Google has just launched an extension for Chrome to generate sharing links redirecting to a specific block of text on a web page.
The longer the web pages, the more difficult it is to explain to a third party how to find an interesting passage. To make it easier for users, Google has just launched a browser extension, Link to Text Fragment, which allows you to create a sharing link to a specific location on a web page.
The URL created by the extension consists of the base URL and a suffix that will automatically redirect to a specific location on the page when it is loaded in the browser.
1. Download the extension
First, download the Link to Text Fragment extension. Working on all Chromium-based web browsers (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, Opera, Vivaldi, etc.), this extension offered by Google is completely free.
- Download Link to Text Fragment for Google Chrome (Free)
2. Create an anchor link
Once the extension is installed, go to the web page you want to share. Put the text box you want the URL to redirect to, then right click choose Copy Link to Selected Text. The generated URL, consisting of the base URL plus a redirector suffix, is copied to your computer’s clipboard.
All you have to do is paste the contents of the clipboard and share the URL created with a third party. When the user clicks on the link, the page will automatically load at the desired location while highlighting the block of text in question.
Please note, however, that the extension only works on web browsers based on Chromium in version 80 and above. The links created, opened on other browsers, will simply open the page, without positioning it on the chosen block of text.