Introducing urlNeXT v2.0.0 – The Ultimate Sequence Navigator Upgraded to Manifest V3

It has been quite a while since I first built urlNeXT, but I recently decided to dust off this old project and give it a modern overhaul. Today, I am excited to announce the release of urlNeXT version 2.0.0!

If you frequently browse web galleries, documentation, forum threads, or multi-page search results, this extension was built to save you a ton of clicks.

Here is a breakdown of what’s new, how it works under the hood, and why this version is lighter and faster than ever.

What is urlNeXT?

At its core, urlNeXT is a universal sequential navigation utility. It helps you jump to the "next" or "previous" page automatically without needing to hunt down the page's native pagination links.

It works using a two-tier strategy:

1. Smart DOM Detection: It scans the web page for native pagination anchors (like Google, Bing, or Yahoo search pages, Blogger pages, or standard rel="next" / rel="prev" tags).

2. Intelligent URL Sequencing (Fallback): If the website doesn't have explicit next/prev links, urlNeXT parses the active URL string, finds numeric sequences (e.g., page=1, 001.jpg), and mathematically increments or decrements that number to transition you forward or backward.

What's New in Version 2.0.0?

1. Full Migration to Manifest V3 (MV3)

Google is phasing out older extension formats, so urlNeXT has been completely "rewritten from scratch" (a.k.a: writing prompt from scratch to Gemini to do the upgrade 😜) to adhere to modern Manifest V3 architecture. The extension now relies on a streamlined service worker structure that keeps background memory usage close to zero when you aren't actively navigating.

2. Lightweight & In-Memory Operation

urlNeXT is designed to have a near-zero footprint on your system resources. It doesn't bloat your browser or hog memory because it handles all logic dynamically. No data is ever written to your disk, and no persistent logs are kept. All active tab states are processed temporarily in-memory and completely vanish the moment you close the tab or your browser session.

3. Expanded Out-of-the-Box Pagination Support

The content scanning engine has been refined to instantly support major search providers and publishing layouts:

• Google Search: Seamless tracking using Google's native pagination targets (pnnext/pnprev).

• Bing & Yahoo Search: Direct support for native pagination classes and element layouts.

• Blogger / Blogspot: Automatic extraction of older/newer post navigation paths.

• Standard Web Standards: Universal parsing for explicit rel="next", rel="prev", and textual indicators (like Next > or « Prev).

How to Use urlNeXT

⌨️ Keyboard Navigation

If you prefer keeping your hands on the keyboard, you can navigate without touching your mouse using these global shortcuts:

• Next Page: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + Right Arrow

• Previous Page: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + Left Arrow

• Force Re-Scan: Alt + Shift + Ctrl + O (forces a refresh scan of the current page's links)

🔬 Single-Click Action Overlay

Clicking the extension icon in your toolbar will immediately execute the default directional navigation. When a page transition triggers, a clean, high-contrast animated arrow overlay renders on screen, indicating exactly which direction you are flipping through the sequence.

🎛️ Tab-Bound Configuration

If a URL features multiple numeric sequences (for example, website.com/chapter-05/page-001.html), you can open the extension's Options Page to customize your experience.

The options window will display a visual split of your current URL. You can simply click on the specific number block you want to target (e.g., locking onto the page number instead of the chapter number) and configure whether the default click action moves you forward (+1) or backward (-1). Remember: these settings are non-persistent and uniquely bound to that specific tab session.

Privacy & Security Commitment

Because everything runs 100% locally within your browser code package, urlNeXT does not track, collect, or transmit a single byte of your browsing data. There are absolutely no third-party analytic trackers, no external network requests, and zero remote code payloads.

Check out the updated code, give it a spin on your favorite multi-page forums or image galleries, and let me know your thoughts or feedback in the comments below!

Privacy Policy for urlNeXT Chrome Extension

 This privacy policy governs your use of the urlNeXT extension for Google Chrome.

1. Information Collection and Use

urlNeXT does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data or browsing history. * Local Processing Only: The extension operates entirely within your local browser environment. It reads the URL and DOM elements of your active tab solely to calculate and execute sequential page transitions (e.g., moving to the next page number).

