Highlighty Documentation

Complete guide to every Highlighty workflow, setting, and shortcut.

Start with the basic search flow, then move through each setting, behavior, and account feature in a systematic order. Videos are included where we have them, but the written guide is the primary reference.

On this page

Start at the top for the full workflow, or jump directly to any setting and use the written guide first. Videos are supplementary where available.

Getting Started
  1. Before you begin
  2. Understand the popup layout
  3. Run your first search
Core Workflow
  1. Add, edit, and remove queries
  2. Choose colors and text decoration
  3. Use RegExp mode
  4. Understand automatic rescanning on dynamic pages
  5. Pause or turn off Highlighty
PDF Search
  1. Open PDFs in Highlighty
  2. Understand the PDF Search layout
  3. Search a scanned PDF
  4. PDF Search settings
Cmd+F Takeover
  1. Turn Cmd+F takeover on or off
  2. Double-press for native search
  3. Bar layout
  4. Search modifiers in the bar
  5. Show highlight chips in the bar
  6. Save a search as a highlight
  7. Remember last search per site
  8. Bookmarkable URLs
  9. Search history dropdown
  10. Search only inside saved highlights
  11. Find in all open tabs
  12. Show matches in the scrollbar
  13. Bar tooltips and keyboard shortcuts
Basic Settings
  1. Compact view of query list
  2. Invert query box click action
  3. Disable query box clicks
  4. Minimum 2 character limit
  5. Focus input on startup
  6. Scrollbar markers
  7. Query found alert
  8. Query not found alert
  9. Found sum on badge
  10. Manual search mode
  11. Switch off hotkey
  12. Highlight on select
  13. Navigation bar
  14. Quick disable hotkey
Advanced Settings
  1. Grow found query size
  2. Import excel or sheets file
  3. Load or save query list from file
  4. Saved query lists
  5. Allowed websites
  6. Disallowed websites
  7. Case sensitivity
  8. Diacritic sensitivity
  9. Split search
  10. Complete phrase search
  11. iFrame search
  12. Highlight form fields
  13. Live editor highlighting and limits
  14. Highlighty X-Ray
  15. Backup and restore
Analytics
  1. Search analytics
Account & Subscription
  1. Create an account and sign in
  2. Verify email and reset password
  3. Upgrade to PRO and manage subscription
  4. Delete my account and sign out
Limits & Troubleshooting
  1. Free plan limits vs PRO
  2. When results look wrong or incomplete
  3. Performance expectations on heavy pages

Contents

Follow the guide section by section or jump straight to a setting.

Getting Started

Before you beginUnderstand the popup layoutRun your first search

Core Workflow

Add, edit, and remove queriesChoose colors and text decorationUse RegExp modeUnderstand automatic rescanning on dynamic pagesPause or turn off Highlighty

PDF Search

Open PDFs in HighlightyUnderstand the PDF Search layoutSearch a scanned PDFPDF Search settings

Cmd+F Takeover

Turn Cmd+F takeover on or offDouble-press for native searchBar layoutSearch modifiers in the barShow highlight chips in the barSave a search as a highlightRemember last search per siteBookmarkable URLsSearch history dropdownSearch only inside saved highlightsFind in all open tabsShow matches in the scrollbarBar tooltips and keyboard shortcuts

Basic Settings

Compact view of query listInvert query box click actionDisable query box clicksMinimum 2 character limitFocus input on startupScrollbar markersQuery found alertQuery not found alertFound sum on badgeManual search modeSwitch off hotkeyHighlight on selectNavigation barQuick disable hotkey

Advanced Settings

Grow found query sizeImport excel or sheets fileLoad or save query list from fileSaved query listsAllowed websitesDisallowed websitesCase sensitivityDiacritic sensitivitySplit searchComplete phrase searchiFrame searchHighlight form fieldsLive editor highlighting and limitsHighlighty X-RayBackup and restore

Analytics

Search analytics

Account & Subscription

Create an account and sign inVerify email and reset passwordUpgrade to PRO and manage subscriptionDelete my account and sign out

Limits & Troubleshooting

Free plan limits vs PROWhen results look wrong or incompletePerformance expectations on heavy pages

Videos are used as supporting material. The written guide is the primary reference.

Highlighty Documentation

Complete guide to every Highlighty workflow, setting, and shortcut.

Start with the basic search flow, then move through each setting, behavior, and account feature in a systematic order. Videos are included where we have them, but the written guide is the primary reference.

Documentation Section

Getting Started

Start here if you are new to Highlighty. These entries explain what to do after installation, how the popup is organized, and what your first search looks like.

Feature 01

Before you begin

FreeVideo

What it does

Highlighty works on the currently open webpage, and Chromium builds can also open searchable PDFs in Highlighty's PDF Search. If a tab you already had open doesn't respond after you install or update the extension, refresh it once.

