One evening, while browsing through recent commits in the Chrome project, I found something intriguing: active development around a new Proofreader API. This caught my attention - not just because it’s new, but because it could signal the beginning of something big.

At first glance, you might think, “Chrome already has spell check. What’s the big deal?” And you’d be right-spell check has been part of Chrome for years. But this is something different.

Spell Check vs. Proofreader API

While spell check is great for catching typos, it often misses more complex issues-such as grammar mistakes, incorrect punctuation, or awkward word usage. A proofreader, on the other hand, goes beyond surface-level corrections. It ensures that your text is not only technically correct but also clear and polished - much like what Grammarly does today.

A Free, Built-in Grammarly Alternative?

From what I’ve seen, it looks like Chrome is working on a potential **Grammarly alternative -**possibly a built-in solution that could eventually replace or compete with existing tools. And the best part? It may be free and work locally.

Based on the commit activity, it appears that Chrome will allow downloading a small, local language model to handle grammar checking directly in the browser. That means offline support could be available - at least for basic functionality. For full features and multilingual support, an online connection may still be necessary.

What This Means for Developers

Currently, the Proofreader API is still in early stages. It’s an API, not a finished app with a user interface. However, if you’re a frontend developer, this opens the door to exciting possibilities:

• You could build custom UI components around this API.
• You could integrate grammar correction into web forms to help users submit more polished content.
• You could even create productivity tools that rival established apps.

The only potential drawback? The language model may take a few moments to load into memory. But let’s be honest - waiting a few seconds to write a flawless email to your boss is a small price to pay, especially if it helps you earn that next raise.

Current Status

As of now, there’s little public documentation on the Proofreader API. It’s not a W3C standard, and it doesn’t appear in Chrome’s chrome://flags/ settings - even in Google Chrome Canary. That suggests it’s still under internal testing.

Still, this is a promising sign of what’s coming. A future where your browser not only helps you browse the web but also improves your writing - without needing third-party tools - may be closer than we think.