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Version 3.0a Version 2.5 Version 2.4.3 Version 2.4.2 Version 2.4.1 Version 2.4

Release history and change logs for Creations Manager (formerly Collections Manager).

Version 3.0a RELEASEDDownload

Collections Manager is now Creations Manager! The plugin has been renamed to better reflect its expanded capabilities beyond just Nexus Collections. This release also focuses on making shared modlists work reliably across different machines. External mods now download automatically when possible, your mod flags and settings transfer perfectly when importing modlists, and FOMOD detection is more reliable and faster.

App Rename: Collections Manager → Creations Manager

• IMPROVED Works with old files. All your existing marker files, saved presets, and collections still work. The plugin reads both old and new file formats.
• CHANGE Plugin renamed. The main file is now CreationsManager.py and shows as "Creations Manager" in MO2's Tools menu.
• CHANGE Window title changed. Now shows "MO2 Creations Manager".
• CHANGE Collections tab renamed to Modlists. Better describes what the tab does.
• CHANGE Creations tab renamed to Create. Clearer name for the export tab.
• CHANGE Helper DLL renamed. Now called creationsmanager_fomod.dll. Old DLL names still work.
• CHANGE Module folder renamed. Moved from lib/mo2collections to lib/creationsmanager.
• CHANGE Log messages updated. Now use [Creations] instead of [Collections].
• CHANGE Preset files renamed. FOMOD presets now use .creationsmanager.fomod.json. Old files still work.

Create Tab

• NEW Blocks export if FOMOD choices are missing. Shows a warning with a list of mods that need FOMOD choices saved before you can export.
• NEW Version history menu. Previous versions show in a dropdown. Click Load to switch versions instead of accidentally changing them.
• NEW Deep FOMOD scan. Searches inside archive subfolders to find FOMOD installers. Slower but catches more. On by default.
• NEW FOMOD cache. Remembers which archives have FOMOD installers so it doesn't rescan every time. Clear it in settings if needed.
• NEW Loading progress bar. Shows actual progress when the tab loads instead of freezing.
• NEW Warning if MO2 is missing features. Red banner tells you if required plugin methods aren't available.
• NEW Profile status light. Orange when no profile is selected, green when you're editing one.
• NEW URL and link type columns. External mods now have URL and link type fields right in the table.
• NEW Link type options. Choose Auto (detect from URL), Direct (force download), or Page (open in browser).
• NEW Nexus link help button. Click "?" next to URL field to see how to get download links from Nexus.
• NEW Version history per profile. Each profile keeps its own version history.
• NEW INI export options. Choose between diff format (smaller files) or full INI files (no extra tools needed).
• NEW New INI editor layout. Text editor on the left, changes panel on the right. Green for added lines, red for removed. Click a change to jump to it.
• NEW Restore Original button. Revert an INI file back to its original with one click.
• NEW Export checkboxes. Check which mods to include in your export. Unchecked mods are skipped.
• NEW Green outline on INI button. Shows at a glance which mods have INI edits saved.
• NEW Auto-save. Changes save automatically when enabled. On by default.
• NEW Save flash. UI elements flash green briefly when auto-saved.
• NEW Live URL field. URL field appears/disappears instantly when toggling External flag.
• NEW Auto-fill URLs. When marking a mod as External, the URL field fills in automatically if a URL is known.
• IMPROVED Remembers table state. Sort order, scroll position, and selected rows stay the same after refresh.
• IMPROVED Settings button matches other tabs. Uses the same gear icon style.
• CHANGE Checkboxes disabled without profile. Can't change flags until you load a profile.
• CHANGE Flags stored only in profiles. Removed the separate overrides file that caused conflicts.
• FIX Buttons work after sorting. INI editor and FOMOD buttons now open the right mod even after sorting the table.
• FIX External mod flags save correctly. Mods without Nexus IDs now keep their flags when imported on another machine.
• FIX Old profiles still load. Profiles from older versions work with the new system.

Mods Tab

• NEW Timer settings dialog. Install delays, FOMOD delays, and timeout settings now have their own dialog instead of being buried in Dev Options.
• IMPROVED Timer tips. Suggests doubling values if you're not on an SSD.
• IMPROVED Easier settings access. Gear button next to progress bar opens settings.
• CHANGE Author notes open automatically. Notes section expands by default when present.
• FIX Version column now consistent across all tables. All tables (Mods, FOMODs, Sort Tool, Duplicate Finder) now show the same version by reading from marker files first. Previously, different tables could show different versions for the same mod.