Where to find it

Browser toolbar and the active webpage

How to use it

  1. Install Highlighty and pin it to the browser toolbar if you use it often.
  2. If a tab you already had open doesn't respond after an install or update, refresh it once.
  3. Open a webpage with normal text content, then click the Highlighty icon to open the popup.

Keep in mind

  • Core searching, highlighting, and saved lists run locally in the browser and are stored locally on the device.
  • PDF Search opens documents in a dedicated Highlighty surface so the same query list can be reused on searchable PDFs.
  • You can keep multiple PDFs open in one PDF Search workspace when you are reviewing related documents.
  • Account trial access and checkout involve Highlighty services and the external payment page; you can delete your account from the Account tab.
  • Large pages, many active queries, or many open tabs can increase CPU usage on older computers.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Core Workflow

These entries cover the everyday Highlighty workflow: creating queries, styling them, editing them, and understanding how matches are refreshed on live pages.

Feature 01

Add, edit, and remove queries

FreeVideo

What it does

Each submitted query becomes a color-coded box in the active query list. From there you can edit, delete, or focus it for navigation.

Where to find it

Popup > bottom query list

How to use it

  1. Type a query and submit it with Enter or the plus button.
  2. By default, left click deletes a query and right click loads it back into the composer for editing.
  3. When the Navigation bar feature is enabled, use the aim icon on a query box to make that query the focused navigation target.

Keep in mind

  • Duplicate query names are blocked inside the currently selected list.
  • If Invert query box click action is enabled, edit and delete are swapped.
  • If Disable query box clicks is enabled, you must turn that setting off before editing or deleting from the list.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 02

Choose colors and text decoration

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO color toolsDefault: Background highlight

What it does

Every query can have its own visual style. You can use a background highlight, or switch to underline, overline, line-through, dotted, wavy, or double underline styles.

Where to find it

Popup > bottom query composer

How to use it

  1. Create or edit a query so the color and decoration controls appear.
  2. Use the free color slider, opacity slider, or Randomize to pick a highlight color.
  3. With PRO, switch to the full color picker or palette for more precise color selection.
  4. Open Text Decoration to choose the decoration type and thickness, then submit the query.

Keep in mind

  • Background highlight is the default style for new queries.
  • Text decoration types and thickness controls are available without PRO.
  • Text decoration styles are useful when background color is too heavy or when you want an accessibility-friendly visual cue.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Use RegExp mode

PROVideo
Default: Off

What it does

RegExp mode lets you search with regular expressions instead of plain text so you can match patterns, variants, or structured strings.

Where to find it

Popup > bottom query composer > Is RegExp

How to use it

  1. Toggle Is RegExp before submitting the query.
  2. Type the pattern you want to match, then submit it like any normal query.
  3. Adjust case sensitivity if you need stricter matching.

Keep in mind

  • RegExp matching requires an active PRO entitlement. Free webpage searches treat saved patterns as literal text.
  • RegExp is best for advanced matching such as prefixes, suffixes, numeric patterns, or repeated structures.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 04

Understand automatic rescanning on dynamic pages

FreeVideo
Default: On when automatic search is active

What it does

Highlighty can watch supported pages for DOM changes and re-run searches so newly loaded content is highlighted without a full refresh.

Where to find it

On-page behavior

How to use it

  1. Keep the extension enabled and leave Manual search mode off if you want automatic rescanning.
  2. Browse a dynamic site such as an endless feed or a live search result page.
  3. When new content is added to the page, Highlighty re-checks the current queries and updates the results.

Keep in mind

  • This is useful on dynamic pages, but it can add overhead on very active or very large pages.
  • Some pages are intentionally excluded from observer behavior, and not every site updates the DOM in a way that can be tracked cleanly.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 05

Pause or turn off Highlighty

FreeVideo
Default: On

Shortcut

Ctrl + Shift + F toggles the takeover (on a Mac too: Control, not Cmd)

What it does

Switch Highlighty off everywhere from the popup, or turn off just the Find-bar takeover from the bar itself or with a keyboard shortcut.

Where to find it

Popup switch beside settings, the search bar, and Chrome's extension shortcuts

How to use it

  1. Click the switch beside settings at the top of the popup to turn Highlighty off. Highlights disappear from your pages until you switch it back on.
  2. To stop only the search bar, click the switch at the right end of the bar (Disable Highlighty find). ⌘F / Ctrl+F then opens the browser's own Find.
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+F to turn the takeover off or back on without opening anything. On a Mac, use the Control key, not Cmd: Chrome keeps Cmd+Shift+F for its full-screen toolbar. If the shortcut does nothing, check or set it at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.
  4. You can also turn the takeover back on in Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover.

Keep in mind

  • Change the takeover shortcut at chrome://extensions/shortcuts (in Firefox: about:addons › gear menu › Manage Extension Shortcuts).
  • Your query lists and settings are kept while Highlighty or the takeover is off.
  • To hide highlights with a key while you browse, see Switch off hotkey (all tabs) and Quick disable hotkey (current page).

