
Firefox Ctrl+Alt+S Ctrl+Alt+T Ctrl+Alt+F
Chrome Ctrl+Shift+S Ctrl+Shift+T Ctrl+Shift+F

Customizing Shortcuts

Firefox:

  1. Go to about:addons
  2. Click the gear icon → "Manage Extension Shortcuts"
  3. Find AI Web Summarizer and set custom shortcuts

Chrome:

  1. Go to chrome://extensions/shortcuts
  2. Find AI Web Summarizer and set custom shortcuts

Text-to-Speech

Voice Selection

The extension uses your system's available voices:

  1. Go to Settings → TTS Settings
  2. Select from available voices
  3. Voices are grouped by language (e.g., "Google", "Microsoft", "Apple")

Tips:

  • System voices vary by OS and installed languages
  • Some voices support more languages than others
  • Try different voices to find one that works well for your language

Speed Control

Adjust how fast the summary is read:

Speed Description
0.5x Half speed (slow)
1.0x Normal speed
1.5x 50% faster
2.0x Double speed (fast)

Pitch Control

Adjust the voice pitch:

Pitch Description
0.5 Lower pitch
1.0 Normal pitch
2.0 Higher pitch

Language-Aware Selection

When you change the target language, TTS automatically:

  • Filters voices to those supporting the language
  • Selects an appropriate voice by default
  • Falls back to default voice if no matching voice found

TTS Controls in Result Window

  • Play/Pause: Start or pause reading
  • Stop: Stop reading and reset to beginning
  • Speed: Adjust speed slider
  • Progress: See current position in summary

API Providers

OpenAI

Website: https://platform.openai.com/

Getting an API Key:

  1. Create account or sign in
  2. Go to API Keys section
  3. Click "Create new secret key"
  4. Copy and paste into extension

Pricing:

  • Pay per token (input + output)

Available Models:

  • GPT-5.4 Nano
  • GPT-5.4 Mini
  • GPT-5.4
  • GPT-4o (Legacy)

OpenRouter

Website: https://openrouter.ai/

Getting an API Key:

  1. Create account or sign in
  2. Go to Keys section
  3. Create a new key
  4. Copy and paste into extension

Pricing:

  • Offers free tier with limited daily usage
  • Paid plans available for heavier usage
  • Auto-selects best free model by default

Available Models:

  • Auto (Best Free Model) - automatically selects the best free option
  • Gemini 3 Flash
  • DeepSeek V3.2
  • Claude Haiku 4.5
  • Claude Sonnet 4.6
  • Claude Opus 4.6
  • Mistral Small 3.2
  • GPT-5.4 Mini

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"No API Key" Error

  • Go to Settings and enter your API key
  • Make sure the key is correct (no extra spaces)
  • Keys are case-sensitive

"Invalid API Key" Error

  • Verify key is active on provider's website
  • OpenAI keys start with sk-
  • OpenRouter keys are longer alphanumeric strings

"Content Too Long" Notice

  • Page exceeds character limit
  • Use "Summarize Selected Text" for specific sections
  • The extension extracts up to 12,000 characters

Summary is Empty or Poor Quality

  • Some websites block content extraction
  • Try selecting specific text to summarize
  • Check if page has accessible content (not behind paywall)

TTS Not Working

  • Ensure your browser supports Web Speech API
  • Check system has available voices
  • Try a different voice in settings
  • Ensure audio is not blocked by browser

Extension Icon Not Visible

  • Firefox: Click puzzle piece icon → find AI Web Summarizer → pin
  • Chrome: Click puzzle piece icon → pin AI Web Summarizer

Streaming Response Stuck

  • Click "Stop" button
  • Try again with smaller content
  • Check internet connection

Context Menu Missing

  • Refresh the webpage
  • Check extension has "Context Menus" permission
  • Restart browser

Error Messages

Error Cause Solution
API key not found No key entered Enter API key in settings
Invalid API key Wrong or expired key Get new key from provider
Rate limit exceeded Too many requests Wait and try again
Model not available Model unavailable Select different model
Network error Connection issue Check internet connection
Content extraction failed Page blocks bots Try selecting text manually

Debug Mode

To help troubleshoot:

  1. Right-click extension icon → Inspect
  2. Go to Console tab
  3. Look for error messages
  4. Note any specific error codes

FAQ

General

Q: Is this extension free? A: The extension is free to install. However, you need an API key from OpenAI or OpenRouter. OpenRouter offers a free tier.