Sort Tab

• NEW Shared rules with Creations tab. Drag-drop changes in Sort tab now sync with Creations tab in real time.
• NEW Order change banner. Creations tab shows a reload banner when you apply a new sort order.
• NEW Better sorting algorithm. Uses load-after rules instead of fixed positions for more accurate ordering.
• IMPROVED Rules saved across restarts. Your custom sort rules now persist when you close MO2.
• IMPROVED Collection order preserved. Sorting by collection keeps mods in the right relative order.

External Downloads

• NEW Auto-download external mods. Mods with direct download URLs (.7z, .zip, etc.) download automatically through MO2.
• NEW Expected filename stored. Markers remember what the archive should be called for better matching.
• NEW Hash verification. Markers can store SHA256 hashes to verify downloads are correct.
• IMPROVED HTTPS required. Non-secure URLs are rejected for safety.
• FIX Game name format fixed. No more 404 errors from "skyrimse" vs "skyrimspecialedition" mismatches.

Stuck Download Recovery

• NEW Better download search. Uses a new method to find downloads that the old Python code couldn't locate.
• FIX Resume button works now. The Resume and Pause buttons in the stuck download dialog actually work, even when downloads get registered late.

Structure Capture

• IMPROVED Smarter file matching. Uses folder names to match files more accurately.
• FIX Capture works immediately. Checking the Capture box saves the structure right away instead of waiting.
• FIX Structures save to disk. Captured structures now survive restarts.
• FIX Handles missing paths. Tries alternate methods if the mod path can't be found.
• FIX Ignores orphan folders. Folders named "orphaned" are skipped to prevent issues.
• FIX Works with external mods. Structure matching now works for mods without Nexus IDs.

Import

• FIX Handles bad collection names. Cleans up invalid characters and numbers in collection slugs.
• FIX Finds collection.json correctly. Fixed path issues that caused import failures.
• FIX FOMOD indicators show right away. No need to refresh after importing to see which mods have saved FOMOD choices.

FOMOD Detection

• IMPROVED Searches inside archives deeper. Finds FOMOD installers in nested folders like MO2 does.
• IMPROVED Searches installed mods deeper. Finds nested fomod/ModuleConfig.xml folders.
• IMPROVED Uses 7zip when available. More reliable archive scanning.
• IMPROVED Caches scan results. Doesn't rescan the same archive twice.

Markers

• NEW Unique marker IDs. Each marker gets a UUID that stays the same forever. This lets mods match exactly when importing on another computer.
• NEW FOMOD flag cached. Markers remember if a mod has a FOMOD installer.
• IMPROVED Smarter mod matching. Uses Nexus file ID first, then marker UUID, then mod name as fallback.
• CHANGE New marker filename format. Now uses {mod_id}_{file_id}_{marker_id}.json.creationsmanager.
• FIX Old markers still work. Finds both old and new marker formats.
• FIX Old markers get upgraded. Markers without UUIDs get one added automatically.

Stability & Performance

• FIX Fixed memory leak in download tracking. Downloads that failed or got stuck were never removed from tracking, causing memory to grow over time. Now properly cleaned up on failure.
• FIX Fixed timer callbacks stacking up. Stopping and restarting downloads could cause multiple callbacks to fire at once. Timer signals are now properly disconnected before reconnecting.
• FIX Fixed callbacks firing after stop. Delayed callbacks (like download pacing) could still run after you canceled. Now checks if the manager is still active first.
• FIX Fixed network signal accumulation. GraphQL queries weren't disconnecting their completion signals, causing them to stack up. Now properly cleaned up after each request.
• FIX Fixed tracking data not clearing on cancel. Download tracking dicts (_active_downloads, _files_needing_cleanup) now clear when you cancel or close the dialog.
• FIX Added size limits to tracking dicts. Dicts that track retry attempts and logged dialog titles now clear themselves when they get too large, preventing unbounded growth during long sessions.
• FIX Dialog handler cleans up better. Timer signals and logged title sets are now properly cleared when the handler stops.