• Temporary State: Any state tracking (such as identifying which part of a URL to change) is stored strictly in-memory within the browser background session and is cleared automatically when the extension or browser is closed.

2. Data Transmission and Third Parties

• No Remote Servers: urlNeXT does not communicate with any external or remote servers.

• No Third-Party Analytics: We do not use third-party tracking, analytics tools, or advertising networks. Your data never leaves your personal device.

3. Permissions Justification

Our extension utilizes specific browser permissions to function properly:

• Tabs: Used exclusively to look at the current page URL to find sequential numbers and navigate your active tab forward or backward.

• Host Permissions (All Sites): Required so that the sequence navigator utility can function on any paginated website or web forum you choose to use it on.

4. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted directly on this page. Your continued use of the extension constitutes your agreement to the local processing model outlined above.

5. Contact

If you have any questions or feedback regarding this extension, feel free to drop a comment or contact the developer directly through this blog.

urlNeXT Version 1.7.4

As today I found that Google may use differences link for their search page, I make a little update to accomodate the change. I really have no idea since when Google make the change.
Previously google search just use http://www.google.com/search. But today beside "/search", they may use "/webhp" or even just "/".

Beside that, I also make change on the animation to make the animation more likely the Google Chrome animation that appear when you use Swipe Gesture in Mac OS X for back and forward  history browsing. Previously, when I put the animation in urlNeXT, Google Chrome have the animation across the browser window. But some months ago, they change the animation and as it's minor for me, I was postponing change the animation in urlNeXT in case Google change it again.

urlNeXT Version 1.7.3

Just a little tweak on link scanner to cover some site, not much update.

Responding from the comments at  Chrome WebStore, about  requesting to turn off the animation page.
The feature to able to turn it off is require a persistent storage to store the selected option. Either we use cloud storage or use your local storage.

Until now, I'm still do not want to have cloud storage (mean may use some little your traffic, or just some information may fly over the internet) and also I do not want to your local storage, although it's just a very-very small amount of data. So I do not have option to store/save your option.

About the animation page itself, I made it as a feedback to user input. As I tested it, without any feedback, I often lost even do not know wether it's happened or no. For comparison, I'm using it on OS X with touch gesture, and helped with another tools BetterTouchTools, and I made gesture to make the shortcut called. Sometimes the gesture work, sometimes not, so feedback is really needed.

But this is not final, and highly probable that I will implement local database/storage to save the options.
And there is no target date about it or which version as it's still not on plan.

urlNeXT Version 1.7.2

I'm rather hate to make this update, actually it's not an update, just change of the setting.
And honestly, I really do not like to make this change, as now the content script is injecting https.

From the start I use content script, I do not like it inject your https pages. But Google make change again, that the Chrome now, by default use https pages in search. As in this case, I could not use the scan link on google search except allowing the content script injected to HTTPS.

So, at least you know the reason, then you can decide

urlNeXT Version 1.7.1

a fast update focusing on the visualization.

• Preloaded arrow image, so when an action occurred the image is ready to be shown. This fix issue that some occasion the image is not shown.
• Now the arrow is pulling a white layer that filled the screen, just gimmick indicating a new page will be load wether from the next or previous page

urlNeXT Version 1.7

Today, I'm add a new feature for the user interface: Animated Arrow.

The animated arrow is use webkit animation css, so it should not give much load to your browser. And as I do not want to delay the browsing experience, the animation just happen on the loading progress of the next/previous page.

So if you are browsing to a very fast server/network (e.g. local network) the animation may not happen or just move half of the window. But if you browse to web that rather slow, the animation may complete from edge to edge of the window.

There is different direction on next and previous action:

• On Next Action, the right pointing arrow will move from right to the left of the window
• On Previous Action, the left pointing arrow will move from left to the right.

Also there may have 2 background color of the animated arrow.

• Blue background mean the action will use link that scanned on the page.
• Green background mean the action will use numbers in the url.

