Performance: Tuurbo Test

Use the official Chrome extension to preview Performance optimizations and compare original and optimized pages safely.

What it is for

Tuurbo Test is Tuurbo's official Chrome extension for checking Performance optimizations before making them visible to visitors, and for comparing the optimized and original versions after publication.

We built it for one recurring situation: users who wanted to see their site without Tuurbo because they suspected Tuurbo was causing anomalies on the page. That was almost never the case, so we created a safe way to check it directly: one click shows the original version, another shows the optimized one, and any difference is immediately visible in your own browser.

Two settings must remain separate:

Site mode, Test or Production, determines what visitors normally see. You change it in the Tuurbo Suite.
The version in your browser, original or optimized, is your personal comparison view. You change it with Tuurbo Test.

Using the extension never publishes or disables optimizations for other visitors.

Original and optimized versions

Version	Meaning
Original (without Tuurbo)	The page response without Tuurbo Performance optimizations. It is not an old CMS revision or a backup.
Optimized (with Tuurbo)	The page response with the Tuurbo optimizations that apply to that page and site configuration.

Not every optimization produces a visible design change. Use the comparison to check page behavior and loading, not just appearance.

Test mode and Production mode

Site mode	What visitors normally see	What you can view with the extension
Test, shown as Tuurbo in preview	Original version	Original or optimized version
Production, shown as Tuurbo active for everyone	Optimized version	Optimized or original version

In Test mode, selecting Show optimized displays the optimized version only in your browser. Visitors continue to see the original version.

In Production mode, selecting Show original displays the original version only in your browser. Visitors continue to see the optimized version.

Install Tuurbo Test

Use an up-to-date version of Google Chrome on a computer.
Open Tuurbo Test in the Chrome Web Store.
Select Add to Chrome, then confirm with Add extension.
Open Chrome's Extensions menu and pin Tuurbo Test so its icon remains visible.

Installation from the Chrome Web Store does not require a ZIP file or Developer mode.

Enable it on a site

The extension requests access separately for each site. Authorizing an extension on a domain does not connect that domain to Tuurbo or activate Production mode.

Open the site you want to check in the active Chrome tab.
Select the Tuurbo Test icon.
Make sure Enable extension is on.
Select Enable on this site.
Confirm Chrome's permission request.
Wait for the page to reload, then read the status in the Tuurbo Test panel.

When the popup shows Enabled on..., the extension has access to that domain. A separate permission may be required for another subdomain, protocol or port. Always authorize the final address after any redirect.

Read the panel

Connected means the page contains signals that allow Tuurbo to be detected. It does not by itself say which version you are viewing.
Site visitors reports the public version: original in Test mode or optimized in Production mode.
In your browser reports the version currently displayed to you.
You see the same version as visitors means your personal view matches the public version.
You are previewing Tuurbo means the site is in Test mode and your browser shows the optimized version.
You are comparing the original version means the site is in Production mode and your browser shows the original version.

Preview optimizations in Test mode

Configure the site in Test mode in the Tuurbo Suite.
Open the site and enable the extension for its domain.
Check that the panel shows Tuurbo in preview.
Select Show optimized.
Wait for the page to reload.
Check that In your browser shows Optimized (with Tuurbo).
Test representative pages, navigation, forms, images and important interactions.
Select Show original to return to the normal Test-mode view.

Other visitors see the original version throughout this process.

Compare the original in Production

Open the site with Tuurbo Test enabled.
Check that the panel shows Tuurbo active for everyone.
Select Show original and wait for the reload.
Check that In your browser shows Original (without Tuurbo).
Compare it with the optimized version.
Select Show optimized to return to the public Production view.

Showing the original in your browser does not disable Tuurbo on the site.

Switch between Test and Production

The public mode can only be changed from the Tuurbo Suite:

Complete your checks in Test mode.
Open the Tuurbo Suite and select the correct site.
Change the site mode from Test to Production.
Wait for the change to be applied, then reload the site.
Check the public mode in the extension and make sure your personal comparison setting is not showing the opposite version.

To return to Test mode, make the reverse change in the Suite. The extension's Show optimized and Show original buttons never replace this step.

If Tuurbo is not detected or the page is excluded

The panel may show Not connected or Excluded. This describes the current page and does not always mean that the whole domain is disconnected. Wait for loading to finish, reload the page, try another page and check the site's connection and exclusions in the Suite.

If an excluded page is detected during a comparison, select End test on this site to remove your personal version override. This does not change the public mode.

Extension controls and permissions

Use the arrow in the panel header to collapse or expand it.
Use the transparency control to change the panel's appearance.
Drag the header to move the panel.
Turn off Enable extension in the popup to remove panels and personal comparison rules. This does not disable Tuurbo on the site.
To revoke access to one domain, open chrome://extensions, select Tuurbo Test, open Details, and change its site access.

The extension needs permission to read Tuurbo signals, display its panel and add the comparison header to navigation requests. Preferences stay in the current Chrome profile and are not public site settings.

Common problems

Problem	What to check
The extension icon is missing	Open Chrome's Extensions menu, find Tuurbo Test and pin it.
The panel does not appear	Check that the extension is enabled, the final domain is authorized and the page has reloaded.
The site is in Test mode but you see no optimizations	Select Show optimized. Enabling the extension alone does not select the preview.
The site is in Production but you see the original	Read In your browser: the personal comparison may still be set to original.
Another subdomain is not enabled	Authorize that subdomain from its own popup.
Another tab shows the previous version	Reload it. Switching versions reloads the current tab only.
The button remains on Loading	Wait for the reload, then refresh the page and check the connection.
Public visibility is unknown	The extension could not identify a supported mode. Check the configuration with support.

When asking for help, include the full page URL, the mode configured in the Suite, the version shown under In your browser, the exact panel message and a screenshot. Never send site passwords.

Technical details for developers and support

Tuurbo Test uses the request header debug: 1 to request the version opposite to the site's normal mode.

Site mode	Without `debug: 1`	With `debug: 1`
Production	Optimized	Original
Test, technically reported as `staging`	Original	Optimized

The response header x-tb-stage reports production, staging or forward. The page may also contain a tuurbo-log meta element with status, environment, Tuurbo version and optimization date. In Chrome DevTools, inspect the main Document request, not a CSS, JavaScript or image request.