Internal

• NEW Better debug logging. State changes log in a searchable format: [TRACE] file_id | mod_name | old -> new | reason.
• IMPROVED Fewer timers. Consolidated five separate timers into one heartbeat. Less complexity, fewer bugs.
• FIX No more crash on open. Fixed null reference error when building the dialog.
• FIX WeakMethod detection fixed. Callbacks to class methods now work correctly.
• FIX Sort Tool cleanup fixed. No more callbacks to destroyed objects.

Maintenance Tool

• NEW Fix Versions button. Updates marker and meta.ini version fields to match the newest available version. Fixes outdated version numbers in one click.

Modlist Export

• IMPROVED Exports use newest version. When exporting a modlist, mods now show their newest available version instead of the installed version. No need to run Fix Versions first.

Version 2.5 RELEASEDDownload

A major usability update for creating and sharing modlists. The Creations tab got a cleaner sidebar layout, the Sort Tool now remembers your custom rules between sessions, and downloads are faster and more reliable. Cross-game mods like BethINI no longer pop up annoying confirmation dialogs.

Creations Tab

• CHANGE Redesigned layout with left sidebar. Profile fields (name, version, author) and action buttons are now stacked vertically in a compact sidebar, giving the mod table more horizontal space.
• FIX Fixed checkbox toggle inconsistency after sorting. Essential/External/Optional/Bundle checkboxes now work correctly regardless of table sort order. Previously, clicking checkboxes after sorting could modify the wrong mod entry.
• IMPROVED Loading progress dialog. First load and manual refresh now show a blocking progress dialog, preventing interaction with a partially loaded table.
• IMPROVED Smart refresh. The table no longer reloads every time you switch to the Creations tab. It only refreshes on first load, when the modlist changes, or when you click "Refresh Data".
• IMPROVED Automatic maintenance. Opening the Creations tab or clicking "Refresh Data" now automatically runs marker fix and index rebuild to ensure accurate mod status detection.
• CHANGE Button renamed. "Refresh Table" is now "Refresh Data" to better reflect that it runs maintenance tasks, not just a table refresh.
• FIX Better error handling. Added comprehensive logging and widget validation to diagnose blank table issues. Detects if the table widget was deleted or if MO2's modlist is unavailable.
• CHANGE Column order adjusted. Swapped the Optional and External columns so the order is now: Essential, Optional, External, Bundle.

Collections Tab

• FIX Temporary collection cards no longer delete mods. Temp collections (created from Creations tab) now show a "Remove Card" button instead of Delete/Uninstall. Removing a temp card only removes the UI card - mods, archives, and metadata are kept safe.

FOMOD Installer

• FIX Fixed FOMOD choices dialog showing empty selections. When importing a modlist, the FOMOD choices dialog now properly displays choices from wrapped format structures. Empty or whitespace-only choice names now show "(option N)" or "(none)" instead of blank entries.
• CHANGE INI settings bundled by default. The "Save INI settings to bundle" option is now enabled by default when creating profiles.
• FIX Last profile restored on restart. The Creations tab now remembers and restores your last selected profile when MO2 restarts.
• FIX Last profile auto-loads on tab entry. When entering the Creations tab, the last used profile is now automatically loaded instead of just being selected in the dropdown.

Downloads

• IMPROVED Cross-game downloads no longer require confirmation. Mods from different game domains (like "site" for tools such as BethINI Pie) now download automatically without MO2's cross-game confirmation dialog. Uses direct CDN URLs for Premium users.
• FIX Removed legacy category file creation. The plugin no longer creates categories.dat on fresh MO2 instances. Only nexuscatmap.dat is now checked, which is the file MO2 actually needs for Nexus downloads. This simplifies setup - users just need to import Nexus categories once.
• NEW Repair Downloads button. New button in Options tab scans all downloads and repairs broken cache entries by re-reading actual file paths. Fixes issues where the plugin can't find archives that exist.
• IMPROVED Smarter download completion detection. Cached download paths are now validated against the .meta file's fileID before use. Stale cache entries from moved or renamed files are automatically invalidated and re-scanned.
• IMPROVED Two stable reads before cache commit. Download path caching now waits for two consecutive identical size readings before committing, preventing cache corruption from partially-written files.
• IMPROVED Adaptive download polling. Download completion checks now start fast (100ms), gradually slow down to save resources, and speed back up when progress is detected. More responsive while using less CPU.
• IMPROVED Strict zero-KB recovery ladder. Zero-KB downloads now follow a strict recovery sequence: pause/resume first, then duplicate detection, then fail. Each strategy is tried only once to prevent infinite loops.