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

PDF Search

PDF Search opens PDFs in Highlighty's own viewer and highlights your saved queries there, including scanned English PDFs, which it reads on your computer.

Feature 01

Open PDFs in Highlighty

PROVideo

What it does

From the popup, add the current PDF or open PDF Search and load one or more local PDFs.

Where to find it

Popup and Highlighty PDF Search

How to use it

  1. Open a searchable PDF in a Chromium-based browser tab, then click the Highlighty icon.
  2. Use the PDF Search row in the popup to add the current PDF to PDF Search.
  3. If you want to work from local documents instead, open PDF Search and choose one or more PDFs from your device.
  4. You can also drag and drop local PDFs anywhere into PDF Search.

Keep in mind

  • PDF Search reuses your existing query lists and search settings instead of creating a separate PDF-only setup.
  • Use the document tabs at the top of PDF Search to switch between open PDFs in the same workspace.
  • Scanned and image-only English PDFs are now read on your device automatically — no upload, no third-party service — so they become searchable too. Password-protected PDFs are still not supported.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 02

Understand the PDF Search layout

PROVideo

What it does

PDF Search is a document workspace, not a second copy of the popup. It keeps only the controls that matter while reviewing PDFs.

Where to find it

Highlighty PDF Search

How to use it

  1. Use the document tabs at the top to switch between open PDFs or add more files.
  2. Use the left sidebar for queries, X-Ray snippets, and PDF-relevant search options.
  3. Use the floating controls over the document for zoom and next or previous match navigation.

Keep in mind

  • Account, pricing, website rules, analytics, and broader extension settings stay in the popup, not in PDF Search.
  • The active query list is shared, but PDF Search is intentionally narrower in scope than the popup.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Search a scanned PDF

PROVideo

What it does

PDF Search reads the text in scanned and image-only English PDFs on your device, so your terms are highlighted in them like in any other PDF.

Where to find it

Highlighty PDF Search

How to use it

  1. Open the scan in PDF Search the usual way: Add current PDF from the popup, Choose PDFs, or drag the file in.
  2. Wait for Recognizing scanned text… to finish. Pages that already have selectable text are searched straight away.
  3. Your active terms are highlighted on the recognized text. Zoom in and compare each match with the page image.
  4. If a page couldn't be read, click Retry this page on that page.

Keep in mind

  • Recognition runs on your computer; the document is not uploaded to any service.
  • OCR reads English. Poor scan quality, handwriting, stamps, and unusual fonts can cause missed or misread words, so check the printed wording before relying on a match.
  • Password-protected PDFs are not supported.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 04

PDF Search settings

PROVideo

What it does

The PDF Search sidebar has its own settings for query lists, matching options, X-Ray, page rendering, and match navigation.

Where to find it

Highlighty PDF Search > left sidebar

How to use it

  1. Open Query lists to switch saved lists, import terms from a spreadsheet, or load and save a list file without leaving the document.
  2. Open PDF search to change case, diacritic, split, and complete phrase matching.
  3. Turn on X-Ray sidebar to list every match with a snippet of surrounding text; click a snippet to jump to it.
  4. Turn on Render all pages up front when you want Cmd+F (Ctrl+F) to find matches across the whole document at once.
  5. Open Navigation to step through a focused term's matches with the navigation hotkeys.

Keep in mind

  • Render all pages up front is off by default because it uses more memory on large PDFs; otherwise pages render as you scroll.
  • Query lists and matching options are shared with the popup, so a change here also applies on web pages.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Cmd+F Takeover

Cmd+F Takeover replaces the browser's built-in Find (⌘F / Ctrl+F) with Highlighty's own search bar. It runs ad-hoc text search on the current page, lets you toggle modifiers like case, whole-word, and diacritics (with regex and fuzzy on PRO), jumps between matches across saved highlights, and can promote a one-off search into a persistent saved highlight in one click. Double-press the same shortcut to fall through to native Find when you specifically need it.

Feature 01

Turn Cmd+F takeover on or off

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

The master switch. When on, pressing ⌘F / Ctrl+F opens Highlighty's search bar instead of the browser's native Find.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Toggle the feature off if you'd rather always use the browser's native Find.
  2. When on, pressing the Find shortcut opens Highlighty's bar at the top of the page; press Esc to close.

Keep in mind

  • On sites where the takeover repeatedly fails, Highlighty automatically backs off for that origin and falls through to native — no manual action needed.
  • The shortcut is intentionally the same as native Find so the muscle memory transfers; the double-press option below preserves access to native when you need it.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 02

Double-press for native search

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Press ⌘F / Ctrl+F twice within 400ms to close Highlighty's bar and let the next press open the browser's native Find instead.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Open the Highlighty bar with ⌘F / Ctrl+F.
  2. Press the same shortcut again within 400ms to close the bar; a small toast confirms the handoff.
  3. Press the same shortcut a third time to open the browser's native Find.

