The Sniffer Extension Menu

Accessing the Sidebar

The Sniffer sidebar is your primary interface for capturing and viewing feedback directly on your website. It appears as a small, unobtrusive tab on the edge of the screen when Sniffer is installed.

Via Browser Extension: If you are using the Sniffer browser extension, click the Sniffer icon in your browser toolbar to activate the sidebar on any website. Select the appropriate project from the dropdown menu if prompted.

Visibility: The sidebar is only visible to users who are logged in to Sniffer and have access to the project associated with the website. Regular visitors to your website do not see the sidebar unless they have been granted access.

Activation: Click the sidebar tab to expand the full sidebar panel. The tab typically displays the Sniffer logo or a bug icon, depending on your configuration.

~~Keyboard Shortcut:~~~~ Sniffer supports keyboard shortcuts for quick access. Press the designated shortcut key (commonly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Ctrl+Shift+S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ or ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Cmd+Shift+S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ on Mac) to toggle the sidebar open or closed. Check your project settings for the specific shortcut configured for your installation.~~

Sidebar Overview

~~The Sniffer sidebar provides a compact yet powerful interface for managing feedback without leaving your website.~~

~~Header Section:~~~~ The top of the sidebar displays the project name, your user avatar, and navigation controls. You may also see a project selector if you have access to multiple projects on the same domain.~~
~~Action Buttons:~~~~ Prominent buttons allow you to quickly initiate common actions such as creating a new bug report, taking a screenshot, or recording a video. These buttons are designed for easy access to streamline your feedback workflow.~~
~~Task List:~~~~ The main body of the sidebar displays a list of existing bugs and tasks associated with the current page or the entire project. Each task shows a preview including the title, status indicator, priority level, and assignee avatar.~~
~~Filters and Search:~~~~ Above the task list, you may find filter options to narrow down displayed tasks by status, assignee, priority, or tags. A search bar allows you to quickly find specific tasks by keyword.~~
~~Pin Indicators:~~~~ When viewing a page with existing feedback, pin markers appear on the page at the locations where bugs were reported. These pins are color-coded by status or priority and can be clicked to view the associated task details.~~
~~Footer Section:~~~~ The bottom of the sidebar may contain links to settings, help documentation, and the option to collapse or close the sidebar.~~

Navigating Tasks

The sidebar makes it easy to browse, search, and manage tasks without switching to the full Sniffer dashboard.

Scrolling Through Tasks: The task list in the sidebar is scrollable. Scroll down to see additional tasks beyond what fits in the initial view. Tasks are typically sorted by most recent first, but you can change the sort order using the available options.
Viewing Task Details: Click on any task in the list to expand its details within the sidebar. The expanded view shows the full description, screenshot, metadata, comments, and activity history.
Navigating to Task Location: For tasks with pinned locations, clicking “View on Page” or a similar option scrolls the webpage to the element where the bug was reported and highlights the pin. This helps you see exactly what the reporter was referring to.
Switching Between Pages: The sidebar can display tasks from the current page only or from the entire project. Use the toggle or filter option to switch between “This Page” and “All Tasks” views.
Opening in Dashboard: If you need more space or access to advanced features, click the “Open in Dashboard” link to view the selected task or the full project in the Sniffer web application.
Task Status Indicators: Each task displays a visual status indicator (such as a colored dot or label) showing whether it is in Backlog, To Do, Doing, Done, or another custom status. This provides at-a-glance information about task progress.
Quick Actions: Hover over a task to reveal quick action icons for common operations like changing status, assigning to a team member, or adding a comment without opening the full task details.

Sidebar Settings

Customize the sidebar appearance and behavior to match your preferences and workflow.

Accessing Sidebar Settings: Click the settings icon (typically a gear or cog) in the sidebar header or footer to open the sidebar settings panel.
Position: Choose whether the sidebar appears on the left or right edge of the screen. Select the position that least interferes with your website’s content and your workflow.
Default State: Configure whether the sidebar starts expanded or collapsed when you visit a page. Keeping it collapsed by default reduces visual clutter, while expanded provides immediate access to tasks.
Pin Display: Control how feedback pins appear on the page. Options may include showing all pins, showing only pins for open tasks, or hiding pins entirely until you hover over the sidebar.
Pin Colors: Customize pin colors based on status, priority, or other criteria. Color coding helps you quickly identify the nature of feedback at a glance.
Notification Preferences: Enable or disable in-sidebar notifications for new bugs, comments, and status changes. You can choose to see a notification badge on the sidebar tab or receive pop-up alerts.
Keyboard Shortcuts: View and customize keyboard shortcuts for sidebar actions such as opening the sidebar, creating a new bug, or taking a screenshot.
Theme: If available, select a light or dark theme for the sidebar to match your preferences or the website’s design.
Language: Change the sidebar language if Sniffer supports multiple languages. This affects labels, buttons, and system messages within the sidebar.

Minimizing and Expanding

The sidebar is designed to stay out of your way when you do not need it while remaining easily accessible.

Minimizing the Sidebar: Click the collapse icon (typically an arrow pointing toward the edge of the screen) or click the sidebar tab again to minimize the sidebar. When minimized, only a small tab remains visible on the edge of the screen.
Expanding the Sidebar: Click the sidebar tab to expand it back to full view. The sidebar remembers its previous state and displays the content you were viewing before minimizing.
Auto-Collapse: Some configurations support auto-collapse, where the sidebar automatically minimizes after a period of inactivity or after you submit a bug report. This keeps the interface clean while ensuring the sidebar is available when needed.
Full-Screen Mode: For detailed task review, you may have the option to expand the sidebar to a larger panel or open tasks in a modal overlay that provides more screen space for viewing screenshots, reading comments, and writing detailed responses.
Hiding the Sidebar Completely: If you need to temporarily hide the sidebar entirely (for example, when taking screenshots of your website without Sniffer visible), use the keyboard shortcut or select “Hide Sidebar” from the settings menu. The sidebar remains hidden until you reactivate it through the browser extension or by refreshing the page.
Responsive Behavior: On smaller screens or when the browser window is narrow, the sidebar may automatically adjust its width or switch to a more compact layout to avoid obscuring too much of the website content.
Persistent State: Your sidebar preferences (position, default state, collapsed or expanded) are saved to your account and apply across all devices where you use Sniffer. This ensures a consistent experience whether you are working on your desktop, laptop, or tablet.

The Sniffer sidebar strikes a balance between accessibility and unobtrusiveness, ensuring that feedback collection integrates smoothly into your daily workflow without disrupting your work on the website itself.