WowKey Browser Extension Guide: From Saving a Login to Web Autofill

This guide is for new users of the browser extension. After the initial setup, you can use saved usernames and passwords directly in web login fields, and save new information when registering, changing a password, or using a passkey.

The browser extension currently focuses on login items. Manage other item types, such as cards and identities, in the WowKey client.

Install the extension from the WowKey download page or the relevant browser extension store. Pinning it to the toolbar gives you quick access to the vault, synchronization, and manual locking.

Install the WowKey browser extension.
Find WowKey in the browser’s extensions menu and select Pin so that its icon remains visible beside the address bar.
Select the WowKey icon. Sign in with your email and master password if you already have an account. If you do not, select registration and follow the prompts to verify your email and set a master password.
After signing in, enter your master password to unlock the vault. The extension then loads and synchronizes your login items.

Tip: Enter your master password only in WowKey’s own sign-in or unlock window. Do not enter it on an unfamiliar page because of a pop-up, chat message, or email prompt.

2. Explore the Extension Vault

Select the WowKey toolbar icon to open the vault. Use the search box for an item name, username, or website. You can also switch between Favorites, Suggestions, and All items, then filter by folder, password item, OTP item, passkey, or protected item.

Before signing in to a website, open the extension and check whether Suggestions contains a matching item for the current page.
Search by name, username, or website, then open an item’s details.
In the details view, you can view its website and notes, copy its password or current OTP code, open the website, edit the item, add it to Favorites, or delete it.
Select the Sync icon at the top when you need the latest changes from another device.
When you are done, select the lock icon. Viewing or filling sensitive data requires an unlock after that.

Offline mode: You can still view cached content, but vault-writing actions such as creating, editing, saving, deleting, or changing favorites are unavailable. Reconnect and synchronize before continuing.

Create an item manually when a website does not offer a save prompt, or when you want to record an account in advance. Keep one item per service and enter its real sign-in URL so that autofill can match it accurately.

Open the extension and select New credential in the top right.
Enter an Item name, Username, and Password. A username can be an email address, phone number, or account name required by the service.
Enter one or more Websites, such as https://github.com. An item with only a service name and no website is less likely to match the right page.
Optionally select a Group and add Notes, then select Save credential.
To change a password, username, or website, open the original item, select Edit credential, then save the update. Do not repeatedly create similar items for the same account.
For a highly sensitive item, enable Turn on secondary verification in its details. Displaying, copying, or autofilling sensitive content then asks for the master password again.

To add TOTP to an item, paste the otpauth:// link or Base32 key supplied by the website into the One-time password (TOTP) field. This feature requires membership. The extension does not scan QR codes displayed on a webpage.

4. Autofill on a Website

Once a login item is saved, WowKey provides an entry point beside username, password, or verification-code fields on supported webpages. When the item’s website matches the current page, the extension prioritizes that item as a suggestion.

Open the website sign-in page and make sure that the WowKey vault is unlocked.
Select the WowKey entry point beside a username, password, or verification-code field.
Choose the correct login item from the menu, then confirm which fields should receive the username, password, or OTP code.
Check the website address and account after filling, then submit the sign-in form.
If the right item does not appear, open the extension to search for it and check that its saved website is the real sign-in address.

In higher-risk situations, such as an HTTP page or a cross-origin iframe, the extension may ask for confirmation first. Check the domain before confirming, and do not fill credentials into an untrusted page for convenience.

5. Save a New Account or Updated Password

When you register, sign in manually, or change a password and successfully submit the form, the extension shows a save prompt when it recognizes a username and password. Not every site exposes a login form in a standard way, so a prompt will not appear on every website.

Register, sign in, or change a password on a website, then submit the form normally.
When the WowKey save prompt appears, check the item name, username, and website.
Select Save for a new account. When changing a password for an existing account, select Update for the matching item.
If you are unsure whether it is the same account, select Save as new credential to avoid overwriting the original password.
Open the editor before saving when you need to add a group, note, or another website.

No save prompt? First make sure the vault is unlocked, the page contains both a username and password field, and you remain on the page briefly after submission. If it still does not appear, create the item manually as described in section 3.

6. Use the Password Generator and OTP

Generate a strong password

The extension includes a random-password generator. You can choose its length and whether it includes uppercase letters and symbols. Generate a new password when creating an account or replacing a compromised or reused password.

Open the extension and select Password generator.
Set the length. For most website passwords, use at least 15 characters and retain uppercase letters and symbols when the website allows them.
Select Regenerate until you have an appropriate password, then select Copy.
Paste the password into the website or item editor, then save the login item.

View and copy OTP codes

An item with a saved TOTP key displays a code that refreshes on a timer. Open the item details, select Copy one-time password, then paste it into the website’s verification-code field. A TOTP key is as sensitive as a password and must not be shared.

7. Save and Use Passkeys

A passkey must be created or used from a request initiated by a website that supports it. You cannot create a working passkey manually from the vault. Saving a new passkey requires an online connection.

Save a new passkey

On a website that supports passkeys, open account security and choose to add, create, or register a passkey.
When WowKey opens its passkey window, check the displayed website and account.
Choose New item, or select an existing matching login item to update it.
If the website requests user verification, enter the master password in the WowKey window after confirming that the website address is correct.
Confirm the save, return to the website, and wait for its success message.

Select Use a passkey or similar wording on the website sign-in page.
Choose the passkey matching the current website in the WowKey window.
Unlock WowKey or complete the requested master-password verification.
The browser returns the authentication result to the website and completes sign-in.

Note: The current version cannot edit an item that contains only a passkey. Update usernames, websites, and other login details in its associated login item.

8. Configure Locking, Privacy, and Shortcuts

Use Settings in the extension to change the interface language, security policies, autofill confirmation behavior, and browser shortcuts.

Under Security, set an automatic-lock time, then choose whether the timeout should Lock or Log out.
For stricter session control, enable Clear login token when locking. The next synchronization may require a new sign-in.
Enable local unlock appears only when local-unlock requirements have been configured. Otherwise, continue unlocking with the master password.
Under Privacy, turn off Skip autofill safety confirmation to retain a confirmation step when filling into an HTTP page or cross-origin iframe.
Under General > Shortcuts, view or change the browser shortcuts for opening and locking the extension.

9. Troubleshooting

There is no WowKey entry point beside a web field

Confirm that the extension is enabled and that the WowKey icon is not locked.
Refresh the page, then select the username or password field again. Some pages show the entry point only after they finish loading.
The extension cannot run on browser-internal pages, extension-management pages, or other pages that do not permit content scripts.

The right item does not appear for autofill

Open Suggestions or search in the extension, then make sure the vault has synchronized.
Edit the item’s website so that it contains the real sign-in domain or address.
Do not put several unrelated websites into one login item.

There is no save prompt

Make sure the vault is unlocked and wait for a prompt after submitting the login form.
Some websites use non-standard login flows, so the extension cannot recognize their username or password fields. Create or edit the item manually in that case.
You cannot save or update items in offline mode. Reconnect and synchronize before trying again.

OTP or passkeys do not work

OTP: Make sure you saved an authenticator key or otpauth:// link, not an SMS code. Also check that the device time is set automatically.
Passkey: Confirm that the website supports passkeys, that the current page address is correct, and that the network is available when saving a new passkey.
If either still fails, lock and unlock the extension, synchronize once, then try again.

After setup, test the complete flow with a low-risk account first: create an item, autofill it on a website, save or update a password, and use a passkey. Move important email, payment, and work accounts only after that succeeds.

1. Install, Pin, and Sign In