Beyond Page Loads: Detecting Navigation in Single-Page Apps

As single-page applications like YouTube redefine how the web works, Chrome extension developers face a fundamental challenge: traditional content scripts assume one execution per page load, but SPAs break this contract entirely. By leveraging MutationObserver to track DOM changes and URL updates, developers can build extensions that properly reinitialize on every navigation—a practical solution applicable to all SPA-based sites without polling overhead.