Pulse Annotate

What Pulse Annotate is

Pulse Annotate is the browser add-on for webpage QA and review. It lets you place numbered markers on a page, write notes, capture screenshots, keep session history in the side panel, and export a review package for Pulse AI, another LLM, or a human reviewer.

Pulse Annotate is not Pulse Record and it is not Pulse Narrate. Annotate is the Chrome extension for visual webpage feedback.

Section outline and media plan

Reader question	Pulse Annotate section	Media to use
When should I use it?	Visual feedback loop	Side panel screenshot showing an active session.
What does it produce?	Annotation package	Copy/export package screenshot showing review handoff.
What permissions are needed?	Browser permissions	Manifest-backed permission list below.
How do I recover when it fails?	Marker, screenshot, clipboard, and history recovery	Help Center recovery link for side panel and clipboard issues.

When to use it

Use Pulse Annotate when the problem is visual and the reviewer needs to see the exact page state. It is the right workflow for layout defects, wrong copy in context, broken controls, spacing issues, regression screenshots, and annotation-driven remediation.

Do not use Pulse Annotate for spoken input or deliverable voiceover. Use Pulse Record when you need to dictate text into a target app. Use Pulse Narrate when Pulse AI needs to generate audio proof for a response or deliverable.

Visual feedback loop

Pulse Annotate turns a page review into a visual feedback loop:

1. Open the page state that needs review.
2. Start a fresh Annotate session from the side panel.
3. Place one marker on the exact UI target.
4. Write the note as observed issue, expected change, and acceptance detail.
5. Repeat only for issues that belong to the same review pass.
6. Copy a focused annotation or export the full annotation package for the owner.

The visual marker is the source of truth. Text notes explain the marker; they do not replace it.

What it produces

Pulse Annotate produces an annotation package for review. A good package contains the page URL, session context, numbered markers, written notes, screenshots when capture is available, and copy/export output that can be attached to a task, Knowledge Item, or support thread.

Use copy for a single focused note. Use export when the reviewer needs the whole session history or when browser clipboard image handling is unreliable.

Install and setup

Use the public Chrome Web Store build when available, or install the reviewed public ZIP supplied by the Pulse AI release process.

1. Open Chrome's Extensions page.
2. Enable developer mode only if you are loading a local release ZIP during review.
3. Load or install Pulse Annotate.
4. Pin the extension if you want quick access from the toolbar.
5. Open a page you want to review.
6. Click Pulse Annotate and open the side panel.

The current public manifest is a Chrome Manifest V3 extension named Pulse Annotate. It uses side_panel.default_path: sidepanel.html, a background service worker, and one content overlay script for page markers.

Permissions to expect

Pulse Annotate asks for permissions that support user-initiated webpage annotation:

• storage keeps sessions, annotations, screenshots, tags, and side panel state locally.
• activeTab supports active-page screenshot capture and user-initiated page work.
• tabs reads the active tab title and URL so exported notes have review context.
• sidePanel opens the side panel surface.
• scripting injects the annotation overlay when needed.
• unlimitedStorage protects screenshot-heavy sessions from default quota limits.
• clipboardWrite supports copy actions.
• downloads saves session ZIP exports.
• <all_urls> lets you annotate arbitrary webpages you choose to review.

Chrome-restricted pages can still block capture or injection. That is expected browser behavior, not a Pulse AI account failure.

The current permission source is addons/pulse-annotate/manifest.json; it declares sidePanel, activeTab, downloads, and <all_urls> host access for the user-selected pages you review.

Session markers

When Annotate is active, clicking a page target creates a numbered marker and opens the composer. The marker number corresponds to the annotation record in the session. Use concise notes that name the expected change, the observed problem, and any acceptance detail the reviewer needs.

Good marker notes include:

• The visible issue.
• The expected behavior.
• Whether the issue is blocking or polish.
• Any account, viewport, or browser condition needed to reproduce it.

End a session when the review is complete so future markers do not mix with an older pass.

Side panel history

The side panel is the control center for active and past sessions. It shows session names, created time, tags, annotation counts, and ended state. Use tags to group sessions by surface, QA pass, release, or customer flow.

The side panel history is local to the browser profile. If you change Chrome profiles, clear extension data, or install a different extension build, prior sessions may not appear.

Copy and export behavior

Pulse Annotate supports two review handoff paths:

• Copy actions write user-requested annotation packets to the browser clipboard.
• Export actions save a session ZIP package to Downloads.

The public build does not request nativeMessaging. The repository still contains a native pasteboard bridge for internal/native release paths, but that is not part of the public Chrome Web Store build. In the public build, file attachment behavior depends on normal browser clipboard support.

Session ZIP exports are intended for review and archive. They include session context, annotation notes, and screenshots when available.

QA workflow

Use Annotate when a visual issue needs page context.

1. Start a fresh session for the flow under review.
2. Capture one issue per marker.
3. Use tags that match the QA pass or launch task.
4. Copy a single annotation when you only need one focused note.
5. Export the full session when the reviewer needs the whole path.
6. Attach the ZIP or pasted packet to the task, Knowledge Item, or support thread that owns the work.

For launch review, keep the session tied to one product surface. Do not combine unrelated pages into a single session unless the problem is explicitly cross-page.

Recover when it fails

If the side panel opens but markers do not appear, reload the webpage and reopen Annotate. Some pages block extension scripts or run inside frames Annotate does not target.

If screenshot capture fails, check whether the current page is a Chrome internal page, extension page, protected browser surface, or permission-restricted context.

If clipboard image copy is inconsistent, use the ZIP export. Browser image clipboard writes are best-effort and can vary by Chrome version and destination app.

If history disappears, check the Chrome profile and whether extension storage was cleared. Annotate stores sessions locally.

If a downloaded package is missing expected screenshots, rerun the capture on the visible page state and export again.

Troubleshooting belongs in Help Center once the product behavior is clear. Start with Pulse Annotate support, Pulse Annotate side panel will not open, and Pulse Annotate clipboard copy is not working.

Next: Pulse Record, Pulse Narrate, and Security & Privacy.