diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0bbe0d1..5bedb54 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -27,3 +27,9 @@ dev-dist
 extension-release.zip
 *.zip
 tools-app-extension-*.zip
+tools-app-extension-*.crx
+
+# Extension keys and builds
+*.pem
+*.crx
+scripts/*.pub
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0338457..c285249 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,12 +1,13 @@
 {
   "name": "tools-app",
   "private": true,
-  "version": "0.6.16",
+  "version": "0.6.17",
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
     "dev": "vite",
     "build": "vite build",
     "preview": "vite preview",
+    "pack-extension": "node scripts/pack_crx.js",
     "postinstall": "mkdir -p public/wasm && cp node_modules/zxing-wasm/dist/reader/zxing_reader.wasm public/wasm/"
   },
   "dependencies": {
diff --git a/scripts/build_extension.py b/scripts/build_extension.py
index 222e994..bc27de5 100644
--- a/scripts/build_extension.py
+++ b/scripts/build_extension.py
@@ -6,9 +6,14 @@ import zipfile
 # Configuration
 SOURCE_DIR = "extension"
 BUILD_DIR = "dist-extension"
-OUTPUT_ZIP = "extension-release.zip"
 MANIFEST_FILE = "manifest.json"
 
+# Read version to create dynamic zip name
+with open(os.path.join(SOURCE_DIR, MANIFEST_FILE), "r") as f:
+    source_manifest = json.load(f)
+version = source_manifest.get("version", "unknown")
+OUTPUT_ZIP = f"tools-app-extension-v{version}.zip"
+
 # Remove build directory if exists
 if os.path.exists(BUILD_DIR):
     shutil.rmtree(BUILD_DIR)
@@ -27,7 +32,7 @@ print("Removing localhost from manifest...")
 # Filter host_permissions
 if "host_permissions" in manifest:
     manifest["host_permissions"] = [
-        perm for perm in manifest["host_permissions"] 
+        perm for perm in manifest["host_permissions"]
         if "localhost" not in perm
     ]
 
@@ -36,7 +41,7 @@ if "content_scripts" in manifest:
     for script in manifest["content_scripts"]:
         if "matches" in script:
             script["matches"] = [
-                match for match in script["matches"] 
+                match for match in script["matches"]
                 if "localhost" not in match
             ]
 
@@ -55,4 +60,4 @@ with zipfile.ZipFile(OUTPUT_ZIP, "w", zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED) as zipf:
 
 # Cleanup
 shutil.rmtree(BUILD_DIR)
-print(f"Done! {OUTPUT_ZIP} is ready for upload to Chrome Web Store.")
\ No newline at end of file
+print(f"Done! {OUTPUT_ZIP} is ready for upload to Chrome Web Store.")
diff --git a/scripts/pack_crx.js b/scripts/pack_crx.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..48fc050
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/pack_crx.js
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { execSync } from 'child_process';
+import fs from 'fs';
+import path from 'path';
+
+function findKey() {
+  // 1. Check if key provided via CLI
+  if (process.argv[3]) return process.argv[3];
+
+  // 2. Check local project directory (gitignored)
+  const localKey = path.join(process.cwd(), 'scripts', 'key.pem');
+  if (fs.existsSync(localKey)) return localKey;
+
+  // 3. Check common SSH key locations in ~/.ssh
+  const sshDir = path.join(process.env.HOME, '.ssh');
+  const commonKeys = ['id_rsa', 'id_ecdsa', 'id_ed25519'];
+
+  for (const keyName of commonKeys) {
+    const fullPath = path.join(sshDir, keyName);
+    if (fs.existsSync(fullPath)) return fullPath;
+  }
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+const KEY_PATH = findKey();
+const INPUT_SOURCE = process.argv[2] || path.join(process.cwd(), 'extension');
+const TEMP_DIR = path.join(process.cwd(), 'temp_extension_build');
+
+function pack() {
+  console.log('📦 Packing extension to CRX...');
+
+  if (!KEY_PATH) {
+    console.error('❌ Error: No private key found.');
+    console.log('Tried local scripts/key.pem and common ~/.ssh/id_* keys.');
+    console.log('You can provide a path manually: npm run pack-extension <source> <path/to/key>');
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  let extensionDir = INPUT_SOURCE;
+  let isTemp = false;
+
+  try {
+    // If input is a zip file, unzip it first
+    if (INPUT_SOURCE.endsWith('.zip')) {
+      console.log('🤐 Unzipping extension...');
+      if (fs.existsSync(TEMP_DIR)) fs.rmSync(TEMP_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
+      fs.mkdirSync(TEMP_DIR);
+      execSync(`unzip -o "${INPUT_SOURCE}" -d "${TEMP_DIR}"`, { stdio: 'pipe' });
+      extensionDir = TEMP_DIR;
+      isTemp = true;
+    }
+
+    // Resolve actual extension directory (handle subdirs in zip)
+    if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(extensionDir, 'manifest.json'))) {
+      const subdirs = fs.readdirSync(extensionDir).filter(f => fs.statSync(path.join(extensionDir, f)).isDirectory());
+      if (subdirs.length === 1 && fs.existsSync(path.join(extensionDir, subdirs[0], 'manifest.json'))) {
+        extensionDir = path.join(extensionDir, subdirs[0]);
+        console.log(`📂 Found manifest in subdirectory: ${extensionDir}`);
+      } else {
+        console.error(`❌ Error: manifest.json not found in ${extensionDir}`);
+        process.exit(1);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Determine output filename
+    let outputName;
+    if (INPUT_SOURCE.endsWith('.zip')) {
+      outputName = path.basename(INPUT_SOURCE).replace('.zip', '.crx');
+    } else {
+      const manifest = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(extensionDir, 'manifest.json'), 'utf8'));
+      outputName = `tools-app-extension-v${manifest.version}.crx`;
+    }
+    const outputFull = path.join(process.cwd(), outputName);
+
+    // Get version for logging
+    const manifest = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(extensionDir, 'manifest.json'), 'utf8'));
+    const version = manifest.version;
+
+    console.log(`🔑 Using key: ${KEY_PATH}`);
+    console.log(`📂 Source: ${extensionDir} (v${version})`);
+    console.log(`🚀 Running crx3 via npx...`);
+
+    // Command: npx -y crx3 --key <key> --crx <output> <dir>
+    execSync(`npx -y crx3 --key "${KEY_PATH}" --crx "${outputFull}" "${extensionDir}"`, {
+      stdio: 'inherit'
+    });
+
+    // Cleanup any file that crx3 might have created automatically based on temp dir name
+    const unintendedFile = extensionDir + '.crx';
+    if (fs.existsSync(unintendedFile) && unintendedFile !== outputFull) {
+      fs.unlinkSync(unintendedFile);
+    }
+
+    console.log(`\n✅ Success! Extension packed to: ${outputFull}`);
+  } catch (error) {
+    console.error('\n❌ Failed to pack extension.');
+    if (error.message.includes('algorithm')) {
+      console.error('⚠️  Note: Chrome CRX format requires RSA or ECDSA (P-256) keys.');
+    } else {
+      console.error('Error details:', error.message);
+    }
+    process.exit(1);
+  } finally {
+    if (isTemp && fs.existsSync(TEMP_DIR)) {
+      fs.rmSync(TEMP_DIR, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+pack();