Coding Hints Helper

About

💡 Coding Hints Helper

An intelligent Chrome extension that delivers AI-generated progressive hints for competitive programming problems on Codeforces and LeetCode. Instead of jumping to full solutions, this extension guides you step by step — helping you learn how to solve problems on your own.

✨ Features

🤖 AI-Powered Hints – Uses Google’s Gemini API to generate contextual, problem-specific guidance

📈 Progressive Learning – Three tiered hints to guide your understanding step by step

🎯 Platform Support – Seamlessly works on Codeforces and LeetCode

🔍 Smart Parsing – Automatically extracts problem descriptions, constraints, and examples

🎨 Minimal UI – Non-intrusive floating panel with clean, modern design

⚡ One-Click Controls – Toggle, reset, or regenerate hints from the popup or the problem page

⚙️ Setup Instructions

Visit Google AI Studio: https://makersuite.google.com/app/apikey

Sign in and click "Create API Key"

Copy the generated key

Click the extension icon in Chrome, paste the key in the "AI Configuration" section, and click Save

You'll see "🤖 AI hints enabled" if the key was saved successfully

IMPORTANT: The extension will NOT generate hints unless you enter and save a valid Gemini API key. Without this, the AI assistant will remain inactive.

📖 How to Use

Go to any problem on Codeforces or LeetCode

A 💡 icon will appear in the top-right corner

Click it to open the hints panel

Click "Get Hint" to receive your first AI-generated suggestion

Click again to view Hint 2 and Hint 3 (up to 3 total per problem)

Popup Controls:

Toggle Hints Panel – Show/hide the floating hints UI

Reset All Hints – Start over with fresh hints

Regenerate Hints – Get a new set of AI hints for the same problem

Hint Progression:

Hint 1: Problem type and general strategy

Hint 2: Recommended algorithm or data structure

Hint 3: Key insights or optimization tips

🔒 Privacy & Security

Your Gemini API key is stored only in your browser’s local storage

The key is never sent to the extension developer or any third-party service

It is only used to connect directly to Google's Gemini API

You can delete your key anytime from the extension settings or by clearing browser data

Data Use:

Problem content is sent to Google only when you request hints

No user data is collected, stored, or tracked

No analytics, cookies, or telemetry are used

🐛 Troubleshooting

“API key required” message

Make sure you entered and saved your Gemini API key in the extension popup

Refresh the problem page after saving the key

“AI hints not working”

Check your internet connection

Ensure your Gemini API key is valid

Try refreshing the page or re-saving the key

No hints appearing

Refresh the problem page

Check if you're on a supported problem page (Codeforces or LeetCode)

Open DevTools (F12 → Console) to check for errors

Extension not responding

Reload the page completely

Try disabling and re-enabling the extension

Ensure you’re using the latest version of Chrome

Need Help?

Open the browser console (F12 → Console) for error messages

Try the extension on different problems to isolate issues

Make sure your browser is up to date