Draftmate

Set up Draftmate

You've installed the app — now two quick one-time steps and you're drafting. Takes about 3 minutes. Draftmate runs in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a Windows PC (not a Chromebook; a Mac build is in private beta).

  1. Make sure the installer finished

    If you haven't run the installer yet, do that first: download Draftmate-Setup.exe from your license email, run it, and let it launch Draftmate at the end.

    Seeing a blue "Windows protected your PC" box? That's expected — Draftmate isn't code-signed yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. It's safe; the warning just means we haven't bought a signing certificate yet.

  2. Load the Chrome (or Edge) extension

    This is a one-time step. The installer placed the extension files on your computer; you just need to point Chrome at them.

    Easy path: if you left "Open the Draftmate extension folder" checked on the installer's finish screen, a File Explorer window is already open showing the folder. Just point Chrome at it.

    • Open Chrome and go to chrome://extensions — using Microsoft Edge instead? Go to edge://extensions; every step below is identical.
    • Turn on Developer mode (toggle in the top-right corner)
    • Click Load unpacked
    • Select the extension folder that the installer opened for you, or navigate to:
      C:\Users\[your username]\Draftmate\extension
      (You can also paste %USERPROFILE%\Draftmate\extension into the folder picker's address bar to jump straight there.)
    • Click Select Folder

    Draftmate now appears in your extensions list. (Pin it if you like — click the puzzle-piece icon, then the pin next to Draftmate.)

  3. Open a draft and activate

    • Open any FFPC draft room in Chrome or Edge. A slow draft is perfect for your first run.
    • The first time, your browser asks to allow access to your local network — click Allow. That lets the panel talk to the Draftmate app on your computer. If you miss it, the panel runs in demo mode with placeholder players.
    • The Draftmate panel appears (top-right by default — you can drag it anywhere) and asks for your license key.
    • Paste the key from your license email — it looks like DM-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.
    • When prompted, upload a rankings CSV for the format you're drafting (Bestball, Superflex, or Gorilla / Main Event / Classic). You can add more later.

    That's it. The panel reads the live board and keeps your recommendations updated as picks come in.

Troubleshooting

The panel says it can't connect to the bridge

Draftmate has two parts: the Chrome extension and a small background app (the "bridge") that the installer set up. If the panel can't connect, the bridge isn't running.

Open the Draftmate shortcut from your Start menu or desktop to start it. A console window flashes briefly, then it runs in the background on your machine. Refresh the FFPC draft tab and the panel should connect.

The panel shows demo data or placeholder players

This almost always means your browser blocked Draftmate's local connection — even while the bridge is running fine. Chrome and Edge require permission for a web page to reach an app on your own computer. Click the site-info icon (the tune or lock icon) at the left of the address bar and turn on "Apps on device" — that's newer Chrome's name for it; older Chrome/Edge label it "Local network access" or "Insecure private network." Then hard-refresh the draft tab (Ctrl+Shift+R) and it switches from demo to your live board.

Just updated your browser? A Chrome or Edge update can silently switch this permission back off — so if Draftmate was working and suddenly drops to demo players, re-check that "Apps on device" toggle first. Quick way to prove the bridge itself is healthy: open http://127.0.0.1:8765/health — if it shows {"ok": true}, the bridge is fine and this permission is the only thing standing in the way.

I don't see the "Load unpacked" button

You need Developer mode turned on first — it's the toggle in the top-right of chrome://extensions. The "Load unpacked" button only appears once it's on.

The Draftmate extension folder doesn't exist where the guide says it should

That means the installer didn't finish. Re-run Draftmate-Setup.exe and let it complete all the way through. If you chose a custom install location during setup, look for the extension folder inside wherever you installed Draftmate.

My license key won't activate

Double-check you copied the whole key, including the DM- prefix and all three dash-separated groups. Keys are case-insensitive. If it still won't take, email support@getdraftmate.com with the key and we'll sort it out fast.

Does this work on a Mac, a Chromebook, or the FFPC phone app?

Not yet for Mac. Today Draftmate is a browser extension paired with a Windows background app, so it needs Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge on a Windows 10 or 11 laptop or desktop. It doesn't run on a Chromebook/ChromeOS, Safari, Firefox, or the FFPC mobile app — and the Chrome browser on a Chromebook isn't enough, since ChromeOS can't run the Windows app. A Mac build is in private beta (not yet publicly available). Draft from Chrome or Edge on a Windows computer for any draft where you want Draftmate.

Still stuck? Email support@getdraftmate.com — we answer fast, especially during draft season.