AWS Console Link Sharer

A Chrome extension that simplifies sharing AWS Console resource links by providing URL cleaning and deep link generation capabilities. Perfect for teams working across multiple AWS accounts and roles.

🚀 Features

• Clean URLs: Remove account-specific prefixes from AWS Console URLs for universal sharing
• Deep Link Generation: Create AWS SSO deep links for cross-account access
• Flexible Role Selection: Choose how roles are determined for deep links
• One-Click Copy: Automatically copies generated URLs to clipboard
• Smart Detection: Only activates on AWS Console pages
• Error Handling: Clear error messages and fallback options

📋 Table of Contents

• Installation
• Screenshots
• Quick Start
• Features Overview
• Role Selection Strategies
• Configuration
• Use Cases
• Troubleshooting
• Development

🔧 Installation

From Chrome Web Store

Coming soon - Extension will be available on the Chrome Web Store.

From Source (Developer Mode)

1. Clone or download this repository
2. Build the extension:

   npm install
   npm run build

3. Load in Chrome:
   • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions/
   • Enable Developer mode (toggle in top-right)
   • Click "Load unpacked"
   • Select the dist folder from this project
4. Pin the extension (optional):
   • Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome's toolbar
   • Find "AWS Console Link Sharer" and click the pin icon

📸 Screenshots

Main Extension Interface

The extension popup shows your current AWS Console URL and provides two main actions:

Key Features Shown:

• Current URL display with account ID redacted for privacy
• Clean URL button to remove account-specific prefixes
• Generate Deep Link button to create AWS SSO deep links
• Generated URL output with copy functionality
• Success confirmation message

Settings Configuration

Configure the extension to work with your organization's AWS SSO setup:

Configuration Options:

• AWS SSO Subdomain: Your organization's SSO domain (e.g., "acme" for acme.awsapps.com)
• Default Action: Choose which button is highlighted by default
• Role Selection Strategy: Control how roles are determined for deep links
• Default Role Name: Fallback role for deep link generation
• Account-Role Mapping: Map specific accounts to specific roles
• Notification Settings: Control success/error message display

🚀 Quick Start

First-Time Setup

1. Configure AWS SSO Subdomain (required for deep links):
   • Click the extension icon → "Settings"
   • Enter your organization's AWS SSO subdomain
   • Example: If your SSO URL is https://mycompany.awsapps.com, enter mycompany
   • Click "Save Settings"

Basic Usage

1. Navigate to any AWS Console page
2. Click the extension icon in your toolbar
3. Choose an action:
   • Clean URL: Remove account-specific prefixes
   • Generate Deep Link: Create cross-account SSO link
4. URL is automatically copied to your clipboard ✨

🎯 Features Overview

URL Cleaning

Converts account-specific AWS Console URLs into universal format:

Before (Multi-account URL):

https://123456789012-abc123def.eu-west-1.console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/home?region=eu-west-1

After (Clean URL):

https://eu-west-1.console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/home?region=eu-west-1

Benefits:

• Share links that work regardless of how users access AWS
• Create bookmarks that work across different account access methods
• Cleaner, more professional URLs for documentation

Deep Link Generation

Creates AWS SSO deep links that automatically authenticate users to the correct account and role:

Generated Deep Link:

https://mycompany.awsapps.com/start/#/console?account_id=123456789012&role_name=PlatformAccess&destination=https://eu-west-1.console.aws.amazon.com/cloudwatch/home

Benefits:

• Recipients automatically land in the correct AWS account
• No manual account/role switching required
• Perfect for cross-account team collaboration

⚙️ Role Selection Strategies

The extension offers three strategies for determining which role to use in deep links:

1. Use Current Logged-in Role (Default)

Uses the role from your current AWS Console session.

When to use:

• You want deep links to use whatever role you're currently using
• Simple setup with no additional configuration needed

Example:

• You're logged in as PlatformAccess
• Deep links will use PlatformAccess

2. Use Default Role

Always uses a specific role regardless of your current session.

