Docs Getting started Install the Chrome extension
Getting started · 04 of 05

Install the Chrome extension — 3 minutes.

Once installed, Mama lives in your browser as a side panel that opens on any LinkedIn profile, search page, or company page. 80% of brief generation happens here, not in the web app. Two install paths — Chrome Web Store (recommended) or developer-load.

Time: 3 minutes · Prereqs: Chrome (or Brave/Edge), Mama account · Updated: 2026-05-25 · Version covered: v0.3

TL;DR

Go to the Chrome Web Store → search "Signal Mama" → Add to Chrome → Pin the icon → Click it → Sign in. Then open any LinkedIn profile and you'll see the side panel auto-prompt. The keyboard shortcut is + + M on Mac, Ctrl + + M on Windows.

Two install paths

Pick the one that matches your situation. Almost everyone uses the Web Store path.

Developer load Advanced

For Mama design partners on pre-release builds, or anyone wanting to see the code.

  • Download the extension zip from your team's chrome-extension/ folder or our shared drop
  • Unzip locally
  • Go to chrome://extensions → enable Developer mode
  • Click Load unpacked and select the unzipped folder

01Install

01
60 sec

Add to Chrome from the Web Store

The Web Store listing handles signing, versioning, and auto-updates. Once added, Chrome installs the extension in the background and you'll see a small confirmation popup.

[ Screenshot · Chrome Web Store listing with "Add to Chrome" button highlighted, 4.8★ rating, install count, screenshots of side panel ]
Expected"Signal Mama has been added to Chrome" confirmation toast appears in the top-right.
GotchaIf you're on managed Chrome (company-locked browser), your IT may need to approve the extension. We have a published Workspace policy for this — see the IT-managed Chrome section below.

02Pin the icon

02
15 sec

Pin Mama to the toolbar so it's always one click away

By default, Chrome hides new extensions behind the puzzle-piece icon. Click the puzzle piece, find Signal Mama, click the pin icon. The Mama logo now lives directly in your toolbar.

[ Screenshot · puzzle-piece dropdown with Mama row, pin icon highlighted ]
ExpectedMama's violet circle logo appears in your top-right toolbar permanently.

03Click the icon and sign in

03
45 sec

Open the popup and authenticate with your Mama account

First click opens a small popup. Click Sign in — this opens a new tab on signalmama.com/extension-auth, where you'll log in with your work email or Google SSO. After auth, the tab auto-closes and the extension is now bound to your workspace.

[ Screenshot · extension popup with violet "Sign in to Signal Mama" button + workspace logo placeholder ]
ExpectedPopup updates to show your name, workspace, and current plan tier. Side panel becomes available.
GotchaIf you have multiple Mama workspaces (e.g., trial + paid org), you'll see a workspace picker. Pick the one you want the extension bound to. You can swap later from the popup settings gear.

04Open the side panel

04
15 sec

Two ways to open it — icon click or keyboard

Click the Mama icon in the toolbar and the side panel slides in from the right of your browser window. Or use the keyboard shortcut:

Mac: ++M
Windows / Linux: Ctrl++M

The shortcut works on any tab. It's worth committing to muscle memory — power users hit it 30+ times a day.

ExpectedSide panel opens from the right, ~360px wide, with the Mama header + the contextual content for whatever page you're on.
GotchaThe shortcut is remappable from chrome://extensions/shortcuts if it conflicts with another extension you use.

05Visit a LinkedIn profile to see Mama in action

05
30 sec

Open any LinkedIn profile and click the Mama icon

Go to any LinkedIn profile URL (your own works fine for testing). Open the side panel. Mama auto-detects you're on a profile and shows: person details, company context, suggested opener (3-tone generator), and a "Generate brief for this company" button.

On a LinkedIn search results page, Mama detects the list and shows the bulk-save toolbar — checkbox each row, click Save N to Mama to add them all at once.

On a company LinkedIn page, you see the same brief CTA plus quick stats.

[ Screenshot · LinkedIn profile with Mama side panel showing person details + opener generator + "Generate brief" CTA ]
ExpectedYou see the person's name, current role, recent activity in the side panel. The opener generator has 3 tabs (Cold / Warm / Curious) with predicted-reply badges per tone.
GotchaIf the side panel says "Sign in to see this content" even though you signed in, your session expired. Click Sign in again — usually a single-click re-auth.

Post-install checklist

Run through this once after install — these are the 5 things that make the extension actually useful.

The 5 things to do after install

  • Pin the icon — it should live in your toolbar permanently, not hidden behind the puzzle piece.
  • Remap the shortcut if needed — at chrome://extensions/shortcuts. Make sure it doesn't conflict with what you already use.
  • Confirm workspace binding — open the popup, check the workspace name in the header. If you have multiple Mama orgs, make sure it's the right one.
  • Open the side panel on a real prospect's LinkedIn — not a test profile. This is the moment the extension's value clicks.
  • Try the bulk-save flow — go to LinkedIn search results, select 5 prospects, click Save. Confirms the content-script injection is working.

IT-managed Chrome (enterprise)

If your company manages Chrome via Google Workspace policy, your IT admin can deploy Mama via the Chrome Web Store admin console.

  • Extension ID for whitelisting: (provided on request — email [email protected])
  • Force-install policy: standard ExtensionInstallForcelist entry
  • SSO: extension supports Workspace SSO — users sign in with their Google account, no separate password

Most enterprise IT teams approve within 1-2 business days once they see the permissions list (read & write on LinkedIn domains, side panel API, storage API). We're happy to jump on a call with your IT lead — email [email protected].

Common install mistakes

Installing the extension on a personal Chrome profile then trying to sign in with work email
Chrome profiles are isolated. The Mama session lives in that profile's storage. Make sure you're in your work profile (top-right avatar in Chrome) before installing.
Not pinning the icon
Hidden behind the puzzle piece, the icon is 2 clicks away instead of 1. The shortcut helps but new users forget the shortcut for the first week. Pin it.
Ignoring the bulk-save toolbar on search pages
Most new users discover bulk-save in week 2 and immediately wish they'd known earlier. It's the highest-leverage feature in the extension. Try it on day 1.
Using the extension on linkedin.com/feed (the home feed)
The feed is not a profile or a search — Mama has nothing to anchor on. The side panel will show the default Mama dashboard. The magic happens on profile + search + company pages.
Closing the side panel and forgetting the shortcut
Re-opening from the toolbar icon is fine but slow. Commit the shortcut to muscle memory in week 1 — it pays back every day after.
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