Bullet List Formatter

WHAT IT DOES

Bullet List Formatter is a browser extension that scans any webpage for plain-text lists and converts them to proper HTML unordered or ordered lists (ul/ol). It detects lines starting with common bullet markers (-, *, •, ○, ▪) or numbers (1., 2., etc.) and automatically transforms them into structured, accessible HTML lists. The tool supports three bullet styles: disc (•), circle (○), and square (▪), and can convert bullet lists to numbered lists and vice versa. It provides a live preview showing exactly what will change before you commit, and includes a full undo function to revert all changes instantly. The count display shows how many list items have been or will be converted. The tool is ideal for writers, content managers, editors, and anyone who works with lists in web content.

WHERE IT RUNS

Bullet List Formatter works on any webpage that contains text with list-like formatting. It runs locally in your browser as a lightweight userscript, scanning text nodes across the entire page while avoiding script tags, style blocks, and form inputs. It works on blog posts, articles, documentation pages, email drafts, social media content, academic papers, and any other text-based content. The tool handles static pages, dynamically loaded content via AJAX, and single-page applications where content updates without page reloads. All processing occurs entirely in your browser—no text is ever sent to any server.

HOW TO USE

After installation, open the floating panel by clicking the extension icon. The panel automatically scans the page and shows a preview of all list items that would be converted, with changes highlighted in green. Use the "Bullet style" dropdown to choose between disc (•), circle (○), and square (▪) bullet styles. Toggle the "Convert to numbered list" option to switch between bullet and numbered list formatting. Each change updates the preview in real time. Click the Preview button to refresh the preview display, the Apply button to commit the conversions to the page, and the Revert button to restore all text to its original state. The count display shows how many list items have been or will be converted. All style and preference settings are saved per domain.

REAL MECHANISM — WHY THIS WORKS

Most list conversion tools rely on simple string replacement that cannot handle multi-line list items, nested lists, or varied list markers. Bullet List Formatter uses a multi-stage list detection and conversion engine. The engine first scans text nodes and identifies lines that contain list markers using a deterministic pattern matcher that recognizes bullet markers (-, *, •, ○, ▪) and numbered markers (1., 2., 3., etc.). The engine then groups consecutive list lines into list structures, using indentation detection to infer nested list hierarchy. For each detected list, the engine builds a DOM fragment containing either a ul (unordered list) or ol (ordered list) element with li (list item) children. When converting to numbered lists, the engine uses the ol element which automatically handles numbering, rather than manually numbering items. When converting to bullet lists, the engine applies the selected CSS list-style-type property. The preview mode wraps the converted list in a styled container with a green left border, giving users a clear visual indication of what will change. The engine processes text in batches to avoid blocking the main thread, and it preserves the original DOM structure by replacing text nodes with structured list elements. This approach ensures accurate, fast, and fully private list conversion without sending any data off-device.

THE PANEL

The floating panel is fully draggable and remembers its position per site, snapping to the edges of the viewport when dragged near them. You can collapse the panel to a small icon to minimize screen distraction and expand it back with a single click. The panel is resizable from the bottom-right corner, giving you more space to view conversion options and statistics. Press the Escape key to close the panel instantly. The panel remains open across page navigation within the same domain, maintaining your current style and preference settings. All preferences—panel position, bullet style selection, and numbering toggle—are saved per domain for a seamless experience.

PLEASE NOTE

Bullet List Formatter requires the free BotGentz extension to be installed and enabled, as it relies on the cross-extension messaging API provided by BotGentz for DOM access permissions. Because websites frequently update their structure, list detection and conversion may require periodic script updates to maintain compatibility. If the tool does not convert lists as expected, please check for updates or report the issue. All text processing occurs entirely in your browser. No page content, text samples, or conversion results are ever sent to any server. The extension does not read, store, or transmit any personal information. It only reads and modifies the DOM of the pages you choose to interact with, and all changes are fully reversible using the Revert function.