Panelica Browser Extension: Manage Servers From Chrome, Edge

A Side Panel for Your Servers, Right in the Browser

Panelica Control is the official Panelica browser extension for Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers such as Microsoft Edge. It opens as a side panel next to whatever tab you are already on, connects to up to 500 Panelica servers over the same HMAC-signed API used by the Panelica mobile app, and stores every server credential in an encrypted, PBKDF2-plus-AES-256-GCM vault that locks itself again every time the browser restarts.

If you manage Panelica servers, you already know the drill: open a new tab, log into the panel, click through to the page you need. It works, but it means leaving whatever you were doing — a support ticket, a GitHub issue, a client email — just to check whether a service restarted cleanly.

The Panelica browser extension removes that step. It is a Manifest V3 extension that opens as a side panel next to whatever page you are already on, and talks to your Panelica servers over the same secure API used by the Panelica mobile app.

What It Does

Once paired with a server, the extension gives you a working copy of the panel's core tools without opening the panel itself:

• Overview — a live grid of your connected servers with CPU, memory, and status at a glance.
• Domains — create a new domain with an application template (WordPress, Laravel), pick the PHP version, web server, SSL, and ModSecurity settings.
• Users, Email, Backups, Snapshots — list, create, restore, and delete, the same as the panel.
• File Manager — browse, view, edit, and save files directly from the side panel.
• Security — block or unblock IP addresses, manage firewall rules.
• Domain tools — subdomains, forwarders, DKIM/SPF records, redirects, SSL issue and renewal.
• Databases, FTP, Cron — manage MySQL users, FTP accounts, and scheduled jobs.
• Cloudflare — zone list, DNS records, development mode, under-attack mode, HTTPS redirect, cache purge.
• Terminal — a real terminal session to the server, built on xterm.js, without opening a separate SSH client.
• Antivirus — trigger a scan on a specific path and check the result.

Beyond the core modules, the extension also plugs into the browser itself: a keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P) opens the side panel from anywhere, an omnibox keyword lets you jump straight to a server by typing its name in the address bar, right-click context menus offer quick actions like adding a domain or blocking an IP, and desktop notifications alert you when a resource threshold is crossed or a service drops.

Fleet Management for Multiple Servers

The extension is not limited to a single server. The Overview grid supports up to 500 connected servers, with search and group filtering so a large fleet stays navigable, and only the servers actually matching the current filter are polled or streamed — a deliberate design choice for keeping hundreds of servers responsive rather than hammering every connection at once. A dedicated Bulk mode lets you select multiple servers and restart a chosen service across all of them at once, processed through four parallel workers with a per-server success or failure badge, so a fleet-wide restart does not mean clicking through each server one at a time. For a true wall-mounted view, the fullscreen NOC monitor adds gauge charts, sparklines, and a fleet-wide CPU graph across every connected server.

Live Metrics Over WebSocket

CPU, memory, and disk figures update over a WebSocket connection rather than repeated polling, so the numbers on each server card move in near real time without the extension hammering your servers with requests every few seconds.

Built-In Master Password Lock

Because the extension holds the keys to your servers, it ships with its own lock screen. Server credentials are stored in an encrypted vault (PBKDF2 plus AES-256-GCM), and the decrypted list only exists in the browser's session memory — close the browser, and everything locks again until you re-enter your master password. Every request the extension sends to a server is HMAC-signed, the same signing scheme used by the Panelica mobile app, so credentials never travel as plain text.

A Real Workflow: Handling an Alert Without Leaving Your Ticket

A desktop notification says a service dropped on one of your servers while you are in the middle of replying to a support ticket in another tab. Instead of switching context entirely:

1. Open the side panel with Ctrl+Shift+P, or click the extension icon.
2. Type the server's name into the omnibox, or find it in the Overview grid — the affected service is visible on the card immediately.
3. Restart the service directly from the side panel, or open the Terminal tab if it needs a manual command.
4. Close the side panel and go back to writing the reply, now with the actual fix already applied.

The same pattern applies to a quick SSL renewal, a one-line config edit in the File Manager, or blocking an IP that is hammering a login form — none of it requires opening the full panel in a separate tab.

How to Use It

1. Log into your Panelica panel as usual.
2. Click the browser icon in the top navigation bar. A short setup guide opens.
3. Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store (search for "Panelica Control"), then refresh the panel page and click the icon again.
4. Choose one-click pairing to connect the browser you are using, or scan the QR code the same way the mobile app does if you are pairing a different device.
5. Set a master password the first time you open the side panel.
6. From then on, click the extension icon on any tab to open the side panel and manage your servers without switching windows.

The extension is built as a Manifest V3 extension, the same standard supported by Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers, including Microsoft Edge, and its interface is available in 53 languages.

Why It Matters

If you are the one person keeping an eye on client sites, or juggling more than one Panelica server through the day, the extension removes the friction of "just check the panel real quick." A dropped service, a domain that needs a quick SSL renewal, a file that needs a one-line edit — all of that is now a click away from whatever tab you are already working in, instead of a full context switch. And once a fleet grows past a handful of servers, the bulk restart and NOC-style monitoring turn "check on all my servers" from a round of tab-switching into a single screen. For the recovery tools available once you are inside a server through the extension's Terminal tab, see our guides on the Repair Tool and granular backup restore. If you manage Cloudflare-backed domains through the extension's Cloudflare tab, the complete guide to Cloudflare management in Panelica covers the same settings in more depth. And for what to do when a server's panel itself is unreachable rather than just one service, see backups, restores, and snapshots for the recovery path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the extension work in Microsoft Edge?

Edge is Chromium-based and supports Manifest V3 extensions, the same format the Panelica extension is built on.

Do I need the mobile app too?

No. The extension uses the same pairing and API model as the mobile app, but works independently — you can use either, or both.

Is my server data stored unencrypted in the browser?

No. Server credentials are stored in an encrypted vault and only held in decrypted form in session memory while the browser is open.

How many servers can I manage from the extension?

The Overview grid and fullscreen monitor support up to 500 connected servers, with search and group filtering to keep a large fleet manageable.

What languages does the extension support?

The interface is available in 53 languages, matching the language selector inside the extension's Settings.