Short answer: pick the one task that slows you down and add one extension for it: Todoist to capture to-dos from any page, LeechBlock NG to block distracting sites during work hours, Google Keep or a web clipper to save what you read, and OneTab when tabs pile up. Below are good choices for each job, all checked live in the Chrome Web Store when this page was written, with links to their official listings. Extensions are for Chrome on a computer.
To-do lists and tasks
- Todoist for Chrome, from Doist Inc. Add a task from any page with Quick Add, save the page you are on as a task, or select text, right-click and save it as a task with a link back. You can plan your day as a list, a board or a calendar from the extension.
Blocking distractions
- LeechBlock NG, from James Anderson. You list the sites and choose when to block them: during set hours (for example 9am to 5pm), after a time limit (for example 10 minutes an hour), or both. Up to 30 sets of sites, each with its own times. It can also lock sites down right away for a set time, or add a countdown before a site opens.
- StayFocusd, from Sensor Tower. Limits how much time you can spend on the sites you choose, and shows how you use your time online.
Saving notes and web pages
- Google Keep Chrome Extension, from Google. Saves a link, text or image to Google Keep in one click, with your own note and labels. Keep syncs to the web, Android and iPhone.
- Evernote Web Clipper, from Evernote Corporation. Saves articles, whole pages, PDFs and screenshots to your Evernote account, without the ads and sidebars.
- OneNote Web Clipper, from Microsoft. Clips all or part of a page to OneNote. You can highlight text or add a note before you clip, and open your clips on any device, even offline.
Too many tabs
First try Chrome’s own tab groups: right-click a tab and select Add tab to group, then name the group and pick a color (see our tab groups guide). If you need more:
- OneTab, from OneTab Ltd. One click turns all your open tabs into a list, which saves memory. Reopen them one at a time or all at once.
- Session Buddy. Saves every open tab and window, restores them after a crash or restart, and lets you search across open tabs, saved collections and tab history.
Our tab manager guide covers more options.
Email and writing
- Checker Plus for Gmail, from Jason Savard. Shows new-mail notifications and lets you read or delete emails without opening Gmail, and handles several Gmail accounts.
- Boomerang for Gmail, from Baydin. Schedule an email to send later, set up recurring emails, track replies and offer meeting times from your inbox.
- Grammarly. Checks grammar, clarity and tone as you type in Gmail, Google Docs and many other sites, and can rewrite sentences for you.
More Gmail tools are in our Gmail extensions guide.
Working without internet
- Google Docs Offline, from Google. Open and edit Google Docs, Sheets and Slides with no connection. After installing it, turn on offline access in Google Drive’s settings.
How to install one
Open the store link in Chrome on your computer, select Add to Chrome, check the permissions it asks for, and select Add extension. Its icon appears to the right of the address bar; if it does not, select the Extensions icon (the puzzle piece) and pin it (Google’s Chrome Web Store help). To turn an extension off or remove it, open the Extensions page:
chrome://extensions
Some extensions can read and change data on the sites you visit. Our guide to choosing extensions you can trust shows how to check one before you install it and limit the sites it can use. For one pick in every category, not only productivity, see the best Chrome extensions.