Installing the Herd Extension

The Herd extension is the client component that allows your browser to be remotely managed. This guide provides detailed instructions for installing the extension on different browsers.

Chrome Installation

The Herd extension is primarily designed for Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers. Follow these steps to install:

Standard Installation

1. Download the Herd extension from your dashboard by clicking “Download Herd” in the navigation bar
2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions
3. Enable “Developer mode” by toggling the switch in the top-right corner
4. Drag and drop the downloaded herd-latest.zip file onto the extensions page
5. Chrome will automatically install the extension

Verifying Installation

After installation, you should see the Herd extension in your extensions list. To verify it’s working correctly:

1. Look for the Herd icon in your browser toolbar
2. If it’s not visible, click the puzzle piece icon to see all extensions and pin the Herd extension
3. The icon should be colored, indicating it’s ready to be connected

Installation on Other Browsers

While Herd works best with Chrome, it’s also compatible with other Chromium-based browsers:

Microsoft Edge

1. Download the Herd extension zip file
2. Open Edge and navigate to edge://extensions
3. Enable “Developer mode” using the toggle in the left sidebar
4. Drag and drop the herd-latest.zip file onto the extensions page
5. Follow the prompts to complete installation

Brave Browser

1. Download the Herd extension zip file
2. Open Brave and navigate to brave://extensions
3. Enable “Developer mode” in the top-right corner
4. Drag and drop the herd-latest.zip file onto the extensions page
5. Confirm the installation when prompted

Enterprise Deployment

For enterprise environments, you may want to deploy the Herd extension to multiple browsers. Here are some options:

Chrome Enterprise Policy

You can use Chrome Enterprise policies to automatically install and configure the Herd extension:

1. Extract the Herd extension zip file to a network location accessible to all users
2. Configure a policy to force-install extensions from a local path
3. Set up the appropriate extension settings via policy

Manual Distribution

For smaller teams, you can manually distribute the extension:

1. Download the extension once
2. Share the zip file with team members
3. Provide them with instructions for installation
4. Create device registrations for each team member in your Herd dashboard

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

If you encounter issues during installation, try these solutions:

Extension Won’t Install

• Make sure Developer mode is enabled in your browser’s extensions page
• Check that you’re using a supported browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave)
• Verify that the zip file wasn’t corrupted during download (try re-downloading)
• Make sure you’re dragging the zip file itself, not an extracted folder

Extension Installed But Not Working

• Check if the extension is enabled in your browser
• Try restarting your browser
• Verify that you’ve completed the device registration process
• Check your browser’s console for any error messages

For more troubleshooting tips, see our Troubleshooting guide.