Configuration:

1. Go to Settings → Role Selection Strategy → "Use Default Role"
2. Enter your preferred role name (e.g., DeveloperAccess)
3. Save settings

When to use:

• You want all deep links to use a consistent role
• You have a "standard" role that most team members should use
• You're currently using an admin role but want to share links for a regular role

Example:

• Default role set to: DeveloperAccess
• Even if you're logged in as AdminAccess, deep links will use DeveloperAccess

3. Use Account-Role Mapping

Maps specific roles to specific AWS accounts, with fallback options.

Configuration:

1. Go to Settings → Role Selection Strategy → "Use Account-Role Mapping"
2. Enter account-role pairs in the format AccountID:RoleName (one per line):

   123456789012:PlatformAdministratorAccess
   987654321098:DeveloperAccess
   555666777888:ReadOnlyAccess
   

3. Optionally set a default role as fallback
4. Save settings

When to use:

• Different accounts require different roles
• You work across multiple accounts with varying access levels
• You want fine-grained control over role selection

Example Configuration:

Production Account (123456789012): ReadOnlyAccess
Development Account (987654321098): DeveloperAccess
Staging Account (555666777888): PlatformAccess
Default Role: ViewOnlyAccess

How it works:

1. Check mapping: If current account ID exists in mapping → use mapped role
2. Fallback to default: If no mapping found → use default role (if configured)
3. Final fallback: If no default role → use current logged-in role

🔧 Configuration

Extension Settings

Access via: Extension icon → "Settings" or right-click extension → "Options"

Setting	Description	Required
AWS SSO Subdomain	Your organization's SSO subdomain (e.g., mycompany)	Yes (for deep links)
Default Action	Which button to highlight by default	No
Role Selection Strategy	How to determine role for deep links	No
Default Role Name	Role to use for "Default" or "Account-Map" strategies	Conditional
Account-Role Mapping	Account ID to role name mappings	Conditional
Show Notifications	Display success/error messages	No
Auto-close Popup	Close popup after successful action	No

Role Selection Configuration Examples

Simple Default Role Setup

Role Selection Strategy: Use Default Role
Default Role Name: PlatformAccess

Multi-Account Mapping Setup

Role Selection Strategy: Use Account-Role Mapping
Default Role Name: ViewOnlyAccess
Account-Role Mapping:
123456789012:PlatformAdministratorAccess
987654321098:DeveloperAccess
555666777888:ReadOnlyAccess

💡 Use Cases

1. Team Collaboration

Scenario: Share AWS Console links with team members

• Clean URLs: For documentation, wikis, or general sharing
• Deep Links: For specific tasks requiring account/role context

2. Multi-Account Organizations

Scenario: Work across development, staging, and production accounts

• Account-Role Mapping: Different roles for different environments
• Automatic switching: Recipients land in correct account with appropriate permissions

3. Documentation & Training

Scenario: Create training materials or runbooks

• Clean URLs: Universal links that work for anyone
• Consistent roles: Use default role strategy for standardized access

4. Cross-Team Support

Scenario: Support team needs access to specific resources

• Deep Links: Direct access to exact resources with appropriate role
• Role mapping: Different support levels for different accounts

5. Incident Response

Scenario: Quickly share links during incidents

• One-click generation: Fast URL creation and copying
• Auto-close popup: Streamlined workflow during time-sensitive situations

🔍 Troubleshooting

Extension Not Working

Issue: Extension icon is grayed out or doesn't respond

• Solution: Ensure you're on an AWS Console page (*.console.aws.amazon.com)
• Check: Extension is enabled in chrome://extensions/

Session Information Not Found

Issue: "Unable to extract AWS session information"

• Cause: Not logged into AWS Console or page not fully loaded
• Solution:
  1. Ensure you're logged into AWS Console
  2. Refresh the page and wait for it to fully load
  3. Check that account ID is visible in the AWS Console header

