Stable

Chrome extension

Encrypt selected text in the browser without opening privatenote.ai — same client-side flow, fewer context switches.

Add to Chrome How to make a private note

Who this is for

Use the Chrome extension when you are already in the browser — email, docs, tickets — and need to turn selected text into an encrypted one-time link.

Encryption runs in the extension using the same shared crypto module as the web app. Plaintext is never sent to PrivateNote servers.

Install

# Chrome Web Store (recommended)
# Search: PrivateNote Encrypted Note Sharing

# Or load unpacked for development (from repo root):
npm run build:chrome
# chrome://extensions → Developer mode → Load unpacked → packages/privatenote-chrome/dist

Security architecture

Manifest V3 extension with local encryption before upload. Analytics records creationSource: chrome.

The generated link is copied to your clipboard automatically. Treat the URL like the secret — the key is in the fragment.

Encrypt locally

AES-256-GCM on your device — browser, editor, terminal, or MCP process.

Upload ciphertext

Only encrypted bytes and note metadata (expiry, burn-after-reading) reach the server.

Key in #fragment

The decryption key stays in the URL hash. Browsers do not send fragments in HTTP requests.

privatenote.ai/note/…#key

Full diagram on developer hub

Context menu: Create PrivateNote on selected text.
Toolbar popup to compose notes with expiry and burn settings.
Alt+Shift+P prefills selected text from the active tab.
host_permissions limited to privatenote.ai for API calls — not configurable for self-hosting.

Features and permissions

Name	Description
storage	Sync settings; session storage for prefilled selection
contextMenus	Right-click Create PrivateNote
activeTab + scripting	Read selection for keyboard shortcut
clipboardWrite	Copy generated link
Default expiry	Configurable in extension settings
Burn after reading	Default on; configurable in options

Related integrations

PrivateNote CLI

Zero-footprint secrets in scripts, pipes, and CI — encrypted locally before anything reaches the network.

View docs

VS Code, Cursor & Codex IDE

The primary developer entry point — compose, configure, and share without switching context.

View docs

MCP server for AI agents

Let agents hand off secrets securely — encryption runs locally in the MCP process.

View docs

OpenAI Codex plugin

MCP plus skills for Codex CLI and IDE — same repository as this site.

View docs

Developer integrations

Chrome extension

Encrypt selected text in the browser without opening privatenote.ai — same client-side flow, fewer context switches.

Add to Chrome Compare all tools