Introducing CF Catalyst

Note: This extension does not require any API setup or generation, no configuration steps to follow, no rate limits to worry about, and no availability issues to deal with.

Link : https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/cf-catalyst/oihpbapkcfcnjocjdpfpbobidaeoblha

(Started working on this during August last year but had to put it on a very long hold due to other commitments. However!)

This is a blog I’m writing to introduce you to yet another Chrome extension: CF Catalyst. But before that, let me ask you something. - Have you ever opened a Codeforces problem, felt confident after reading it, and then… just couldn’t move forward? - Do you feel stuck when you move to more difficult problems, even though it feels like you’re very close to the solution? - Do you open the editorial and risk spoiling the entire problem for myself to solve? - I have faced these things and this is why CF Catalyst exists.

The Gap Between Easy and Hard Problems

• Easy problems feel straightforward. You read them, spot the idea, implement it, and move on.
• But as soon as you step into more difficult problems, something changes. You’re not lost — you’re just one idea away. In those moments, you don’t need the full solution. You need a small nudge, a hint that pushes your thinking in the right direction.
• That’s exactly what CF Catalyst helps with.

What CF Catalyst Does

• CF Catalyst helps you solve problems without taking the solution away from you.
• It provides progressive, step-by-step hints that guide you toward the idea of a problem while keeping you solve problems that are strictly aligned with Codeforces editorials.

Each hint:

• Preserves the original mathematical notation and variables
• Follows editorial-style reasoning
• Reveals only the minimum insight needed at that step
• You stay in control. You decide how many hints to reveal or when to stop and solve it yourself.

There are a few important design choices here:

• Hints are generated only from official editorials (that's why some problems among the whole problem set have no hints generated for them).
• No new logic, no altered variables.
• Editorials are compressed into progressive hints, not rewritten as solutions
• The entire pipeline is fully automated.
• Whenever a new contest editorial is released, hints for those problems are generated within a few hours, without any manual intervention.

• This means:

• New contests are supported automatically,
• Older problems remain consistent
• The hint quality stays editorial-faithful

Why This Is Not Cheating

• This is an important question, and it deserves a clear answer.
• CF Catalyst does not generate hints during contests.
• Hints are available only after the official editorials are released and there is absolutely no way you can generate hints from this extension without having editorial for it.
• This makes CF Catalyst a learning tool, not a shortcut.

How CF Catalyst Is Different From Others

• There are plenty of tools that promise “AI help,” but CF Catalyst is intentionally different.
• No API keys required
• No setup, no configuration, no accounts, it just works.
• No rate limits, no availability issues
• Hints load instantly, every time.
• Fully autonomous for new contests
• As soon as editorials are released, hints follow automatically.
• Editorial-specific hints only
• If a problem doesn’t have an editorial, CF Catalyst won’t fabricate hints for it.
• Seamless Codeforces integration
• Clean, non-intrusive UI that fits naturally into the problem page.

 Sometimes, all you need isn’t the solution — just the right catalyst.

UPDATE: To keep things engaging, the extension uses a coin-based hint system. - Each hint costs 10 coins, so you think before revealing it. - A successful submission gives 50 coins, and daily activity adds 20 more. This way, hints are used only when you’re actually stuck. You solve more problems, earn coins, and use them wisely.