Welcome to ScratchTools! We'll get you started with ScratchTools!
You can easily download ScratchTools from 3 different places:
Once you download ScratchTools, you still get to customize what ScratchTools looks like for you! Go to the ScratchTools Settings (the page will only show if have ScratchTools downloaded) and then choose which features you want on and off!
If you're using Chrome as your browser, then you're going to go to chrome://extensions. Once you're there, you'll find a switch in the top right corner that says Developer Mode. You're going to turn it on. Then just download from the source and you'll have a new .zip file. Unpack it automatically if your device can, or unpack it using an online unpacker. Then, back at Chrome's extensions page, click the button in the top right corner that says Load Unpacked. Select the folder that came from the .zip file you downloaded.
We have a rule when it comes to developing new features for ScratchTools, and it's "the more the merrier"! It's easy to work with ScratchTools, and there's always a job for everyone!
If you just want to help us occassionally, and you want to have a small part in ScratchTools, that's absolutely fine! We love it when people help us, no matter how much! You can report a bug or slip us a suggestion on our Community Discord Server!
If you want a more solid, laid out way to help ScratchTools, then there's also a place for you! We have tons of jobs, one for everybody. Here are some of them:
- Programmer (This person can know JavaScript, or even just Scratch)
- Brainstormer
- Artist
- Press Release (Helps get ScratchTools popular)
- Website/Other Help
You can easily apply for any job on our Community Discord Server!
Creating features for ScratchTools is very easy, and we even teach people how to code them on our Community Discord Server!
ScratchTools features are anything that manipulate (or change) Scratch to make it easier or better for certain users. The more users that the feature is helpful for, the more likely it is to be accepted.
To completely create a feature, you'll need to know JavaScript. You'll most likely also need to know DOM. To learn DOM, you can learn it here or we can teach you. If you're ready to continue past this step, then it's time to head over to our repository.
To start building your feature, head over to our repository. In the top right corner (adjacent to the repository title) you'll see multiple buttons. You're going to fork the repository.
Now it's time for you to start coding your feature. But wait! There are still some formatting rules when you create your feature. In your fork, you'll see a few folders and a few separate files. You're only going to deal the folder titled "features" for now. You're going to open up that folder, and add a new file. That file will hold all the code for your feature. Make sure to name it something that accurately represents what your feature does. Then, add the code for your feature.
Next, open up the file called /features/features.json inside of your fork. You're going to add the info for your new feature. Below where it says "add new features below here", add your version of the following:
{
"title": "this is the title of your feature",
"description": "describe the feature, what it does, and why it is important",
"credits": ["user1", "user2"]
"urls": ["https://github.com/user1/", "https://scratch.mit.edu/users/user2/"],
"file": "put the name of the file, but don't include the .js",
"tags":["New"],
"type":["pick either website, editor, or theme"]
},
Nice job! You're almost done! Head over to the pull requests section of the original repository and create a new pull request. Below where it says "Compare changes", click "compare across forks". Switch the head repository to your fork that you made. Then press "create pull request", and give your pull request a title and a description. Then submit it, and that's it! We'll review it and consider your new feature! We may change a few parts if we accept it.
We have a large beta program, and we're constantly accepting more people to join. There isn't much of a hiring process, you can just join from our Community Discord Server! Once you've joined the beta program, you'll get special alerts for new versions in preparation and you'll get early access to new features so that you can test them. If you find a bug, it's easy to report it, and you'll learn how! You get prizes and credit for bugs that you find and are accepted.
Unfortunately, ScratchTools v2.0 was released with a bug that none of the developers of the beta testers found because it was already previously downloaded on their devices. It was a minor storage issue, but major issue for users who didn't have their settings set up yet. For those users, they couldn't see the button to access their settings.
YOU actually don't have to do anything. The problem fixes itself just by going to the settings page. This problem was already designed to be fixed, but started glitching on the homepage once we added a feature that put the settings button in the footer. So, all you have to do is go here.
Here are our policies for ScratchTools, and how we use your data.
No data is ever used regarding to your Scratch account, other than us using your session ID to access your username for the sidebar feature. We don't perform actions without your permission, such as following other users. We don't like to make those kinds of features, because they have the ability to control your account's actions. We use APIs and images from the following sites:
- This site (ScratchTools)
- Aviate
- Leopardjs
- Google Fonts
- GitHub
- Ibb
- YTimg
- Tumblr
- Tenor
- Snapcraft
That means that they can see your IP address, whether or not they choose to use it. All of them are well-known, commonly-used websites.
We do access your personal cookies for Scratch sometimes, but they are never stored or used outside of Scratch. We only access these cookies to perform actions that would otherwise be difficult to perform. For example, we use the sidebar to access your username and profile picture on any page, that way we can easily put it onto the sidebar.
Here are some frequently asked questions and how ScratchTools answers them:
Yes, ScratchTools is on Firefox. You can download it here.
No, ScratchTools is in no way affiliated with Scratch. We are completely different organizations. ScratchTools is only an extension that supports Scratch.
No, ScratchTools and Scratch Addons are separate extensions with different creators. There are some developers that are mutual, and who work for both ScratchTools and SA.
No, ScratchTools is 100% free and will never ask you for payment information. ScratchTools is easy to use, and without any cost.
Yes, you absolutely can help ScratchTools! Go here for more info on how to help! We hope one day you can become a developer with ScratchTools!
Yes, ScratchTools is on Discord, Twitter, and YouTube! We frequently post info on our Twitter and YouTube, and everything having to do with ScratchTools usually happens on our Discord.