Bridge

A web page only gets key presses while its tab is focused. The Bridge is a small tray app (Windows, Linux) that watches for the keys you bound and tells the Sharkord tab. It enables mute, deafen and push to talk while you are in a game. The desktop app does not need it.

Setup

1. Run the Bridge from GitHub Releases. It creates a pairing token.
2. In Sharkord, User Settings → Hotkeys: enable hotkeys, paste the token, save. Status turns Connected.
3. Bind keys there. For push to talk, set Microphone mode to Push to talk under User Settings → Devices.

Token file: ~/.config/sharkord-bridge/token or %APPDATA%\sharkord-bridge\token. The log, bridge.log, is next to it.

Security

• Listens on 127.0.0.1:47821 only, and drops any connection without the pairing token.
• Only forwards keys Sharkord asked it to watch. It never blocks keys from reaching other apps.
• Logs never contain the token. Logging every key needs SHARKORD_BRIDGE_LOG=trace.
• It cannot read messages or reach your server.

Platforms

• Windows and X11: sees all keys. Games running as administrator need the Bridge run as administrator too.
• Wayland: only sees keys while an XWayland window (most games, Steam and Proton) has focus. SHARKORD_BRIDGE_PORTAL=1 uses the desktop's global shortcuts portal instead, which sees everything but takes the bound keys away from other apps.

Troubleshooting

• Not found, stopped trying. Sharkord gives up after 10 attempts. Start the Bridge and press Try to connect. Check that port 47821 is free and the token is exact. Safari may block connections to localhost.
• Connected but a key does nothing. Run with SHARKORD_BRIDGE_LOG=debug. No line on press means the key never reached the Bridge (see Platforms). Browser side errors are logged with a [BRIDGE] prefix and show in the voice diagnostics (F9).
• Key also triggers something in the focused app. Expected. Bind combinations nothing else uses, like Ctrl+Alt+M or F-keys.
• Mic stuck muted. Push to talk is on and the Bridge disconnected. Switch back to Open microphone.

Plugins can add their own bindable actions, see Client SDK.