Add support for inspecting iframes#997
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Upgrade to Manifest v3 and add iframe inspection support
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Jun 29, 2026
### Summary This PR enables `apollo-client-devtools` to detect and interact with Apollo Clients running inside **same-origin iframes**, in addition to the main window. ### Problem Previously we only detected clients in the top-level window. If a page had iframes with their own Apollo Client instances, those clients were invisible to the extension. ### Solution 1. **Updated extension manifests**: Added `all_frames: true` to content scripts so `tab.js` and `hook.js` run in every frame (main window + iframes) 2. **Added multi-port architecture with frameId tracking**: Changed `background.ts` from tracking a single `tab` port per tab to a `Map<tabPorts, frameId>` per tab, enabling multiple frames to connect while tracking which frame each port belongs to 3. **Introduced client --> frame mapping**: Added a `clientFrames: Map<clientId, frameId>` to track which Apollo Client belongs to which frame, enabling targeted message routing 4. **Implemented frameId-based message routing**: RPC requests for a specific client are now routed only to the frame that owns that client, eliminating broadcast overhead 5. **Added SKIP_RESPONSE pattern for discovery**: The `getClients` handler in `hook.ts` uses `SKIP_RESPONSE` so frames without Apollo Clients don't pollute discovery responses ## Files Changed | File | Change | |------|--------| | [src/extension/chrome/manifest.json](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/chrome/manifest.json:0:0-0:0) | Add `all_frames: true` | | [src/extension/firefox/manifest.json](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/firefox/manifest.json:0:0-0:0) | Add `all_frames: true` | | [src/extension/rpc.ts](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/rpc.ts:0:0-0:0) | Export `SKIP_RESPONSE` symbol + handler logic to skip sending responses | | [src/extension/background/background.ts](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/background/background.ts:0:0-0:0) | `Set<tabPorts>` --> `Map<Port, frameId>`, add `clientFrames` mapping, implement targeted routing | | [src/extension/tab/hook.ts](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/tab/hook.ts:0:0-0:0) | Add `SKIP_RESPONSE` to `getClients` handler for frames without clients | | [src/extension/tab/handleExplorerRequests.ts](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/src/extension/tab/handleExplorerRequests.ts:0:0-0:0) | Replace throw with silent return | | [development/client/public/iframe.html](cci:7://file:///Users/camillelawrence/Desktop/repos/apollo-client-devtools/development/client/public/iframe.html:0:0-0:0) | Test page for iframe scenarios | ## Automated Tests Added Two new unit tests in `src/extension/__tests__/rpc.test.ts`: | Test | Description | |------|-------------| | `does not send response when handler returns SKIP_RESPONSE` | Verifies that when a handler returns `SKIP_RESPONSE`, no RPC response message is posted | | `SKIP_RESPONSE allows handler to be re-registered after unsubscribe` | Verifies that handlers using `SKIP_RESPONSE` can be properly unsubscribed and re-registered | ## Manual Verification Steps 1. **Single frame (regression test)** - Load a page with a single Apollo Client (no iframes) - Open DevTools --> Apollo tab - Verify the client is detected and all features (Queries, Mutations, Cache) work normally 2. **Multi-frame detection** - Start dev server: `npm run start:dev` - Open Chrome with the extension loaded: `npm run chrome` - Navigate to `http://localhost:3000` - Add a client in the main window and a client inside the iframe - Verify **both clients** appear in the DevTools client dropdown 3. **Targeted routing verification** - With both clients (main window + iframe) registered from step 2 - Select the iframe's client in DevTools - Run queries/mutations and inspect the cache - In Chrome DevTools console for the **background script**, confirm RPC requests are routed only to the correct frame (look for `frameId` in console logs in dev mode) ## Limitations - **Same-origin only**: Per browser security, `all_frames: true` only works for same-origin iframes. Cross-origin iframes remain invisible. ## References - Closes #380 - Related: PR #828, PR #997 --------- Co-authored-by: Jerel Miller <jerelmiller@gmail.com>
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Prior discussions:
#951
#380
This PR adds support for using Apollo DevTools with iframes by leveraging the
all_framescapability afforded to browser extensions.Since we're using fork actively as an internally published extension, this branch also contains some changes that upgrades the extension from Manifest V2 to V3.