Keep in mind

  • Useful when a site binds the Find shortcut to its own search (some web apps do) and you want native behavior just this once.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Bar layout

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO snippets panelDefault: Top stripe + snippets panel (Top stripe on free)

What it does

Choose between a compact top stripe (free) and a stripe with a floating snippets panel that previews the surrounding context for each match (PRO).

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover > Layout

How to use it

  1. Open the ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover settings and pick Top stripe for the minimal bar.
  2. PRO: pick Top stripe + snippets panel when you want a detached, draggable overlay showing surrounding text for every match.
  3. Drag the snippets panel anywhere on the page; its position and collapsed state are remembered for next time.

Keep in mind

  • The floating snippets panel is helpful on long pages where seeing context around each match speeds up scanning.
  • The panel defaults to the top-right of the page, clamps inside the viewport on resize, and persists drag position, collapse, and close state in local storage.
  • Block-aware snippet slicing keeps surrounding context inside the match's own block so neighbouring sections don't bleed in.
  • Free plans use the Top stripe layout; the snippets panel option unlocks with PRO.
  • Closing the snippets panel with its × switches the layout back to Top stripe; pick the snippets layout again in the popup to bring it back.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 04

Search modifiers in the bar

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO regex + fuzzyDefault: Three free modifiers visible (Case, Whole word, Diacritics); Regex and Fuzzy unlock with PRO

What it does

Toggle search behavior directly from the bar: case sensitivity, whole-word, diacritics, regex, fuzzy. Choose which modifiers are visible from the popup. Regex and Fuzzy are PRO; Case, Whole word, and Diacritics are free.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover > Visible modifier toggles

How to use it

  1. The free modifier buttons (Case, Whole word, Diacritics) are visible by default; uncheck any you don't want in the bar from the popup setting.
  2. Click each modifier inside the bar to toggle it for the current search; the bar re-runs immediately.
  3. Regex and Fuzzy work with a PRO trial or subscription. On the free plan, their bar buttons show a lock and an upgrade hint.

Keep in mind

  • Hover any modifier in the bar to see its name and a short use-case hint (e.g. fuzzy: "Typo-tolerant per word — 'recieve' finds 'receive'"). Regex and Fuzzy show a trial label during a trial and a lock on the free plan.
  • Regex compiles your term as a JavaScript regular expression; on syntax error the bar quietly returns zero matches rather than throwing. PRO only.
  • Fuzzy uses bounded Levenshtein per word — the threshold scales with query length (4 chars tolerates 1 edit, 8 chars tolerates 2, etc.). It matches whole words within edit distance, so it's typo tolerance, not substring search. PRO only.
  • Case, Whole word, and Diacritics stay free — they match what Chrome's native Find supports.
  • Match visibility follows Chrome's native Find: display:none and visibility:hidden subtrees are skipped; opacity:0 and aria-hidden are still counted, just like the browser's built-in Find.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 05

Show highlight chips in the bar

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows matching saved highlights inside the bar so you can jump between their matches without leaving the page.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Click a chip in the bar to jump to the next match for that saved highlight.
  2. Right-click a chip only when you want to remove that saved query from the selected list; its highlights disappear from the page too.

Keep in mind

  • Each visible chip shows the saved highlight's color swatch and current match count on the page. Queries with no matches on this page do not appear in the bar.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 06

Save a search as a highlight

FreeVideo

Shortcut

Shift + Enter

What it does

Turns the term in the search bar into a saved highlight, so it stays colored on every page like the terms you add in the popup.

Where to find it

On the search bar: + Save highlight

How to use it

  1. Open the search bar with ⌘F / Ctrl+F and type the term.
  2. Click + Save highlight, or press Shift+Enter.
  3. The term is added to your selected query list with its own color, highlighted on the page, and shown as a chip in the bar. The bar clears so you can keep searching.

Keep in mind

  • Rename it, change its color, or remove it in the popup like any other term.
  • If the Regex modifier is on in the bar, the term is saved as a regular expression.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 07

Remember last search per site

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

When enabled, reopening the bar on a site pre-fills the last nonempty term searched on that site.

Where to find it

On the bar: the Remember pill next to the other modifiers. Also in Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Leave it on to reopen with the last search for this site, or click the Remember button to have the bar open empty.

Keep in mind

  • The mapping is stored locally and is keyed by site origin (scheme + host). Switching it off stops new writes but doesn't erase what's already saved — flip it back on and your previous terms reappear.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 08

Bookmarkable URLs

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Adds a nonempty Find term to the page URL so the same term fills the bar when you open that link with this setting enabled.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Turn it on, then run a search — the URL gets a #highlighty-search=… fragment.
  2. Bookmark or share that URL. With the setting enabled, open the link and then open Highlighty's Find bar to load the term.