FOMOD Helper Plugin

• FIX Timer stops immediately when FOMOD dialog closes. The auto-apply timer now hooks into the dialog's destroyed signal and stops immediately when the user cancels or completes the installer, instead of continuing to tick until timeout.
• IMPROVED Sidecar file lookup is now cached. The expensive downloads folder search for preset files is now cached per install session, preventing repeated directory walks.
• IMPROVED More robust preset path resolution. Paths are now normalized with QDir::cleanPath, and missing archives short-circuit to filename-only search earlier.
• FIX Single-select groups only click once. Radio button groups now stop after the first successful click, preventing multiple selections when presets list more than one choice for a group.
• IMPROVED Dialog detection prioritizes reliable matches. Object name and class name matches are preferred, group box title matches come next, and window title matching is now a fallback only.
• CHANGE CMake warnings enabled. Build warnings are now enabled to catch issues early during development.

Tools & Data Handling

• FIX Centralized version format handling. Version strings are now consistently formatted across all tools (Sort Tool, Duplicate Finder, Creations Tab). Previously, some tools displayed raw meta.ini versions with extra characters like "v" prefixes or build metadata. Now all tools use MO2's native format or normalized fallback for consistent display.
• FIX Mods tab version display matches MO2. The Mods tab now uses MO2's native displayString() for installed and skipped mods, ensuring versions match exactly with MO2's own Mods tab. Pending mods show versions from collection.json.
• CHANGE Version column repositioned in all tables. The Version column is now placed directly after the Mod Name column for better visibility. Affected tools: Sort Tool, Duplicate Finder, and main Mods tab.
• NEW Version column added to multiple tables. The Mods tab, Missing Mods table, External Files table, and Install Order table now display mod versions right next to mod names.
• IMPROVED Collection revision diff shows versions. The update dialog now displays version info for added and removed mods, not just updated mods.
• FIX Marker fix tool normalizes old versions. Running "Fix Broken Markers" now normalizes version strings in existing markers, fixing any old markers that stored raw versions with prefixes or build metadata.

Sort Tool

• FIX Multi-row drag now preserves relative order. When dragging multiple mods, their relative order is now maintained via chained rules (A→target, B→A, C→B) instead of all pointing to the same target. Previously, refreshing or reapplying rules could scramble the moved block.
• FIX Fixed self-drop detection for multi-row selections. Dropping a selection onto one of the selected rows is now properly ignored for any selection size, not just single rows.
• FIX Cancel Preview now properly closes the progress dialog. Previously, canceling could leave the dialog open or in a stuck state.
• FIX Delete User Rules respects collection ordering state. Deleting user rules no longer forces collection ordering back on if the user had it disabled.
• FIX Separators excluded from load order rules. Dragging separators no longer creates spurious load-after relationships that could affect mod ordering.
• FIX User load order rules persist across Preview. Custom drag-drop ordering is now properly remembered and restored when running Preview again after adding mods.
• NEW User rules and settings persist through MO2 restarts. Your custom load order rules and Sort Tool settings (including "Apply strict user rules") are now saved and restored when you restart MO2.
• NEW View User Rules dialog. New "View User Rules..." button in Settings lets you see all your custom rules in a table and delete individual rules instead of clearing everything.
• NEW New "Apply strict user rules" setting. When enabled, mods are positioned DIRECTLY after their drop target instead of just somewhere after. Disabled by default. Use with caution for precise positioning.
• CHANGE Renamed "ALTERED" tag to "User Rule". Mods with custom load order rules now show a more descriptive "User Rule" tag.

Performance

• IMPROVED Reduced startup log verbosity. Internal diagnostic logs (mod state changes, category checks, index loading) are now debug-level instead of info-level. This dramatically reduces log noise during startup and collection loading.
• IMPROVED Bundle flow eliminates redundant refreshes. Installing bundle mods no longer triggers multiple table refreshes. The bundle completion handler now skips the redundant refresh since a debounced refresh is already scheduled.
• IMPROVED Faster missing mods table. The missing mods table now uses a two-pass approach: first builds data in memory, then populates the table with updates disabled. Significantly faster for large collections.
• IMPROVED Smoother table population. Increased the processEvents threshold from 200 to 500 rows, reducing UI stutter during large table updates while maintaining responsiveness.
• IMPROVED Repair loop skips redundant scans. The download repair loop no longer triggers full force-scans for each file, relying on incremental updates instead. Faster repair operations for large download folders.