Q: How accurate are the summaries? A: Summaries are generally accurate and capture main points. Quality depends on the AI model selected and the complexity of the content.

Q: Can I use both OpenAI and OpenRouter? A: Yes! Enter keys for both providers in settings. Switch between them using the provider dropdown.

Q: Does this work on mobile? A: This is a desktop browser extension. Mobile browsers have limited extension support.

Privacy

Q: Is my data safe? A: Your API keys are stored locally in your browser. Content is processed by your chosen AI provider. See our Privacy Policy.

Q: Do you track my usage? A: No. We don't collect any telemetry, analytics, or personal data.

Q: Who processes my webpage content? A: Your content is sent directly to your chosen AI provider (OpenAI or OpenRouter) for processing.

Technical

Q: Why two separate versions (Firefox/Chrome)? A: Firefox uses Manifest V2, Chrome uses Manifest V3. They have different APIs and architectures requiring separate codebases.

Q: Can I use this with a VPN? A: Yes. Your IP address is only used for API communication with your chosen provider.

Q: What's the character limit? A: Up to 12,000 characters extracted, 10,000 sent to API per request.

Q: Can I summarize selected text only? A: Yes! Highlight text on the page, click the extension icon, and click "Summarize". The AI will summarize only your selection.

Q: How do I change the language? A: Open popup → Language dropdown → Select language. This affects summaries, translations, and TTS.

Q: Can I translate selected text only? A: Yes! Highlight text on the page, click the extension icon, and click "Translate". The AI will translate only your selection.

Billing

Q: How much do API calls cost? A: Costs depend on your provider and usage. OpenAI charges per token. OpenRouter has a free tier and paid options.

Q: Why was I charged unexpectedly? A: API costs are determined by your provider (OpenAI or OpenRouter), not this extension. Check your provider's dashboard for usage details.

Privacy & Security

Data Flow

  1. You click "Summarize", "Translate", or "Fact Check"
  2. Extension extracts text content from webpage
  3. Content is sent directly to your chosen AI provider
  4. AI processes content and returns the result
  5. Result is displayed in extension UI

What We Don't Collect

  • We don't store your webpage content
  • We don't track your browsing history
  • We don't share data with third parties
  • We don't have servers or backend infrastructure

What Your Provider Collects

Your chosen AI provider (OpenAI or OpenRouter) may log:

  • API requests and content processed
  • Usage patterns
  • IP addresses

Check the provider's privacy policy for details:

Security Measures

  • API keys stored in browser local storage
  • Keys encrypted by browser's built-in encryption
  • No transmission of keys to our servers
  • Content sanitization prevents injection attacks
  • HTTPS-only communication with API providers

For full details, see Privacy Policy.

Support

Getting Help

  • Bug Reports: Open an issue on GitHub
  • Feature Requests: Open an issue on GitHub
  • Questions: Open a discussion on GitHub

Useful Links

Tips & Tricks

Getting Better Summaries

  1. Original Language: Summarize in the page's original language for better accuracy
  2. Select Key Sections: For long articles, summarize or translate key sections separately
  3. Choose Right Model: GPT-4o/Claude for quality, GPT-4o Mini/DeepSeek for cost
  4. Specific Questions: Use "Ask AI" feature for targeted information

Saving Costs

  1. Use OpenRouter's free tier for testing
  2. Select GPT-5.4 Mini for everyday summaries
  3. Use shorter text selections when possible

Voice Quality

  1. Try different voices to find the best quality for your language
  2. Adjust speed before starting TTS
  3. Use pitch adjustment for comfort

Version: Firefox 2.2.0 | Chrome 2.2.0
Last Updated: June 27, 2026