Collect references with the Chrome extension

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Save reference images from any website to your Layer workspace with the Layer Reference Collector extension for Chrome and Edge, so the references for a project are in Layer before you start generating.

Before you start

  • Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a desktop computer.
  • A Layer account. The extension is free with every plan.

Steps

  1. Open the Layer Reference Collector in the Chrome Web Store and click Add to Chrome.

  2. Open the extension from the toolbar and sign in with your Layer account. The popup lists your workspaces; choose the one references should go to.

  3. Right-click an image on any page and choose Save to Layer. The extension saves the full-resolution version where the site offers one, with its source address.

  4. To collect several images from one page, right-click anywhere on it and choose Start batch selection mode. Click each image you want (each gets a purple border), then press Enter to save them all.

Result

By default, saved images are collected in the extension until you upload them. Turn on auto-upload in the extension's settings to send each image to the selected workspace as soon as you save it; a desktop notification confirms every upload. Once uploaded, the references are in that workspace, ready to attach to a prompt or curate into a reference set.

Production tips

  • Collect per project. Switch the workspace in the popup before a research session, so a client's or a game's references stay apart.
  • Batch a gallery page. On a portfolio, an ad library or search results, batch selection saves a whole mood board in one pass.
  • Turn references into a reference set. Curate the images that define the look into a reference set so every generation stays on it.
  • Check the rights. References guide generation; they are not assets you own. Use competitor or stock images for direction, not in shipped work.

If something goes wrong

  • Save to Layer is not in the right-click menu. Check that the extension is installed and enabled in your browser's extensions page, then open it from the toolbar and sign in.
  • Images are saved but not in Layer. Auto-upload is off. Upload them from the extension, or turn on auto-upload in its settings.
  • A saved image is small. The site served only a thumbnail. Open the image on its own page and save it from there.

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