vite-plugin-crx-hot-reload

A Vite plugin for hot-reloading Chrome extensions during development. Current stable version is 1.0.4, released on an as-needed cadence. It establishes a WebSocket connection to notify the extension to reload when file changes are detected, similar to HMR for web apps. Unlike generic HMR plugins, it specifically handles extension manifests and content scripts. Requires setting `build.emptyOutDir` to `false` and providing a manifest file path. Lightweight alternative to manual extension reloading or using browser-specific tools.