Build a Font Identifier Chrome Extension You Can Monetize

🔠 Ever come across a cool font while browsing the web and wish you could instantly figure out what it is?

What if you could create a chrome extension that did this for you - and even made you money.

In this edition of the Easy Startup Ideas newsletter, we’ll walk you through how to create and monetize a font identifier Chrome extension—a simple tool that solves a common problem for designers and developers while offering low maintenance and strong recurring revenue potential.

Today’s Idea

A simple Chrome extension that allows users to identify fonts on any webpage by hovering over text. The extension would display the font name, size, weight, color, and other key styling details directly in a tooltip or sidebar.

Ideal Customer

• Designers – Graphic and web designers who need to identify fonts quickly for inspiration or client work.

• Developers – Front-end developers working on UI/UX consistency or needing to replicate specific designs.

• Marketers and Content Creators – Professionals who want to match or replicate fonts for branding purposes.

Why It Will Succeed

1. Simplicity and Utility – No need to inspect the CSS manually or use complex tools — instant results with a hover.

2. Existing Market Demand – Tools like WhatFont and FontFace Ninja are popular but slightly overcomplicated or outdated.

3. Easy to Build and Maintain – Chrome extensions have clear APIs and developer support. The core functionality is straightforward using modern JavaScript libraries.

4. SEO and Organic Discovery – Chrome extensions are discoverable through the Chrome Web Store and targeted keywords (e.g., “identify font,” “font checker”).

This type of tool exists in a few forms (e.g., WhatFont and FontFace Ninja), but they have some clear flaws:

• Outdated UI or slow performance

• Lack of detailed font data (e.g., letter spacing, line height)

• Poor user experience (e.g., clunky interfaces)

By building a cleaner, faster, and more accurate tool with a simple and intuitive interface, this extension could outperform existing solutions.

Key advantages:
✅ Faster load times and better UI than competitors
✅ More detailed font information (beyond just font family and size)
✅ Hover-based detection for immediate feedback
✅ Strong market demand from designers and developers

Getting Started and Building an MVP

Development Environment

• Visual Studio Code – Code editor for writing and testing the extension

• GitHub – Version control and hosting for the codebase

• Chrome Developer Tools – For testing and debugging the extension

Core Technologies

• JavaScript – Core logic for reading font properties from the DOM

• HTML/CSS – UI for the tooltip and extension interface

• Chrome Extension API – To create and manage the extension

Libraries and APIs

• FontFace API (free) – Detect and load fonts directly from the browser

• Google Fonts API (free) – Provide font details and matching recommendations

• Tesseract.js (optional) – For OCR-based font detection in images

How to Build the MVP

Consult ChatGPT or Claude on exactly how to build this extension if unfamiliar with coding. These tools are powerful resources when building apps and websites from scratch.

1. Set up the extension

   • Create a manifest.json file with basic extension metadata and permissions

   • Set permissions to allow reading and modifying the DOM

2. Write the content script

   • Use document.querySelector() to detect font properties like:

     • Font family

     • Font size

     • Font weight

     • Color

   • Extract font data using the getComputedStyle() method

3. Create a tooltip UI

   • Build a tooltip in HTML/CSS

   • Use JavaScript to dynamically position it near the hovered text

4. Add customization options

   • Create an options page where users can:

     • Enable/disable font details

     • Adjust the tooltip display

5. Test the extension

   • Load the extension in Chrome Developer Mode

   • Fix any performance issues or conflicts

6. Publish it to the Chrome Web Store

   • Add high-quality screenshots

   • Write a compelling description with strong SEO keywords

Monetization Strategies

1. Freemium Model

   • Free version: Detects basic font details

   • Pro version (monthly fee or single lifetime purchase): Offers advanced data (letter-spacing, line height, font file links)

2. Affiliate Links

   • Partner with Google Fonts or MyFonts

   • Earn a commission when users purchase suggested fonts

3. Subscription-Based Model

   • Monthly or yearly fee for deeper font analysis and advanced customization.

4. White-Label Option

   • License the tool to design agencies or web development companies

5. In-Extension Ads

   • Display relevant ads for design and development tools

Marketing Strategies

1. Chrome Web Store Optimization

   • Target keywords like:

     • "Identify font on webpage"

     • "Font checker"

     • "Font scanner"

2. Community Outreach

   • Share in design and developer forums:

     • Reddit’s r/webdev and r/design

     • Stack Overflow

     • Designer Hangout

3. Content Marketing

   • Write blog posts:

     • "How to Identify Fonts on a Website"

     • "Best Font Tools for Designers"

   • Create YouTube tutorials and demos

4. Influencer Outreach

   • Contact web designers and developers with large followings

   • Offer free trials or early access for reviews

5. Direct Outreach to Design Agencies

   • Offer the tool directly to design firms and front-end development teams

Expanding and Improving

1. AI-Powered Font Matching

   • Use machine learning to recommend similar fonts

2. Cross-Browser Support

   • Expand to Firefox and Edge

3. Mobile Compatibility

   • Build a companion mobile app or extension for Safari on iOS

4. Export to Design Tools

   • Allow direct export to Figma, Adobe XD, and Sketch

5. Dark Mode and Customization

   • Let users adjust the UI color and layout

Brainstormed Business Names

1. FontFinder

2. TypeScout

3. FontSnap

4. FontInsight

5. HoverFont

6. FontCheckr

7. TypeDetect

8. FontFox

9. WhatType

10. StyleScan

Thanks for checking out another edition of Easy Startup Ideas!

As an Amazon Associate and affiliate of various partnership programs, the owner of this publication may receive commissions to linked products or services in this newsletter at no additional expense to the reader.