Install and use a browser AI extension to write a Costdown proposal on your own

Every page on /help and every input field on Costdown follows one rule: each concept is explained in exactly one place, and each field carries its own explanation right next to it. This article is about using that structure with a browser AI extension so you can read, understand and write a complete proposal on your own - without anyone re-explaining each field to you.

Why this matters: writing a proposal without anyone holding your hand

Someone new to Costdown usually picks one of two paths: read the whole manual first and then start typing, or type and ask someone else at every field. Both are slow. A third path is to let an AI extension read the exact piece of documentation tied to the field you are typing into, right as you type it - and answer as if it had already read the whole manual for you.

This only works because the page is written with a machine-readable structure: section headings, and one explanation per field that answers four fixed questions (what it is, when to fill it in, a worked example with real numbers, and what else it can be used for). An AI extension reading that structure answers your specific question, not a generic one.

Step 1: install the extension - most only run on Chrome

An AI extension that can "read the page you have open" is a type of browser extension, and most extensions of this kind - Gemini included - currently only ship an official build for Google Chrome.

1. Open Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. Type the extension's name - for example "Gemini" - into the search box.
3. Click "Add to Chrome" on the official listing, then confirm.
4. Pin the extension's icon to the toolbar so you can open it in one click next time instead of hunting through a menu.

Step 2: how to use each kind to write a proposal on your own

All four ways below work, but how you ask has to match how that tool actually reads the page - ask it the wrong way and it has nothing to read.

Real prompts to go from raw numbers to a finished proposal

Open the Write page, turn on whatever AI extension you have, and try asking something like the questions below - the more specific the question, the more accurate the answer:

• "I just cut setup time on a CNC machine from 5 minutes to 3 minutes, at 500 units a month. Which category in the Before/After cost table does that go in?"
• "I left the machine allowance field blank - what does the system assume that means, and does it distort the saving percentage?"
• "Read me the Ten Cost Categories section and tell me which category my improvement belongs to."
• "What should I write in the Verification Method field so this proposal doesn't get stuck at the lowest trust level?"

This is exactly how someone can go from raw shop-floor numbers to a finished Costdown proposal without anyone sitting next to them explaining it - the AI extension reads the relevant piece of documentation and answers in that person's place.

Limits worth knowing, so you don't ask it the wrong thing

An AI extension reads the page's STRUCTURE and RULES correctly - it does not know your factory's REAL numbers, and it should never invent one on your behalf. Your before/after figures, monthly volume, investment cost and so on still have to come from you; the extension only helps you figure out where a number belongs and why.

If an answer sounds like it doesn't match what the page actually says, don't take it at face value - go re-read that section yourself, or ask through the Contact page to get it confirmed.