Keep in mind

  • Highlighty updates the URL with history.replaceState. Pages that use the URL fragment for their own navigation may react differently, so check the link on the site where you plan to use it.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 09

Search history dropdown

PROVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows your recent search terms as a dropdown when the bar input is empty and focused, so you can re-run a previous query in one click.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Open the bar with the input empty — recent searches appear in a dropdown beneath it (most recent first).
  2. Click an entry to re-run that search, or click 'Clear' in the dropdown header to wipe the list.

Keep in mind

  • History is global across sites. Storage keeps up to 20 entries; the dropdown displays the freshest 10 so it doesn't crowd the page.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 10

Search only inside saved highlights

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Constrains the bar's ad-hoc search to text already covered by one of your saved highlights — useful for narrowing inside a broad highlight to specific terms.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Turn it on, then search — only matches inside existing saved-highlight elements are returned.

Keep in mind

  • Effectively a 'find within highlighted text' mode. Toggle off to return to whole-page search.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 11

Find in all open tabs

PROVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Adds a button to the bar that probes every open tab for the current search term and lists tabs with matches, with a one-click jump to focus a tab.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Turn it on, then click the All tabs button next to the input after typing a term.
  2. A results list shows each tab where the term appears, with a match count and a snippet — click to focus that tab.

Keep in mind

  • Each probed tab runs the search locally in its content script; nothing is sent off-device.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 12

Show matches in the scrollbar

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows cyan markers along the page edge for Find bar matches, helping you see where results occur on a long page.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features > ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover

How to use it

  1. Open the bar and type a term — cyan markers appear along the right edge for its matches. Nearby matches may share a marker.
  2. Click a marker to scroll to that match.
  3. Turn the setting off if you prefer a clean scrollbar.

Keep in mind

  • Markers are visually offset from saved-highlight scrollbar markers so the two don't compete: saved-highlight markers span the full strip width, ad-hoc markers sit on the right half and are slightly thinner.
  • Markers clear automatically when you close the bar or empty the input.
  • Works alongside Scrollbar markers (the saved-highlight setting) — turning either off doesn't affect the other.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 13

Bar tooltips and keyboard shortcuts

FreeVideo

What it does

Hover over or focus a bar button to see its label and available shortcut. Enter moves to the next match, Up Arrow moves to the previous match, and Esc closes the bar.

Where to find it

Inside the ⌘F / Ctrl+F takeover bar

How to use it

  1. Press Enter to jump to the next match and Up Arrow for the previous. Shift+Enter saves the current term as a highlight.
  2. Press Esc to close the bar.
  3. Hover over or focus a modifier or action button to see its tooltip. The shortcut appears when that control has one.

Keep in mind

  • The native-Find shortcut tooltip uses ⌘F on macOS and Ctrl+F on other platforms. Other tooltips show the shortcut assigned to their own control.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Basic Settings

Basic settings cover the popup layout, page notifications, and the main hotkeys. These are the controls most users will touch first.

Feature 01

Compact view of query list

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Shrinks the query list into denser full-width rows so more queries fit into the popup at once.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > User-interface settings

How to use it

  1. Turn it on when you want to manage many queries with less scrolling.

Keep in mind

  • This changes only the popup layout and does not change webpage highlights.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 02

Invert query box click action

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Swaps the default edit and delete mouse actions on query boxes.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > User-interface settings

How to use it

  1. Turn it on if you want left click to edit and right click to delete instead of the default behavior.

Keep in mind

  • Useful if you edit much more often than you delete and want the safer action on right click.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Disable query box clicks

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Prevents edit and delete actions on query boxes so accidental clicks do not change your active list.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > User-interface settings

How to use it

  1. Turn it on if you want a safer read-only query list while browsing.

Keep in mind

  • When this setting is on, query boxes can no longer be edited or removed until you switch it back off.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 04

Minimum 2 character limit

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Blocks very short one-character queries, which helps reduce noise and unnecessary page work.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > User-interface settings

How to use it

  1. Leave it on for normal use if you want better performance and fewer meaningless matches.
  2. Turn it off only when single-character search is genuinely useful for your workflow.

Keep in mind

  • This limit is enforced when you submit a query from the popup.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 05

Focus input on startup

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Places the text cursor in the query input when the popup opens so you can start typing immediately.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > User-interface settings

How to use it

  1. Keep it on if you mostly open Highlighty to type a new query quickly.

Keep in mind

  • This changes only the popup behavior and does not affect the webpage itself.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 06

Scrollbar markers

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows small markers on the page scrollbar where matches are located, making long documents easier to scan.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Notification settings

How to use it

  1. Leave it on if you want a quick visual map of match positions on long pages.
  2. Turn it off if you prefer a cleaner page chrome or if markers feel distracting.

