# Freelance & Gmail Alert Notifier - Chrome Extension

## Project Overview
Freelance & Gmail Alert Notifier is a sophisticated Chrome extension designed to help freelancers and professionals stay on top of important notifications from Upwork, Fiverr, and Gmail. The extension monitors these platforms in real-time and plays customizable audio alerts when new notifications are detected, ensuring you never miss a potential job opportunity or important email. Built with Chrome's Manifest V3 architecture, it provides reliable notification detection with minimal resource usage.

## Key Features
- **Multi-Platform Monitoring**: Simultaneously tracks notifications from Upwork, Fiverr, and Gmail
- **Custom Audio Upload**: Upload and use your own audio files for personalized alert sounds
- **Repeat Functionality**: Configure sound playback to repeat 1-20 times for important alerts
- **Advanced Gmail Detection**: Multiple detection methods including page title parsing, DOM element scanning, and inbox count tracking
- **Offscreen Audio Playback**: Utilizes Chrome's offscreen API for reliable, uninterrupted audio playback in Manifest V3
- **Debug Mode**: Comprehensive logging system for troubleshooting and monitoring extension behavior
- **Sound Control**: Real-time stop/start controls for audio playback through the popup interface
- **Persistent Settings**: All configurations stored locally and persist across browser sessions
- **Test Functions**: Built-in testing utilities to validate notification detection and sound playback
- **Error Handling**: Robust error management with detailed logging for troubleshooting
- **User-Friendly Interface**: Clean, intuitive popup interface for easy configuration

## Technical Stack
- **Extension Architecture**: Chrome Manifest V3 with service worker background script
- **Content Scripts**: JavaScript injection for monitoring Upwork, Fiverr, and Gmail pages
- **Offscreen API**: Dedicated offscreen document for reliable audio playback
- **Storage API**: Chrome's local storage for settings persistence
- **Messaging API**: Background-content script communication for real-time notifications
- **DOM Manipulation**: Advanced selectors for detecting platform-specific notification elements
- **Audio Processing**: Base64 encoding for custom audio file storage
- **Permissions**: Minimal permissions (storage, scripting, offscreen) with targeted host access
- **Web Accessible Resources**: Secure audio file handling with proper resource declarations
- **Error Logging**: Comprehensive console logging with emoji indicators for easy debugging

## Technical Implementation
The extension uses a three-layer architecture:
1. **Content Scripts** monitor each platform's DOM for notification changes using MutationObserver and periodic checks
2. **Service Worker** manages the extension lifecycle, message routing, and offscreen document creation
3. **Offscreen Document** handles audio playback independently from the main extension context

Detection methods include:
- **Upwork**: Monitors notification badge elements with data-test attributes
- **Fiverr**: Tracks notification count badges in the navigation header
- **Gmail**: Multiple detection strategies including title parsing, inbox element scanning, and unread email DOM counting

## Business Impact
- Helps freelancers respond faster to job opportunities on Upwork and Fiverr
- Reduces missed opportunities by providing persistent audio alerts
- Increases productivity by eliminating the need to constantly check multiple platforms
- Customizable alert system adapts to individual user preferences and workflows
- Debug mode enables quick troubleshooting for optimal reliability
- Lightweight design ensures minimal impact on browser performance

Freelance & Gmail Alert Notifier

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