SeekerAI

Below is a short client-facing guide on what to host and how to connect to the hosted backend.

What to host

You need to host the backend for the Chrome extension:

• Folder: chrome_extension/backend
• API endpoints:
  • GET /health — health check
  • POST /predict — prediction (main endpoint)

Local run (development)

1. Go to the backend folder:

   cd chrome_extension/backend

2. Install dependencies:

   python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Start the server by running run_chrome_extension_backend.bat in main folder or use:

   python -m uvicorn app:app --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000 --reload

   By default, the extension expects the API at http://127.0.0.1:8000.

Hosting (production)

1. Deploy chrome_extension/backend on a server with internet access.
2. Install dependencies and start the server (example):

   cd chrome_extension/backend
   python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
   python -m uvicorn app:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000

3. Open port 8000 (or another one if you use a different port) for external access.
4. Check availability:

   curl http://<HOST>:8000/health

How to connect the extension to the hosted backend

Update the base URL in the Chrome extension:

1. Open chrome_extension/extension/popup.js.
2. Find this line:

   const API_BASE = "http://127.0.0.1:8000";

3. Replace it with your server address, for example:

   const API_BASE = "https://your-host.example.com";

After this, the extension will use the specified host.

How to install the extension in Chrome

This extension can be installed in Chrome only in Developer mode:

1. Open chrome://extensions/.
2. Enable Developer mode (top-right toggle).
3. Click Load unpacked.
4. Select the chrome_extension/extension folder (the frontend lives there; you can also see extension.crx in this folder).

How to pack and install the packaged extension

If you need a packaged .crx file, you can pack it in Chrome:

1. Open chrome://extensions/.
2. Enable Developer mode.
3. Click Pack extension.
4. For Extension root directory, choose chrome_extension/extension.
5. Click Pack extension to generate the .crx (and .pem) file.

To install the packaged extension:

1. Open chrome://extensions/.
2. Drag and drop the generated .crx file into the page, or click Load unpacked if you still want to use the folder directly.