My journey to the best Chrome Extension boilerplate

Introduction

I wanted to make a new Chrome extension without knowing much about how to do it. Since I already knew how to use React, I was looking for something that could let me use React for my project. My project was to make a “Pomodoro Timer for Google Calendar” extension. This means I wanted to create a timer that helps people work in short, focused bursts while they are using Google Calendar. To start, I found 3 different starting points (boilerplates) that could help me build my extension.

Boilerplate 1: chrome-extension-boilerplate-react

I started my search with the chrome-extension-boilerplate-react, which I found right at the top when I looked up “Chrome extension boilerplate.” It seemed promising at first glance. Here’s the link to it: chrome-extension-boilerplate-react on GitHub.

However, I stumbled upon a comment on Reddit that led me to an issue posted on their GitHub. It highlighted a significant error that occurs when trying to add a content script to a third-party website using HTTPS. This kind of problem could really affect my project, especially since it relies on working smoothly with Google Calendar, a secure site.

Adding to my concerns was the fact that the last update to the boilerplate was…