Another change, now if the page is not fully loaded, it will force scan the page when there is an action (next or previous) occurred. Previously if the page is not fully loaded, urlNeXT will not start scanning for links, and on that time if an action occurred, urlNeXT will just use numbers in the URL.
But now, it will force scan the unfinished loaded page, and if not found for links, it will just use the numbers on the URL.

urlNeXT Version 1.6

Just make a little change, so now urlNext is scan for links produces specific by Google's BlogSpot/Blogger.

But there is a caveat as

• Older Pages is used as Next link
• Newer Pages is used as Previous link

I was thinking to use Older as previous and Newer as next, but the browsing blog site habit by going to older blog as the next page then I decide to use the current scheme.

Let me know your comments.

urlNeXT Version 1.5.4

I'm just aware that the urlNext were broken when using with google search. Google should do something on the search result page.

So this version is just a little tweak on how scanning the link on google result page.

The bing and Yahoo result page is unchange... so only google make change for better and worst.

urlNeXT Version 1.5.3

After sometimes holding the progress due to Google Instant, I'm just thinking a little tweak to at least work with Google Instant. So here the version 1.5.3.

• Changed for Google Instant Search, the search result in re-scan on each action and adapt to latest change.
  Known issue, the icon will not adapt automatically if you change the search term, nor click the navigation on the result page.
• Use dynamic link URL, urlNext will use the latest url in the scanned links, so it can adapt if the page change the url on the fly.
  This also solve navigation on E-bay. E-bay navigation links, is set on the fly by it's script. Thus on prior version of urlNext, the link of previous and next link scanned as empty link. But with dynamic link url, the links are scanned and used properly by urlNext

urlNeXT Version 1.5.2

Just releasing new update for urlNeXT.
It's based on comment on the official page of Google Chrome Extension.

• Bug fix for url that start with "/search" (reported by Devmake)
  There is a little wrong code when I was attempt to make special scanning for Google, Bing and Yahoo. All of them are start with "/search". So when it was find it start with "/search" the extension was just use the special algorithm while not do the common scan.
  
• Change Icon
  As requested, I change the icon on update :). Hope you like it slugburz, sorry to take it months.

urlNeXT, Google Chrome/Chromium Extension

History

Since Google announce their browser, Google Chrome, I use the browser for day to day. At first I still kept Firefox as default browser, but now it's already my default browser.

When I use Firefox, I have Link Widget to ease browsing some site that may have another page with the number in the url. But after waiting long enough, I could not find similar on Google Chrome. So why not I try to make it.

At beginning the differentiation from LinkWidget, is the method to get to the next page. LinkWidget primarily find link on the page to get the next url, and you can change that on it's preferences that it can guess on number exist in URL.

While at first, I'm just thinking to use the numbers on URL, so I started the feature with the change number on the url to go to the next page, and here the differ, urlNeXT allow you to choose which number on the url that you want to add or decrease to go to next or previous page.

After months, I find It may getting better if it does scan the page to find the next or previous url, make it much more similar to Link Widget on Firefox Extension.

More information or download you can get from

Official Google Chrome Extension Web

Change Log

Version 1.5 (23 Apr 2010)

• Bug fix with empty href attribute. The link will be no use if the href is empty.

Version 1.4 (22 Apr 2010)

• Bug fix with next link scanned from the page but does not have number in URL, It wa not perform to the next page
• Bug fix in scanning algorithm for finding next and previous text.

Version 1.3 (21 Apr 2010)

• Scan links on the page (https will be not scanned) to finding specific link for Previous and Next Link based on REL attribute or text for the link.
• Custom page scan to find the links for search engine Google, Bing, and Yahoo. This will lead a malfunction if the search engine change the result page HTML structure.
• There is 2 dot on top of urlNeXT icon to indicate the availability on prev and next link. Red dot means unavailable, while blue mean available for the link. Left top dot for previous link, right top dot for next link.

Version 1.2 (12 Apr 2010)

• Adding Hot Keys (CTRL-SHIFT-LEFT ARROW and CTRL-SHIFT-RIGHT ARROW). These hot keys only work on regular http, as I do not want to inject secure page (https)