How to Enable the Helperbird Floating Button

This guide sets the Floating Toolbar's initial state using managed policy. Clicking the floating Helperbird logo opens an on-page bar of reading and writing tools. Its Settings button opens the browser side panel where that browser supports it.

This feature is designed for environments where the browser toolbar is hidden, such as kiosk mode or locked mode on Chromebooks, and students need a visible way to access Helperbird during exams or assessments.

What Is the Floating Button?

The floating button is a small circular button with the Helperbird owl logo that appears in the bottom-left corner of every web page. It sits on top of page content and is always visible.

• One click opens Helperbird. When a student clicks the button, Helperbird opens in the browser side panel. The button turns purple to show that Helperbird is active.
• It works without the toolbar. In kiosk mode and locked mode, the browser toolbar and extension icons are often hidden. The floating button gives students a way to open Helperbird without needing the toolbar.
• An admin can set the default; users keep their choice. With isAdminControl enabled, floatingButton sets the initial state. Users can turn it off or back on, and their explicit choice survives policy refreshes. To block the toolbar entirely, enable disableFeatures and include FloatingButton in disabledFeatures.
• It does not interfere with the page. The button floats above the page content and does not block text or interactive elements. It is hidden when printing.

When to Use It

The floating button is useful in these situations:

• Kiosk mode Chromebooks - When a Chromebook is in kiosk mode, the browser toolbar is hidden. Students with IEP accommodations or 504 plans need a way to open Helperbird during exams.
• Locked mode quizzes - When a teacher turns on locked mode in Google Forms, the Chromebook shelf is hidden. The floating button gives students access to Helperbird features.
• Shared exam devices - When multiple students use the same device and you do not know which student will use which Chromebook, the floating button ensures every student can access Helperbird.
• Any setup where the toolbar is hidden - If your organization configures Chrome to hide the extensions toolbar, the floating button provides an alternative entry point.

If your users can see the Helperbird icon in the browser toolbar, you do not need the floating button. It is only necessary when the toolbar is not visible.

How to Enable It

Step 1: Make Sure Admin Control Is On

The floating button requires isAdminControl to be set to true. If you have already set up admin control for your organization, you are ready to add the floating button.

Step 2: Add the Floating Button to Your JSON Policy

In the Google Admin Console, open the JSON policy for Helperbird (under Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions, select your OU, click on Helperbird, and find the Policy for extensions field).

Add floatingButton to your existing policy:

{
 "subKey": {
 "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
 },
 "isAdminControl": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "floatingButton": {
 "Value": true
 }
}

Replace YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE with your actual Helperbird subscription key.

Step 3: Save and Sync

Click Save. The policy will sync to devices automatically. To force an immediate sync, reboot the Chromebook or go to chrome://policy and click Reload policies.

That is all you need. The floating button will now appear in the bottom-left corner on every page for users in that organizational unit.

Step 4: Change the Button Position (Optional)

By default the floating button appears in the bottom-left corner. To move it to the bottom-right, add floatingButtonPosition to your policy:

{
 "subKey": {
 "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
 },
 "isAdminControl": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "floatingButton": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "floatingButtonPosition": {
 "Value": "right"
 }
}

Accepted values are "left" and "right". If omitted, it defaults to "left".

How It Works

With admin control enabled, the toolbar starts in the configured state unless the user has already made an explicit choice. Clicking the logo expands its tools; clicking it again closes the bar. Users can drag the logo or its move handle to reposition it.

The bar works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on supported pages. Its Settings action opens a side panel in Chrome and Edge only. For Apple deployment, generate a Mac profile or an iPhone/iPad configuration with the policy builder instead of pasting the Google JSON unchanged.

Combining with Other Settings

You can combine the floating button with other managed policy settings. Here is an example that enables the floating button, disables certain features for exams, and excludes specific websites:

{
 "subKey": {
 "Value": "YOUR-SUBSCRIPTION-KEY-HERE"
 },
 "isAdminControl": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "floatingButton": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "disableFeatures": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "disabledFeatures": {
 "Value": [
 "EditorReader",
 "VoiceTypingOptions",
 "ScreenshotOptions"
 ]
 },
 "excludedDomains": {
 "Value": true
 },
 "excludedDomainsList": {
 "Value": [
 "testplatform.com"
 ]
 }
}

The floating button will still appear on excluded domains. Even if Helperbird features are disabled on a website through the excludedDomainsList, the floating button remains visible so students can always open Helperbird.

Troubleshooting

The floating button is not appearing

• To set the toolbar on by default, use isAdminControl: true and floatingButton: true. Check whether the user has turned it off or FloatingButton is explicitly disabled; the default does not override either choice.
• Check that the policy is set under the correct tab in Google Admin. For regular user sessions, use Users & browsers. For kiosk sessions, use Kiosks.
• Confirm the Chromebook is in the correct organizational unit.
• Reboot the Chromebook to force a policy sync, or go to chrome://policy and click Reload policies.
• Use our JSON Policy Validator to check your policy for errors.

The button appears but nothing happens when clicked

• Clicking the logo should expand the on-page toolbar. The separate Settings action needs a browser with side-panel support. Check your browser version and whether the page allows extensions.
• Check the browser console for errors. Open DevTools (if available) and look for messages starting with 🦉 Helperbird.

The button is in the way of page content

• The configured position sets its starting corner. Drag the logo or the open toolbar's move handle away from the content you need.

The button shows on websites where I do not want it

• The floating button is designed to always be available when enabled, including on excluded domains. If you need to completely hide Helperbird on certain devices, consider placing those devices in a separate organizational unit without the floatingButton policy.

Validate Your Policy

Before deploying, use our JSON Policy Validator to check for errors, validate feature codes, and see exactly what each setting does.

Related Guides

• How to Use the Floating Helperbird Button (User Guide)
• How to Deploy Helperbird in ChromeOS Kiosk Mode
• How to Use Helperbird in Locked Mode on Chromebooks
• How to Deploy Helperbird to Your School
• How to Disable Helperbird Features Using JSON Policy
• How to Disable Helperbird on Specific Websites Using JSON Policy
• How to Set Up a Child Organizational Unit for Helperbird
• Setting Chrome Storage Managed Keys for Helperbird