philc / philc/vimium

[Suggestion] Add option to set default mode (e.g., start in edit mode by default)

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Dominant language
JavaScript
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Description

Suggestion: Default Mode Option

It would be very helpful to have a configuration option to set Vimium's default mode on all pages—for example, being able to start in 'edit mode' by default. Currently, some browser shortcuts don't work properly, and it's frustrating to manually switch modes on every page.

Problem

Many browser shortcuts are blocked or do not work as expected unless Vimium is switched to edit mode, and doing this repeatedly for every page is disruptive.

Proposed Solution

Please consider adding a setting to let the user choose the default mode (e.g., edit mode vs. normal mode) so that shortcuts work as intended without switching every time.

Benefits
  • Improves usability for users who rely on browser shortcuts.
  • Reduces friction and manual toggling between modes.
  • More customization for individual workflows.

Thank you for considering this feature!

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

No files, tests, or entry points are named. Start by locating Vimium's existing mode-switching and settings entry points, then trace how mode state is initialized on each page. Done means a user-selectable default mode is applied consistently without manual toggling, with the existing normal-mode behavior preserved.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
web-dev
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
48/100

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