Since v1.1.0, We2ima is distributed as an installer package (no longer an extract-and-run zip):
Download We2ima_Setup_win_x64_v1.1.0.exe from the Download page
Run the installer; if Windows SmartScreen shows a blue prompt, click "More info" → "Run anyway"
Grant administrator permission (UAC) and choose the install directory (defaults to D:\Program Files\We2ima when available)
After installation, two shortcuts appear on your desktop: "We2ima" (微兔) and "WeChatLauncher"
Favorites data, configuration, and activation info are stored in the install directory; reinstalling, auto-updating, or uninstalling will not remove them
2. Install WeChat PC 3.9.x
We2ima requires WeChat PC 3.9.x for its Favorites Links view feature. If you already have WeChat 4.x, you can install 3.9.x alongside it.
Download WeChat PC 3.9.x from a trusted source (the same package is available on our Download page)
Install to a separate directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\Tencent\WeChat)
Always launch legacy WeChat via the "WeChatLauncher" desktop shortcut: double-clicking WeChat.exe directly triggers a "version too low" login block; if needed, right-click the launcher and choose "Run as administrator"
Log in to your WeChat account
In WeChat "Settings → General Settings", uncheck the auto-upgrade option to prevent the legacy version from being overwritten
3. Install Chrome ima Extension
Chrome must be installed, but does not need to be your default browser (if another browser is the default, We2ima auto-detects this at startup and switches to URL Open mode). The extension installation has 2 steps (extension files are bundled with the v1.1.0 installer, no download needed):
-> Step 1: Install Extension and Configure Shortcut Key
Open Chrome
Open "Extensions" - "Manage Extensions"
Find and enable the "Developer mode" toggle on the Extensions page
Click "Load unpacked"
In the dialog, navigate to the "chrome_extension\ima_chrome_extension" folder under the install directory (default "D:\Program Files\We2ima\chrome_extension\ima_chrome_extension"), select it, and click "Select Folder"
On the Extensions page, click "Keyboard shortcuts" and set the shortcut for "ima Knowledge Base" to "Alt + J"
-> Step 2: Login and Verify
Open a WeChat public account article in your browser
Press the shortcut key "Alt + J" on your keyboard
In the "ima Knowledge Base" popup, scan the QR code with WeChat to log in
Select the target folder for article import in the popup menu (the target folder must be created manually in the ima Knowledge Base app beforehand, under either the "Shared Knowledge Base" or "Personal Knowledge Base" category; In the "Shared Knowledge Base" ,you can set it to "Make Private" in "Permission Management")
Open "ima Knowledge Base" to verify the article was imported successfully
Browser "ima Extension" installation and login is complete
4. Initial Calibration
We2ima requires calibrations before it can operate:
WeChat Calibration — required for all modes
Ensure WeChat PC is open and logged in
Click "WeChat Calibrate" in the We2ima home screen
The software will automatically connect and calibrate window position
ima Calibration — only for "Manual Calibration" directory mode
How the ima import-directory menu is located depends on the directory mode:
Same-name / Custom directory modes: the browser extension auto-locates the menu while processing each article — no prior calibration needed
Manual calibration mode: click "ima Calibrate" on the home screen and follow the prompts to capture each tag directory's menu position; tasks cannot start until this is done
Pause current task, press again to resume (triggers on key release, preventing accidental toggles from holding the key)
Alt + Q
Stop
Fully stop the current task
You can safely interact with the WeChat window while paused. The software will auto-detect and recover window state when resumed.
Auto Update
Since v1.1.0, We2ima ships with full auto-update capability:
When a new version is detected, the status bar shows staged progress while the installer is pre-downloaded and signature-verified in the background
Click "Auto Upgrade" and the app exits, silently installs over itself, and restarts — favorites data and activation remain intact
Updates for the main app, the WeChatLauncher, and both browser extensions are checked together
Versions v1.0.3 and earlier (zip packages) no longer receive update pushes; please follow the migration guide to move to the installer edition (data and license are preserved)
Statistics Tab — View all scanned articles with pagination, filtering, and search; the Tag Overview includes a 30-day tag trend chart with dynamic rankings
History Tab — View operation history including scan and import records
Article Download Tab — Batch-download Official Account articles as Markdown / MHTML for local archiving
Read Marker Tab — Manage read/unread status and view reading stats with Official Account rankings
Color-coded status: Green = Imported, Gray = Skipped, Red = Deleted, Dark Green = Imported to Same Directory
Confirm legacy WeChat was launched via the "WeChatLauncher" shortcut (launching WeChat.exe directly cannot log in properly)
Try re-running WeChat Calibration
ima Extension Not Triggering
Confirm Chrome is open with ima extension installed, shortcut key configured, and logged in
If you use the "Manual Calibration" directory mode, re-run ima Calibration (see "Initial Calibration" above); same-name / custom directory modes need no calibration
Check screen resolution is sufficient for popup display
Import Interrupted
Use Alt+P to pause and resume
If stopped, use "Resume from Breakpoint" mode
Check if WeChat window was minimized or obscured
Blocked by SmartScreen or Antivirus During Install
The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen may show a blue warning: click "More info" → "Run anyway"
Antivirus tools (e.g. 360, Huorong) may flag it falsely — add the install directory to their trust list; quarantined files can be restored
"Already Running" Message on Startup
We2ima runs as a single instance; closing the main window minimizes it to the system tray instead of exiting
Find the We2ima icon in the system tray, right-click to exit, then start again
Chrome Is Not the Default Browser
No need to change your system default browser — We2ima detects this at startup and automatically switches to "URL Open" mode
In this mode, the article's official short link is copied from WeChat's built-in viewer and opened in Chrome; ima deduplicates by link, so nothing is imported twice
Mouse Clicks Landing Off-Target
1920x1080 resolution with 100% system scaling is recommended
Only single-monitor setups are supported; multi-monitor / mixed DPI is not supported — do not change display settings while a task is running