Keep in mind

  • Scrollbar markers are especially useful when many hits are spread across a long article or results page.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 07

Query found alert

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows a green on-page alert for newly found queries after Highlighty finishes a search pass.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Notification settings

How to use it

  1. Keep it on if you want immediate feedback about which queries were found on the page.

Keep in mind

  • The alert appears only when there is a meaningful state change, not on every tiny page event.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 08

Query not found alert

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows a red on-page alert for newly missing queries so you know what did not appear on the page.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Notification settings

How to use it

  1. Keep it on if missed queries matter to your workflow and you do not want to inspect the page manually.

Keep in mind

  • Found and not found alerts work well together when you scan long or repetitive pages.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 09

Found sum on badge

PROVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Shows the total number of found highlights on the extension icon badge for the current tab.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Notification settings

How to use it

  1. Turn it on if you want a quick tab-level count without reopening the popup.

Keep in mind

  • This setting is available in Chrome builds of the extension.
  • Each tab keeps its own badge count based on its active results.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 10

Manual search mode

FreeVideo
Default: Off

Shortcut

Shift + F

What it does

Turns off automatic search updates so Highlighty only runs when you trigger it with the keyboard.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features

How to use it

  1. Enable it when automatic searching is too noisy for a specific workflow.
  2. Press the shortcut whenever you want Highlighty to refresh the page results.

Keep in mind

  • This mode also stops automatic search when you add a new query or change the active query list.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 11

Switch off hotkey

PROVideo
Default: Off

Shortcut

Shift + T

What it does

Lets you toggle the entire extension on or off while browsing without opening the popup.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features

How to use it

  1. Enable it if you often need to pause Highlighty temporarily on a page.
  2. Use the shortcut again to restore the extension state.

Keep in mind

  • Turning the extension off clears current highlights, badge counts, and X-Ray from the page until it is turned back on.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 12

Highlight on select

PROVideo
Default: Off

Shortcut

Shift + L

What it does

Adds the currently selected phrase to the active query list and highlights it immediately.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features

How to use it

  1. Select a word or phrase on the webpage.
  2. Press the shortcut to add the selection as a new query.
  3. Optionally change the Bright highlight color toggle inside the setting to influence the generated color style.

Keep in mind

  • If the selected phrase already exists in the active list, Highlighty skips adding a duplicate.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 14

Quick disable hotkey

PROVideo
Default: Off

Shortcut

Shift + D

What it does

Temporarily disables the generated highlight styles on the current page without removing the query list.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Basic > Hotkey features

How to use it

  1. Enable the feature, then use the shortcut on the page whenever you need a clean look for a moment.
  2. Use the shortcut again to restore the highlight styles.

Keep in mind

  • This works per page and is useful when highlights interfere with reading, copying, or screenshots.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Advanced Settings

Advanced settings focus on precision, bulk input, scoped searching, data portability, and the new X-Ray context tools.

Feature 01

Grow found query size

PROVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Increases the font size of found matches to a fixed 25px so they stand out more strongly on the page.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced

How to use it

  1. Turn it on when normal highlighting is still too subtle on dense pages.

Keep in mind

  • Because it changes text size, it can shift the surrounding page layout more than a normal highlight does.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 02

Import excel or sheets file

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO limit increase

What it does

Imports many queries from a single .xlsx column so you do not have to enter them one by one.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Query list features

How to use it

  1. Upload an .xlsx file.
  2. Choose the source column and optionally the from and to row range.
  3. Process the file to append new queries to the current selected list.

Keep in mind

  • Duplicate queries are skipped and imported entries receive automatically assigned colors.
  • Very large imports can slow the browser while the page is being rescanned.
  • Free plans still obey the query count limit of the current list.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Load or save query list from file

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO limit increase

What it does

Exports the current selected query list to JSON or imports a previously saved list back into the current list.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Query list features

How to use it

  1. Download the current list when you want a reusable JSON backup of that list only.
  2. Use Download example if you want the expected import format.
  3. Upload a JSON file to append compatible queries to the currently selected list.

Keep in mind

  • Import expands the existing list instead of replacing it.
  • The JSON export/import format is meant for a single query list, while Backup and restore is the full-extension migration tool.
  • Duplicate queries are skipped during import.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 04

Saved query lists

FreePROVideo
Free with PRO limit increaseDefault: Default list only

What it does

Lets you keep separate named query sets and switch between them from the popup.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Query list features

How to use it

  1. Create a new named list when you want a different search set for another workflow.
  2. Switch the selected list from the dropdown before searching.
  3. Edit or delete list names from the same control block.

Keep in mind

  • Free plans support two lists total: the default list plus one additional list.
  • Switching the selected list changes which queries are active on the current page.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 05

Allowed websites

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Limits Highlighty to the website hosts you list and their subdomains.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > White/blacklist features

How to use it

  1. Enable the setting and enter comma-separated website domains, such as highlighty.app,linkedin.com.
  2. Leave it off when you do not want to limit Highlighty to a list of websites.