Deep Link Generation Fails

Issue: "AWS SSO subdomain not configured"

• Solution: Go to Settings and enter your organization's SSO subdomain

Issue: "Role name could not be extracted"

• Cause: Not using AWS SSO authentication
• Solution: Deep links require AWS SSO. For IAM users, use Clean URL feature instead

Role Selection Not Working

Issue: Deep links use wrong role despite configuration

• Check: Settings are saved (refresh extension after changes)
• Verify: Role names match exactly (case-sensitive)
• Debug: Check browser console for error messages

Copy to Clipboard Fails

Issue: URL not copied automatically

• Cause: Browser security restrictions
• Fallback: Manual copy button will be available
• Solution: Ensure Chrome has clipboard permissions

🛠️ Development

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20+ and npm
• Chrome browser (version 88 or higher for Manifest V3 support)
• Git

Browser Compatibility

This extension uses Manifest V3 and is compatible with:

• ✅ Google Chrome (version 88+)
• ✅ Microsoft Edge (version 88+)
• ✅ Other Chromium-based browsers with Manifest V3 support

Note: This extension is specifically designed for AWS Console usage and requires AWS SSO for deep link functionality.

Setup

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/ryancormack/aws-console-share-extension.git
cd aws-console-share-extension

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build extension
npm run build

# Watch for changes (development)
npm run watch

Project Structure

src/
├── manifest.json          # Extension manifest
├── background.ts           # Service worker
├── content/
│   └── content.ts         # Content script (AWS session extraction)
├── popup/
│   ├── popup.html         # Main UI
│   ├── popup.ts           # UI logic
│   └── popup.css          # Styling
├── options/
│   ├── options.html       # Settings page
│   ├── options.ts         # Settings logic
│   └── options.css        # Settings styling
├── types/
│   └── index.ts           # TypeScript definitions
└── icons/                 # Extension icons

Testing

# Run unit tests
npm test

# Run tests with UI
npm run test:ui

# Run tests once
npm run test:run

Building

# Clean build
npm run clean

# Full build
npm run build

# Copy assets only
npm run copy-assets

🔒 Security & Privacy

This extension takes your security and privacy seriously:

• Local Storage Only: All settings are stored locally in your browser using Chrome's storage API
• No Data Collection: The extension does not collect, transmit, or store any user data externally
• Minimal Permissions: Requests only the essential permissions needed for functionality:
  • activeTab: To read the current AWS Console URL only when you click the extension
  • storage: To save your preferences locally
  • scripting: To extract session information from AWS Console pages
• Limited Scope: Only activates on AWS Console domains (*.console.aws.amazon.com)
• No Network Calls: The extension does not make any external network requests
• Open Source: Full source code is available for review

What Data Does the Extension Access?

The extension only accesses:

1. Current URL: To clean or generate deep links
2. AWS Session Info: Account ID and role name from the AWS Console page (never stored or transmitted)
3. User Preferences: Your SSO subdomain, default role, and other settings (stored locally only)

Permissions Breakdown

Permission	Why It's Needed	When It's Used
activeTab	Read current AWS Console URL	Only when you click the extension icon
storage	Save your settings locally	When you update settings
scripting	Extract AWS account/role info	When generating deep links
host_permissions	Access AWS Console pages	Limited to *.console.aws.amazon.com only

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository at github.com/ryancormack/aws-console-share-extension
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Make your changes and test thoroughly
4. Run tests: npm test
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

📞 Support

If you encounter issues or have questions:

1. Search existing GitHub Issues
2. Create a new issue with:
   • Chrome version
   • Extension version
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Error messages (if any)

🔄 Changelog

v1.0.0

• Initial release
• URL cleaning functionality
• Deep link generation
• Flexible role selection strategies
• Auto-copy to clipboard
• Comprehensive error handling

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Made with Q and Claude for AWS teams everywhere