Dev Tools · 1h ago
How a 12-year-old Chrome extension survives HN's DOM changes
A developer built a Chrome extension in 2014 to sort Hacker News posts, then largely ignored it for a decade. In 2024, he rewrote it with TypeScript and React, relying on fragile CSS selectors that break when HN updates its HTML. He now runs a daily GitHub Action to detect layout changes before users notice.
Meridian48 take
The story is a vivid reminder that even simple browser extensions require ongoing maintenance against unpredictable third-party DOM changes.
Read the full reporting
Keeping code alive on a DOM you don't own: 12-year Chrome extension story →
DEV Community
chrome-extensiondom-scraping