One of the best and most popular features of the Firefox web browser is the browser’s extension support.
Extensions are additions to the web browser that add new features and options to it.
The 5 essential Firefox extensions that this article covers are essential to my Firefox setup. It should be clear that this is a personal selection and that you may have different requirements depending on how you use the browser.
Most users will probably come up with a different set of Firefox extensions that they call essential based on their web browser usage.
1. Last Pass
Probably the top Firefox extension that I do not want to live without anymore. It is a password manager that stores the encrypted data on the Last Pass website.
It comes with a password generator, auto-login and auto-fill opportunities, a form filler, secure note taking and one time passwords that can be used to access the stored passwords once when connecting from unsecure systems.
Last Pass comes not only as a Firefox extension but also for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Google Chrome, as a pocket installation to be put on USB sticks and for mobile devices and browsers.
The developers have created a bookmarklet as well that can be used to access the passwords from other web browsers as well.
2. NoScript
Second in line is the security extension NoScript which disables all scripts on all websites by default.
Scripts, for example JavaScript or Flash, are one of the most prominent ways of attacking a computer system.
This is the essential security extension for the Firefox web browser.
Scripts can be activated manually after a website has been loaded or automatically by using whitelists in the software. The extension contains lots of settings and options to tinker with.
3. Greasemonkey
Greasemonkey is an extension that allows users to change various aspects of websites. The scripts are usually powered by JavaScript and can for example change the design of websites by adding or removing elements.
It can also be used to add new functionality to a website, e.g. adding download links on Youtube directly so that the videos can be downloaded easily. Thousands of so called userscripts can be accessed at general repositories of userscripts. It offers scripts for many popular websites and services.
4. Snap Links Plus
Snap Links Plus is a very handy add-on for a specific purpose. It allows to draw a rectangle on the screen using the right-mouse button by default which will open all major links found in that rectangle in new tabs.
This is for example very useful on forums where a lot of threads can be opened easily using that add-on. It shines when it comes to link lists of any kind. I personally use it to open a full page of forum threads at once without having to click a dozen times to do so.
5. Tiny Menu
I like the Firefox menu to be as tiny and optimized as possible. Tiny menu helps by compressing the file menu into one menu item that fits perfectly into the Firefox toolbar.
Lets start the discussion. I know that you will suggest different add-ons and I’m eager to listen.