> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.axiomancer.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Browser extension

> Discover shadow IT by tracking which SaaS apps your team actually uses — the Layer browser extension reports app visits without surveilling browsing activity.

The AxiomLayer Discovery browser extension detects which web applications your team uses — including tools that weren't provisioned through official channels. It runs silently in the background and reports usage data back to your Layer workspace so you can identify shadow IT, measure adoption, and spot redundant subscriptions.

Discovered apps that don't match your SaaS catalog are auto-classified and routed to the [Rogue Stack review queue](/layer/rogue-stack).

## What the extension tracks

* **Domain visits** — which SaaS applications are accessed and how much time is spent on each.
* **Login events** — when someone signs in to a web application (detected by the presence of password and email fields in forms).
* **Active vs. passive time** — focused time (tab is active) vs. background time, so you can distinguish apps people actively use from tabs left open.

<Note>
  The extension does **not** read page content, emails, messages, or any data within applications. It only observes domain-level navigation and login form submissions.
</Note>

## Install the extension

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get the extension">
    Install **AxiomLayer Discovery** from the Chrome Web Store, or deploy it through your organization's managed Chrome policy.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect to your workspace">
    Open the extension popup and enter your Layer workspace URL and API key. You can find your API key in **Settings** in your Layer dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start discovering">
    The extension begins tracking immediately. Usage data syncs to your Layer workspace every minute.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Managed deployment

For organization-wide rollout, you can deploy the extension via Google Workspace admin or your MDM solution. The extension supports managed configuration through Chrome's `managed_schema`, allowing you to pre-set the workspace URL and API key so end users don't need to configure anything.

## How syncing works

The extension batches usage data locally and syncs it to Layer every minute. If the sync fails (due to network issues or server errors), the extension retries with exponential backoff — starting at 5 seconds and increasing up to 5 minutes, for a maximum of 6 attempts. Each sync payload includes an idempotency key to prevent duplicate data.

## Privacy

The extension requests only the permissions it needs:

| Permission | Purpose                                       |
| ---------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `tabs`     | Detect which domain is active                 |
| `storage`  | Store configuration and buffered data locally |
| `alarms`   | Schedule periodic syncs                       |

The extension runs a content script on web pages solely to detect login form submissions. It does not inject UI, modify pages, or read page content beyond form field detection.