Version 2.4.3 RELEASEDDownload

Quick fix to remove the annoying tab locking that blocked new users from exploring the plugin. All tabs are now available immediately, and new users start on the Help tab for guidance.

Help Tab

• FIX Removed tab locking from setup steps. All tabs are now always enabled. Users no longer need to complete setup steps before accessing other tabs.
• CHANGE Default landing tab is now Help. New users will land on the Help tab by default to guide them through setup.
• IMPROVED Better logging for category detection. Now logs which paths are searched, file sizes found, and why validation might fail.

Version 2.4.2 RELEASEDDownload

Major infrastructure update that makes collection updates easy. You can now check for new revisions with one click and see exactly what changed before updating. Behind the scenes, all the tracking files now use a consistent format, fixing various bugs where mods weren't being detected properly.

Marker System Overhaul

• IMPROVED Standardized marker format across the entire plugin. All marker files now use the same "master marker" structure with ALL fields present. No more partial markers or special formats - every marker is complete and consistent.
• FIX Fix Markers tool now properly reads meta.ini. Fixed bug where meta.ini wasn't being read because the helper function wasn't accessible. Now correctly extracts mod_id, file_id, version, and game name from meta.ini.
• FIX Fixed file_id extraction from meta.ini. file_id is stored in the [installedFiles] section (format: 1\fileid=489424), not [General]. Now checks both sections.
• FIX Fixed Nexus URLs using wrong domain. URLs were using MO2's game name (e.g., "SkyrimSE") instead of Nexus domain (e.g., "skyrimspecialedition"). Added proper mapping for all supported games.
• FIX Fixed marker filename not updating when file_id changes. When Fix Markers discovers a file_id, the marker file is now renamed to the correct format.
• NEW Fix Markers now migrates legacy root_install_marker.json files. Old root-install markers are automatically upgraded to the standard format with all fields.
• FIX Fixed maintenance operation order. "Run All" and silent maintenance now run in correct order: Fix Markers first, then Rebuild Index. The index reads from markers, so markers must be fixed before rebuilding.

Revision Update System

• NEW Automatic update checking. The Collections tab now automatically checks for updates when first viewed each session. This can be toggled via the new Settings button next to "Saved Collections".
• NEW Collections tab settings. Added a Settings button (⚙) to the Collections tab header for configuring tab-specific options.
• NEW One-click update button on collection cards. After running "Check for Updates", cards with available updates show a badge (e.g., "Rev 5 → 7") and an "Update" button.
• NEW Revision diff/changelog viewer. Click "Show Changes..." in the update prompt to see what mods were added, removed, or updated between revisions.
• NEW Smart update installation. When updating a collection you've already partially installed, the plugin analyzes your installed mods and offers intelligent options:
  • Keep unchanged mods (only update markers)
  • Reinstall mods with new file versions
  • Download new mods added to the collection
  • Optionally uninstall mods removed from the collection
• NEW "View Update" button on collection cards. Cards with available updates now display a prominent green "View Update" button next to the title for quick access to the revision diff.
• CHANGE Wiki button now opens online documentation. The Wiki button in the Help tab now links to the online documentation at GitHub Pages.

Technical Details

• NEW build_marker_data() - Single source of truth for marker structure with all 20+ fields
• NEW get_marker_filename() - Consistent filename generation: {mod_id}_{file_id}_mo2collections.json.mohidden
• NEW get_nexus_domain() - Maps MO2 game names to Nexus URL domains
• CHANGE Root install markers now use standard format with source_type: "root"
• CHANGE Empty bundle markers now use standard format with is_bundle: true
• IMPROVED Backwards compatibility - reads both new and legacy marker formats

Files Updated

• CHANGE common.py - Added centralized marker functions and game name mapping
• CHANGE downloads.py - All marker creation now uses build_marker_data()
• CHANGE ui.py - Fix Markers and external mod marking use standardized format
• CHANGE duplicatefinder.py - Orphan matching uses standardized format

Version 2.4.1 RELEASEDDownload

Emergency safety patch. Fixed a serious bug where the plugin could accidentally delete your personal mods that weren't part of the collection. If you're on 2.4, update immediately.

