Install TraceGist

TraceGist is distributed as a zip you load yourself. It is not on the Chrome Web Store, so nothing is installed without your say-so and the code you run is the code you unpacked.

Free to use, including at work and for clients, under the TraceGist License. Not open source. By downloading you accept the license.

Get told when a new version ships

There is no auto-update. Without this there is no way for us to tell you about a new release or a security fix, so we recommend it, but the download works either way.

No thanks, just download v1.1.0

Version 1.1.0 · zip install · there is no auto-update. To upgrade, download this file again and unzip it over your existing folder, then hit reload on the TraceGist card in chrome://extensions.

Installation steps

  1. 1 Download the zip file above and unzip it to a permanent folder.
  2. 2 Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions.
  3. 3 Enable Developer Mode using the toggle in the top-right corner.
  4. 4 Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder.
  5. 5 Grant microphone access before your first session. Voice markers need it, and starting a recording from the popup is blocked without it. On a machine with no working microphone the popup will refuse to start. The Alt/Option + Shift + R hotkey is not gated: it will start a recording with no working microphone, and your voice markers will be silent. Open the TraceGist popup and click Set up next to the microphone notice; it opens a dedicated permission page and walks you through the browser prompt.
  6. 6 Pin the TraceGist icon to your toolbar for quick access.

Keyboard shortcuts

Alt/Option + Shift + R Start / stop recording
Alt/Option + Shift + M Drop a voice marker
Alt/Option + Shift + S Toggle highlight capture mode (only active within a voice marker)

Global shortcuts: they work in any tab while the extension is active.

Using a coding agent? See the agent integration guide to connect the MCP bridge.