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greasyboii/QUICKSTART.md
2025-10-16 11:58:46 +01:00

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Greasemonkey Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Greasemonkey in 5 minutes!

Installation

Chrome

  1. Open Chrome
  2. Go to chrome://extensions/
  3. Enable "Developer mode" (top-right toggle)
  4. Click "Load unpacked"
  5. Select the chrome folder
  6. Done! 🎉

Firefox

  1. Open Firefox
  2. Go to about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox
  3. Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
  4. Select firefox/manifest.json
  5. Done! 🎉

Your First Rule

Let's create a simple rule that changes Google's background color:

  1. Click the Greasemonkey icon in your browser toolbar
  2. Click "+ Add Rule"
  3. Fill in the form:
    • Rule Name: Google Dark Background
    • Match Type: URL contains string
    • URL Pattern: google.com
    • CSS Code:
      body {
        background-color: #1a1a1a !important;
        color: #e0e0e0 !important;
      }
      
    • Leave JavaScript blank
    • Keep Enabled checked
  4. Click "Save Rule"
  5. Visit google.com and see the dark background!

Testing with Test Page

A test page is included: test-page.html

  1. Open test-page.html in your browser
  2. Create a rule:
    • Rule Name: Test Page Alert
    • Match Type: Page contains element
    • Element Selector: #test-element-1
    • JavaScript Code:
      alert('Greasemonkey is working!');
      
  3. Reload the test page
  4. You should see an alert!

Common Use Cases

Hide Annoying Elements

.advertisement,
.popup-banner,
#cookie-notice {
  display: none !important;
}

Change Colors

body {
  background-color: #1a1a1a !important;
  color: #ffffff !important;
}

Auto-Click Buttons

const button = document.querySelector('.accept-button');
if (button) button.click();

Add Custom Content

const banner = document.createElement('div');
banner.textContent = 'Custom banner added by Greasemonkey!';
banner.style.cssText = 'position:fixed;top:0;width:100%;background:red;color:white;padding:10px;z-index:9999;';
document.body.insertBefore(banner, document.body.firstChild);

Tips

  • Use !important in CSS to override existing styles
  • Check the console (F12) for error messages
  • Start simple and test before adding complex rules
  • Toggle rules off if they cause problems
  • Element selectors can be found by right-clicking → Inspect Element

Troubleshooting

Rule not working?

  • ✓ Is the rule enabled? (check the toggle)
  • ✓ Does the URL pattern match? (try a shorter string)
  • ✓ Does the element exist? (test in console: document.querySelector('selector'))
  • ✓ Did you reload the page?

CSS not applying?

  • Add !important to CSS rules
  • Check for syntax errors

JavaScript not running?

  • Check browser console (F12) for errors
  • Test code in console first

Next Steps

  • Read the full README.md for detailed documentation
  • See BUILD.md for distribution instructions
  • Experiment with different selectors and code
  • Share your rules with others!

Example: Complete Rule

Here's a complete rule that works on GitHub to highlight pull requests:

  • Rule Name: GitHub PR Highlight
  • Match Type: Both URL and element
  • URL Pattern: github.com
  • Element Selector: .js-issue-row
  • CSS Code:
    .js-issue-row {
      border-left: 4px solid #28a745 !important;
      background-color: #f0fff4 !important;
    }
    
  • JavaScript Code:
    console.log('GitHub PR highlighting active');
    

Help

Need help? Check:

  • Browser console (F12) for errors
  • README.md for full documentation
  • Element inspector to find correct selectors

Happy scripting! 🐒✨