Keep in mind

  • An entry matches its exact website host and its subdomains; URL paths and unrelated hosts do not match.
  • An enabled list with no entries does not restrict websites.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 06

Disallowed websites

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Prevents Highlighty from running on the website hosts you list and their subdomains.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > White/blacklist features

How to use it

  1. Enable the setting and enter comma-separated website domains you want to block.

Keep in mind

  • If a site is disallowed, Highlighty will not run there even if it also appears in the allowed list.
  • An entry matches its exact website host and its subdomains; URL paths and unrelated hosts do not match.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 07

Case sensitivity

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Controls whether uppercase and lowercase characters must match exactly.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Searching options

How to use it

  1. Turn it on when case carries meaning, such as product codes, acronyms, or mixed-case identifiers.

Keep in mind

  • When off, Highlighty treats upper and lower case as equivalent for normal text queries.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 08

Diacritic sensitivity

FreeVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Controls whether accented or diacritic variants must match exactly.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Searching options

How to use it

  1. Turn it on when accents and diacritics are semantically important in your text.

Keep in mind

  • When off, Highlighty is more forgiving and can match accented and non-accented variations.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 12

Highlight form fields

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Paints your saved-query matches inside textareas and text-like inputs as you type, without ever modifying the field's real value. Highlights live in a separate overlay layer so copy, paste, undo, autocomplete, spellcheck, and form submission all see the literal typed text.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Searching options

How to use it

  1. Leave it on for most browsing. Saved queries highlight as you type into textareas and text-like inputs (text, search, email, url, tel) on any normal page, including web components that expose an open Shadow DOM.
  2. Open the popup and toggle it off only if a specific site renders the overlay badly. Disabling restores the field to fully native rendering instantly.

Keep in mind

  • The field's .value is never touched — what the page submits, copies, or autocompletes is always the literal text the user typed.
  • Caret, native selection, spellcheck, and autocomplete dropdowns all keep working normally. The overlay temporarily yields while a selection is active so the native selection background paints cleanly.
  • Highlights match the same per-query color and decoration style (underline, wavy, dotted, etc.) as on-page highlights, so visuals stay consistent.
  • Closed Shadow DOM and cross-origin iframes are unreachable by design.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 13

Live editor highlighting and limits

FreeVideo

What it does

On supported browsers, Highlighty uses the Custom Highlight API to paint saved-query matches inside many live editing surfaces without inserting highlight elements into the editor's text.

Where to find it

Supported contenteditable and live editor surfaces

How to use it

  1. Add a saved query, then type the same term into a supported editable region and inspect the painted match.
  2. If an editor does not show a match, check the normal page text first and try the browser's native Find for that editing region.

Keep in mind

  • The regular page highlighter avoids adding wrapper elements inside known editor frameworks. A separate painter registers visual ranges through CSS.highlights when that browser API is available.
  • Open editor shadow roots can be reached; closed roots and unsupported browser versions may not show these highlights.
  • Editor behavior varies by site. Do not assume a match inside every composer or code editor without checking it in the released extension.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 14

Highlighty X-Ray

FreeVideo
Default: On

What it does

Shows a draggable context minimap with snippets around every match so you can skim dense pages and jump to the right result faster.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Searching options

How to use it

  1. Leave the feature enabled and run a search on a page with active results.
  2. Use the floating panel to review context snippets grouped by query.
  3. Click a snippet to jump to that result on the page, or collapse, close, and drag the panel as needed.

Keep in mind

  • X-Ray appears only when there are active matches on the page.
  • It can mark results as visible, covered, hidden, stale, or needing opening when the hit lives inside collapsed page UI.
  • The panel remembers its closed, collapsed, and dragged state in local storage.
  • In PDF Search, X-Ray uses the left sidebar instead of a draggable page overlay.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 15

Backup and restore

PROVideo

What it does

Exports a full JSON backup of your settings and lists, or restores that backup on the same or another device.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Advanced > Backup & restore

How to use it

  1. Export a backup when you want to preserve your full setup or move it elsewhere.
  2. Import a backup JSON when you want to replace the current settings and lists with the saved state.

Keep in mind

  • Import replaces the active settings and list state rather than merging them.
  • This is the right tool for syncing a whole setup across devices, while list JSON export is better for a single list.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Analytics

Analytics is a separate PRO tab that helps you review local hit history for pages where active queries produced results, then export that data when needed.

Feature 01

Search analytics

PROVideo
Default: Off

What it does

Stores recent page-level hit counts for your queries, then shows them as a compact local history view with relative bars, CSV export, and cleanup controls.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Analytics

How to use it

  1. Open the Analytics tab and switch analytics on.
  2. Browse pages with active query hits so Highlighty can collect local hit counts.
  3. Return to the Analytics tab to review visits, export CSV, show more history, or clear the stored data.

Keep in mind

  • Analytics entries store the URL, visit time, per-query hit counts, and total sum.
  • Pages with no highlights are not added to the analytics history.
  • Highlighty keeps the history locally and clips it to the most recent 50 entries.
  • CSV export contains query, URL, date, and found amount rows.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Documentation Section

Account & Subscription

The Account tab handles sign-in, registered trial access, paid subscription management, and account-related actions.

