Chrome DevTools is a set of debugging and profiling tools built into Google Chrome. Press F12 on any page and you have access to a full inspection environment — HTML structure, CSS rules, JavaScript debugger, network monitor, performance profiler, and more. It's free, always available, and no setup required.
The Elements panel shows you the live DOM tree for any page. You can click on any element and see every CSS rule applied to it, where it came from, and which rules are being overridden by others. You can edit styles directly in the panel and see the result immediately, which makes it a fast way to prototype CSS changes before committing them to your codebase.
The Sources panel gives you a full JavaScript debugger. You can set breakpoints, step through code line by line, inspect variables, evaluate expressions in the console, and watch values change as execution progresses. Conditional breakpoints and logpoints let you debug without modifying your source code. Source maps mean you can debug your original TypeScript or unminified JS even when the browser is running a compiled bundle.
The Network panel captures every HTTP request the page makes — timing, headers, request and response bodies, redirects, and status codes. You can filter by type, simulate different connection speeds, block specific requests, and replay them. For debugging API calls, authentication issues, or slow-loading resources, this is usually the first place to look.
The Performance panel records a timeline of everything the browser does — JavaScript execution, layout, paint, compositing. It's the right tool when a page feels sluggish and you need to pinpoint what's causing it. The Lighthouse panel runs automated audits for performance, accessibility, SEO, and best practices.
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