Why we built the Atono browser extension

To us, it’s a requirement, not just a feature.

When we set out to build the Atono browser extension, we weren’t just looking for another feature to add to the checklist. We were solving two very real, very stressful problems: the need for instant feature rollbacks and the frustration of incomplete bug reports.

Let’s dive into why these pain points mattered so much to us and how the browser extension became the best way to tackle them.

Fast feature rollbacks – when seconds count

Imagine this… you release a new feature and almost immediately things go sideways. Maybe it’s causing unexpected issues for your users, or it wasn’t fully polished and ready for release. Either way, you need to roll it back – like right now.

Of course that’s where feature flags come in. They let you toggle features on or off without redeploying code. But when seconds count, you want instant access to those flags – toggling through a browser extension is the fastest way to roll back a feature directly from the context of the application itself. Seconds can make the difference between irritating a customer and widespread application impact. And for those moments, having rollback controls right at your fingertips in the browser is the bomb.

Bug reporting without the runaround

Now let’s talk about defects, but let’s call them something cute like ‘bugs’. We’ve all been there – you get a bug report that’s missing half the information you need to reproduce the issue. You go back to the reporter for more details, but by the time they respond, they might not be able to recreate the problem – or they may not have the technical tools to provide things like console logs or network requests.

With our browser extension, bug reporting is smarter. It automatically collects critical details like logs and browser context when a user reports a bug. That means no more back-and-forth trying to piece together what went wrong. By frontloading all the heavy lifting, the extension helps teams fix bugs faster and more effectively. And honestly, it’s a game-changer for non-technical users who wouldn’t know where to start with gathering that kind of information on their own.

Why a browser extension?

These capabilities – fast feature toggles and detailed bug reporting – are only possible with a browser extension. The browser’s APIs allow us to access the necessary data and context directly from the application environment. While other bug reporting tools exist that offer similar functionality, they’re often siloed and don’t integrate with broader workflows. Atono’s extension changes that by wrapping these tools into a seamless experience that aligns with everything else we do, with less stress.

More than a nice-to-have

Ultimately, the decision to build the Atono browser extension came down to one thing: helping teams move faster and solve problems more effectively. Whether it’s rolling back a feature in seconds or submitting a bug report that’s ready to act on, the extension empowers teams to stay agile, reduce downtime, and keep users happy. For us, that’s not just a feature – it’s a necessity.