Support Center

BuddyBar works seamlessly across 13+ design and collaboration platforms:

Design Tools: Figma, Canva, Adobe Express, Spline, Framer, Webflow, Penpot
Collaboration: Miro, Notion
Google Workspace: Google Slides, Google Docs, Google Sheets
Microsoft Office: PowerPoint for Web, Word for Web, Excel for Web
E-Learning: Articulate Rise

The extension automatically activates when you're working in any of these tools, providing instant access to your color swatches and templates across your entire workflow.

Installation is simple:

1. Visit the Chrome Web Store and search for "BuddyBar"
2. Click "Add to Chrome"
3. Open any supported design tool (Figma, Canva, Google Slides, etc.)
4. BuddyBar will appear automatically at the top of your workspace

No configuration needed - it just works!

BuddyBar supports unlimited color swatches per template! Add as many colors as you need for your brand palette.

How it works:
• Click the + button to add new color swatches
• First 6 colors display directly in the bar
• Additional colors appear in an overflow panel (click the "+N" button to view)
• Drag and drop to reorder swatches
• Right-click any swatch to edit, rename, or delete it

You can also create multiple templates to organize different color sets (e.g., primary brand colors, seasonal palettes, client-specific colors).

Right-click any color swatch to open the color editor. You can:

• Rename the color (click the name at the top)
• Type a hex code directly (e.g., #FF5733)
• Click the color preview to see 6 automatic variations (lighter, darker, warmer, cooler, more/less saturated)
• Delete the color using the trash icon

Changes save automatically and sync across all browser tabs in real-time.

When you right-click a swatch and open the editor, click the color preview to reveal 6 automatic variations of that color:

• Lighter version (increased lightness)
• Darker version (decreased lightness)
• More saturated (increased saturation)
• Less saturated (decreased saturation)
• Warmer (shifted toward red/orange)
• Cooler (shifted toward blue)

This helps you quickly find complementary shades without leaving BuddyBar!

Simply drag and drop any color swatch to reorder them! This works for both the main swatches and those in the overflow panel.

The order is saved automatically and syncs across all your browser tabs.

To create a new template: Click the + button. This creates a blank template you can customize.

To switch templates: Use the dropdown menu to select any saved template.

To rename: Click the pencil icon and type a new name.

To delete: Click the × button (you must have at least one template).

BuddyBar makes team collaboration easy with export/import functionality:

To share a template:
1. Click the download icon (↓) in BuddyBar
2. This saves a .buddybar file with all colors and names
3. Share the file with your team via email, Slack, or cloud storage

To import a template:
• Drag and drop the .buddybar file onto BuddyBar, or
• Use your file manager to open the file

Everyone on your team can work with the same brand colors, no matter which design tool they use!

Press Alt+Shift+B (Windows) or Option+Shift+B (Mac) to toggle BuddyBar's visibility.

This is useful when you need more screen space or want to capture a clean screenshot.

Absolutely! While BuddyBar already supports 13+ popular design tools, I'm always looking to expand.

If you'd like to see BuddyBar work with a specific tool, please let me know using the contact form below. Popular requests get prioritized!

BuddyBar starts at an optimized default position for each design tool to avoid blocking important UI elements. However, you can drag it anywhere you prefer!

Simply drag the dots handle to move the bar to your preferred location. Your position preference is saved automatically for each tool.

Within the same browser: Your templates and colors sync automatically across all tabs in real-time using Chrome's storage API. Make a change in one tab, and it instantly appears in all other tabs!

Across devices: Templates don't automatically sync across different devices or browsers. Each device maintains its own set of templates. However, you can export templates as .buddybar files and import them on other devices to keep everything in sync.

Yes! Your color templates are stored in your browser and work seamlessly across all 13+ supported design tools.

Create a template in Figma, and it's immediately available in Canva, Google Slides, PowerPoint, and every other tool BuddyBar supports. This makes it easy to maintain brand consistency across your entire design workflow!

Try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Make sure you're in the editor/authoring view of your design tool (not the dashboard or file browser)
2. Refresh the page (Ctrl+R or Cmd+R)
3. Try the keyboard shortcut: Alt+Shift+B (Windows) or Option+Shift+B (Mac)
4. Check that the extension is enabled in Chrome's extension manager
5. Try disabling and re-enabling the extension
6. For some tools (like Spline and Adobe Express), BuddyBar may take a few extra seconds to load

If it still doesn't work, please contact support!

BuddyBar supports unlimited colors per template! Here's how it works:

Adding colors: Click the + button at the end of your color swatches to add as many colors as you need.

Viewing extra colors: BuddyBar shows 6 colors at a time. If you have more, you'll see a button like +2 or +5. Click it to view all your overflow colors in a popup panel.

Reordering: Simply drag and drop any swatch to rearrange your colors in the order you prefer!

Color variations help you quickly explore different shades and tones of your brand colors.

To access variations: Right-click any color swatch to open the editor, then click the color preview square. You'll see 6 automatic variations:

• Lighter - A softer, lighter version
• Darker - A deeper, richer version
• More Saturated - More vibrant and intense
• Less Saturated - More muted and subtle
• Warmer - Shifted toward red/orange tones
• Cooler - Shifted toward blue tones

Click any variation to apply it instantly. Perfect for creating color harmonies without leaving your workflow!

Yes! A native macOS desktop app is currently in development. 🎉

Beta testing will begin soon! If you'd like to be notified when it's available, please reach out using the contact form below.

BuddyBar is currently available for Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (like Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera).

It's not currently available for Firefox or Safari, but those versions may be considered in the future based on user demand.

Yes! BuddyBar is completely free to use. No hidden fees, no subscriptions, no account required.

I built it as a gift to the design and creative community to help make everyone's workflow a little easier.