Feature 01

Create an account and sign in

Free

What it does

Use the Account tab to register with email and password or sign back in to your existing Highlighty account.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Account

How to use it

  1. Open the Account tab and choose Register if you do not have an account yet.
  2. Read the linked Privacy Policy and Terms of Service in the registration view; signing up indicates consent.
  3. After registration, use the same tab later for normal login with your email and password.

Keep in mind

  • The popup switches between login, registration, and password reset flows in the same account area.
  • Successful registration signs you in. Email verification is required for a registered trial when offered, and for checkout.

Feature 02

Verify email and reset password

Free

What it does

Email verification is required for a registered trial when offered, and for checkout; the account form also supports password reset.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Account

How to use it

  1. Check your inbox after registration to finish account setup.
  2. If you need another verification email, use Send verification again in the signed-in Account tab.
  3. After opening the verification link, return to the Account tab. If you see I've verified my email, choose it to refresh your status. On versions without that button, sign out and sign back in with the same account.
  4. If you forgot your password, use Forgot password from the login view.

Keep in mind

  • The popup warns you when sign-in still needs one more inbox step before the registered trial can start.

Feature 03

Upgrade to PRO and manage subscription

FreePRO

What it does

Verified accounts can choose a PRO plan; the Account tab also refreshes status and shows management controls for an active paid plan.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Account

How to use it

  1. Install Highlighty if you have not already, then open the popup and go to settings > Account.
  2. Register and verify your email to unlock the registered trial on your account, when the offer is available.
  3. After verifying your email, return to Account. Choose I've verified my email if that button is available; otherwise, sign out and sign back in with the same account to reload your verification status.
  4. Open the subscription block in the Account tab and choose the monthly or yearly PRO plan when you are ready to upgrade.
  5. After purchase, use the refresh status control if you need to force a subscription re-check.
  6. If you already have an active subscription, use the management controls to modify or cancel it.

Keep in mind

  • The pricing page is linked from inside the subscription panel.
  • The UI distinguishes registered trial, active paid, canceled, and free states.
  • Choosing a paid plan starts billing immediately and ends any remaining trial time. A trial does not start paid billing automatically.

Feature 04

Delete my account and sign out

FreePRO

What it does

The Account tab includes Sign Out and a separate Delete account control that removes your account immediately, without contacting support.

Where to find it

Popup > settings > Account

How to use it

  1. Use Sign Out when you only want to leave the current account session.
  2. Use Delete account when you want to remove your account, then type DELETE to confirm.

Keep in mind

  • Deletion takes effect immediately and cannot be undone.
  • If you have an active subscription, cancel it first; deleting an account does not cancel billing.
  • Your highlights and settings stay in your browser; remove them by uninstalling the extension.
  • Deleting your account is not the same as simply signing out of the popup.

Documentation Section

Limits & Troubleshooting

These entries explain the main free-plan limits and the most common reasons why page results may not look the way you expect.

Feature 01

Free plan limits vs PRO

FreePRO

What it does

The free plan already covers the core multi-highlight workflow, while PRO unlocks more scale, more storage, and several productivity upgrades.

How to use it

  1. Expect up to five active queries in the current selected list on free.
  2. RegExp matching is a PRO feature, both in the popup and in the Cmd+F bar. On free, a saved query is always matched as plain text.
  3. Expect two lists total on free: the default list plus one additional list.

Keep in mind

  • Several popup features are visible with PRO labels so you can see what becomes available after upgrading.

Feature 02

When results look wrong or incomplete

FreeVideo

What it does

Most search surprises come from strict matching settings, manual mode, blocked sites, iframe limits, or page-specific rendering behavior.

How to use it

  1. Check whether the extension is turned on and whether the current site is blocked by allowed or disallowed website rules.
  2. If Manual search mode is active, trigger the search again with its shortcut.
  3. Review Case sensitivity, Diacritic sensitivity, Split search, and Complete phrase search if match counts seem too high or too low.
  4. Refresh the current tab after installing or updating the extension.

Keep in mind

  • iFrame search can still miss results on some embedded content because browser security limits access.
  • Navigation and visibility tools can be affected by hidden, covered, or collapsed page elements.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

Feature 03

Performance expectations on heavy pages

FreePROVideo

What it does

Highlighty scans the page DOM and applies styles to every hit, so extremely large pages or high query counts can cost real CPU time.

How to use it

  1. Reduce the number of active queries if a page becomes slow.
  2. Keep the minimum character limit on unless you truly need one-character search.
  3. Use strict matching settings or allowed site scopes when you want to reduce unnecessary work.

Keep in mind

  • Large imports, dense pages, iframe search, and dynamic-page rescanning can all increase load.

Video walkthrough

Use the clip as a visual companion to the written guide.

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