Critical Safety Fixes

• FIX Fixed mods being deleted that didn't belong to the collection. Multiple safety guards added to prevent accidental deletion of user mods during collection installation.
• FIX Download cleanup no longer uses name matching. Previously, cleaning up incomplete downloads could delete unrelated user downloads if the name contained the collection mod's name as a substring (e.g., collection mod "Skyrim" would match and delete "Skyrim Parallax.7z"). Now only uses file ID pattern matching.
• FIX Mod replacement now validates before removal. When installing a collection mod with the same name as an existing mod, the plugin now checks for collection markers before removing the old version. Refuses to delete mods that have marker files.
• FIX Bundle cleanup validates collection name. Old bundle revision cleanup now verifies the folder belongs to the current collection before offering to delete it. Dialog also defaults to "No" and shows a clearer warning about permanent deletion.

Technical Details

• NEW Added _has_collection_marker() helper to check if a mod folder has collection marker files
• IMPROVED All mod deletion operations now use marker-based validation as a safety check
• CHANGE Removed dangerous substring-based name matching from download artifact cleanup

Version 2.4 RELEASEDDownload

The biggest release yet. Bundles finally work - install patches, loose files, and INI tweaks automatically. External mods can now auto-download when the collection author provides direct links. The entire mod tracking system was rebuilt for reliability, and there's now full documentation for every feature.

Biggest Changes

• NEW Bundles actually work! You can now install binary patches, loose files, and INI tweaks directly into your game. No more manual copying. The plugin extracts everything, applies patches to the right mods, and merges INI settings automatically. This is huge.
• NEW External mods auto-download. If the collection has a direct download link, you don't need a browser anymore. The plugin grabs it automatically and matches it to your collection. The external panel only shows up for mods that actually need manual downloading.
• NEW Rebuilt indexing from the ground up. We completely redesigned how the plugin tracks your downloads, installed mods, and skipped mods. Everything now has a single source of truth. Orphan entries from deleted files get cleaned up automatically every time you load a collection.
• IMPROVED Section flow is buttery smooth now. External, Optional, and Bundle sections flow into each other seamlessly. No more getting stuck between sections wondering what's happening. The plugin detects when you're done and moves on.
• NEW Live sync with MO2. Install or delete mods outside the plugin? It notices. The UI updates in real-time. No more stale icons lying to you.
• NEW Full Wiki documentation. Every tab now has a help guide. There's a landing page, patch notes, the works. Hit the (?) button on any tab to learn how it works.
• NEW Category pre-check. Remember that annoying MO2 category popup that would interrupt your install halfway through? Gone. The plugin checks before you start and warns you if categories aren't set up.
• NEW INI tweak preview. You can now see exactly what INI changes a bundle will make before you apply them.

Fixed

• FIX Crashes from concurrent timer callbacks modifying data mid-iteration
• FIX Memory leaks when timers weren't cleaned up on dialog close
• FIX Completion popup showing up when loading an already-finished collection (annoying!)
• FIX Memory leaks from lambda closures in timer callbacks
• FIX External section getting stuck when all mods were auto-downloadable
• FIX Orphaned index entries piling up when you deleted files outside the plugin
• FIX Various other fixes

Improved

• IMPROVED Faster default timing. Install delay dropped from 2.0s to 1.0s, FOMOD delay from 1.0s to 0.7s
• IMPROVED Text is darker and way easier to read throughout the app
• IMPROVED Larger default chunk size (80 instead of 50) for smoother handling of big collections
• IMPROVED Wider columns across all tables so you can actually see what's in them
• CHANGE Default startup tab is now Collections instead of Help

Added

• NEW "Downloaded" filter in FOMODs tab to see which ones are ready to install
• NEW Cleanup Orphans tool for fast removal of stale index entries (also runs automatically on load)
• NEW Index migration system that upgrades your index seamlessly when you update the plugin
• NEW Automatic account type detection from your API key
• NEW Premium upsell panel for free users with Go Premium button
• NEW This Patch Notes page you're reading right now