What GuideBot Does
GuideBot is a Chrome extension that records your browser actions and turns them into professional how-to guides — without leaving your browser.
Capture Steps
Click the capture button as you work. GuideBot screenshots each step automatically and records the context of every action.
Annotate Screenshots
Draw circles, arrows, and numbered markers directly on screenshots to highlight exactly what the reader should focus on.
AI-Generated Guides
Send your captured steps to Claude, Gemini, or OpenRouter. The AI writes clear, numbered instructions from your actions.
Your Keys, Your Data
API keys are stored only on your device. Screenshots and steps never leave your browser unless you explicitly send them to an AI provider.
Clarifying Questions
Toggle accuracy mode to let the AI flag ambiguous steps before writing — asking about hidden field values, unclear selections, or cut-off text — so the guide is based on facts, not guesses.
Edit & Refine
After generation, switch to Edit mode to tweak the markdown directly in the preview panel. Changes re-render instantly and are saved back to your session.
How It Works
From capturing your first click to a shareable guide in under a minute.
Click the GuideBot icon in your Chrome toolbar to open the panel. Add your AI provider and API key once in Settings — it's saved locally for future sessions.
Click Capture Step at each point in your workflow. GuideBot takes a screenshot of the current tab and records the action. Repeat for every step you want to document.
After each capture, an editor opens so you can draw circles, drop numbered markers, or add arrows to call out the key elements. Annotations are baked into the screenshot.
Name your guide, then click Generate Guide. GuideBot sends your annotated screenshots and step context to the AI provider you've selected.
If Ask clarifying questions is enabled in Settings, GuideBot first asks the AI to review your screenshots for anything ambiguous — a field with hidden text, an unclear menu selection, or cut-off content. Answer as many or as few as you like, then proceed with full context.
Review the finished guide in the preview tab. Click Edit to modify the markdown directly — changes re-render live and are saved to your session. When satisfied, copy the text or export to HTML, Markdown, Word, or PDF.
Choose Your AI Provider
GuideBot works with the AI model you already use. Bring your own API key — GuideBot never proxies your requests through our servers.
Setting up your API key
Open GuideBot and click the Settings button (gear icon).
Select your provider from the dropdown: Anthropic, Gemini, or OpenRouter.
Paste your API key and click Save. The key is stored in chrome.storage.local on your device only.
Improving accuracy with clarifying questions
Enable the Ask clarifying questions toggle in Settings before clicking Generate. GuideBot will make a quick pre-pass to the AI — sending your screenshots and asking it to return a structured list of anything it can't determine from the image alone. Answer what you can, skip what you can't, and the final guide will incorporate your answers as ground truth.
| Provider | Key Format | Where to Get One |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | sk-ant-… |
console.anthropic.com |
| Google Gemini | AIza… |
aistudio.google.com |
| OpenRouter | sk-or-… |
openrouter.ai/keys |
Privacy at a Glance
GuideBot is designed to keep your data in your hands. No GoManzanas servers. No telemetry. No data collection.
| Data | Where It Lives | Who Sees It |
|---|---|---|
| API keys | chrome.storage.local on your device |
You only — sent directly to your chosen AI provider |
| Screenshots & step data | In-memory during your session; chrome.storage.local between sessions |
You only — sent to AI provider only when you click Generate |
| Annotations | Baked into the screenshot PNG on-device | You only |
| Generated guide text & guide name | chrome.storage.local between the generation and preview tab; updated if you edit in Edit mode |
You only — overwritten on next generation |
| Clarify mode preference | chrome.storage.local on your device |
You only |
For the full policy, see the GuideBot Privacy Policy.
Chrome Permissions
GuideBot requests the minimum permissions needed to capture and annotate browser steps.
| Permission | Why GuideBot Needs It |
|---|---|
activeTab |
Capture a screenshot of the tab you're currently viewing when you click Capture Step. |
storage |
Persist your API keys and in-progress steps across browser sessions so you don't lose your work. |
tabs |
Read the current tab's title and URL to include in the step context sent to the AI for accurate guide generation. |
scripting |
Inject the capture listener into the active tab to detect click coordinates and page context for each recorded step. |
<all_urls>. The content script is injected only into the active tab at the moment you trigger a capture — not persistently into every page you visit.
Support & Contact
Questions, feedback, or bug reports — we're here to help.
| Channel | Details |
|---|---|
| extensions@gomanzanas.com | |
| Publisher | GoManzanas |
| Chrome Web Store | Use the "Support" tab on the GuideBot store listing |