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## Description

Use the commands API to add keyboard shortcuts that trigger actions in your extension, for example, an action to open the browser action or send a command to the extension.

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## Manifest

The following keys must be declared [in the manifest](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv3/manifest) to use this API.
`"commands"`  

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## Usage

The Commands API allows extension developers to define specific commands, and bind them to a default
key combination. Each command an extension accepts must be declared as properties of the
`"commands"` object in the [extension's manifest](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv3/manifest).

The property key is used as the command's name. Command objects can take two properties.

`suggested_key`

:   An optional property that declares default keyboard shortcuts for the command. If omitted, the
    command will be unbound. This property can either take a string or an object value.

    - **A string value** specifies the default keyboard shortcut that should be used across all
      platforms.

    - **An object value** allows the extension developer to customize the keyboard shortcut for each
      platform. When providing platform-specific shortcuts, valid object properties are `default`,
      `chromeos`, `linux`, `mac`, and `windows`.

    See [Key combination requirements](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#key-combinations) for additional details.

`description`

:   A string used to provide the user with a short description of the command's purpose. This string
    appears in extension keyboard shortcut management UI. Descriptions are required for standard
    commands, but are ignored for [Action commands](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#action-commands).

An extension can have many commands, but may specify at most four suggested keyboard shortcuts. The
user can manually add more shortcuts from the `chrome://extensions/shortcuts` dialog.

### Supported Keys

The following keys are usable command shortcuts. Key definitions are case sensitive. Attempting to
load an extension with an incorrectly cased key will result in a manifest parse error at
installation time.

Alpha keys
:   `A` ... `Z`

Numeric keys
:   `0` ... `9`

Standard key strings

:   General--`Comma`, `Period`, `Home`, `End`, `PageUp`, `PageDown`, `Space`, `Insert`, `Delete`

:   Arrow keys--`Up`, `Down`, `Left`, `Right`

:   Media Keys--`MediaNextTrack`, `MediaPlayPause`, `MediaPrevTrack`, `MediaStop`

Modifier key strings

:   `Ctrl`, `Alt` (`Option` on macOS), `Shift`, `MacCtrl` (macOS only), `Command` (macOS only), `Search` (ChromeOS only)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** `Tab` was removed from list of supported keys in Chrome 33 for accessibility reasons.

### Key combination requirements

- Extension command shortcuts must include either `Ctrl` or `Alt`.

  - Modifiers **cannot** be used in combination with Media Keys.
- On macOS `Ctrl` is automatically converted into `Command`.

  - To use the Control key on macOS, replace `Ctrl` with `MacCtrl` when defining the `"mac"`
    shortcut.

  - Using `MacCtrl` in the combination for another platform will cause a validation error and prevent the extension from being installed.

- `Shift` is an optional modifier on all platforms.

- `Search` is an optional modifier exclusive to ChromeOS.

- Certain operating system and Chrome shortcuts (e.g. window management) always take priority over
  Extension command shortcuts and can not be overwritten.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Key combinations that involve `Ctrl+Alt` are not permitted in order to avoid conflicts with the `AltGr` key.

### Handling command events

manifest.json:

    {
      "name": "My extension",
      ...
      "commands": {
        "run-foo": {
          "suggested_key": {
            "default": "Ctrl+Shift+Y",
            "mac": "Command+Shift+Y"
          },
          "description": "Run \"foo\" on the current page."
        },
        "_execute_action": {
          "suggested_key": {
            "windows": "Ctrl+Shift+Y",
            "mac": "Command+Shift+Y",
            "chromeos": "Ctrl+Shift+U",
            "linux": "Ctrl+Shift+J"
          }
        }
      },
      ...
    }

In your service worker, you can bind a handler to each of the commands defined in the manifest
using `onCommand.addListener`. For example:

service-worker.js:

    chrome.commands.onCommand.addListener((command) => {
      console.log(`Command: ${command}`);
    });

### Action commands

The `_execute_action` (Manifest V3), `_execute_browser_action` (Manifest V2), and
`_execute_page_action` (Manifest V2) commands are reserved for the action of trigger your action,
browser action, or page action respectively. These commands do not dispatch
[command.onCommand](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#event-onCommand) events like standard commands.

If you need to take action based on your popup opening, consider listening for a
[DOMContentLoaded](https://developer.mozilla.org/docs/Web/API/Window/DOMContentLoaded_event) event inside your popup's JavaScript.

## Scope

By default, commands are scoped to the Chrome browser. This means that when the browser does not
have focus, command shortcuts are inactive. Beginning in Chrome 35, extension developers can
optionally mark a command as "global". Global commands also work while Chrome *does not* have focus.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** ChromeOS does not support global commands.

Keyboard shortcut suggestions for global commands are limited to `Ctrl+Shift+[0..9]`. This is a
protective measure to minimize the risk of overriding shortcuts in other applications since if, for
example, `Alt+P` were to be allowed as global, the keyboard shortcut for opening a print dialog
might not work in other applications.

End users are free to remap global commands to their preferred key combination using the UI exposed
at `chrome://extensions/shortcuts`.

Example:

manifest.json:

    {
      "name": "My extension",
      ...
      "commands": {
        "toggle-feature-foo": {
          "suggested_key": {
            "default": "Ctrl+Shift+5"
          },
          "description": "Toggle feature foo",
          "global": true
        }
      },
      ...
    }

## Examples

The following examples flex the core functionality of the Commands API.

### Basic command

Commands allow extensions to map logic to keyboard shortcuts that can be invoked by the user. At its
most basic, a command only requires a command declaration in the extension's manifest and a listener
registration as shown in the following example.

manifest.json:

    {
      "name": "Command demo - basic",
      "version": "1.0",
      "manifest_version": 3,
      "background": {
        "service_worker": "service-worker.js"
      },
      "commands": {
        "inject-script": {
          "suggested_key": "Ctrl+Shift+Y",
          "description": "Inject a script on the page"
        }
      }
    }

service-worker.js:

    chrome.commands.onCommand.addListener((command) => {
      console.log(`Command "${command}" triggered`);
    });

### Action command

As described in the [Usage](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#usage) section, you can also map a command to an extension's
action. The following example injects a content script that shows an
alert on the current page when the user either clicks the extension's action or triggers the
keyboard shortcut.

manifest.json:

    {
      "name": "Commands demo - action invocation",
      "version": "1.0",
      "manifest_version": 3,
      "background": {
        "service_worker": "service-worker.js"
      },
      "permissions": ["activeTab", "scripting"],
      "action": {},
      "commands": {
        "_execute_action": {
          "suggested_key": {
            "default": "Ctrl+U",
            "mac": "Command+U"
          }
        }
      }
    }

service-worker.js:

    chrome.action.onClicked.addListener((tab) => {
      chrome.scripting.executeScript({
        target: {tabId: tab.id},
        func: contentScriptFunc,
        args: ['action'],
      });
    });

    function contentScriptFunc(name) {
      alert(`"${name}" executed`);
    }

    // This callback WILL NOT be called for "_execute_action"
    chrome.commands.onCommand.addListener((command) => {
      console.log(`Command "${command}" called`);
    });

### Verify commands registered

If an extension attempts to register a shortcut that is already used by another extension, the
second extension's shortcut will not register as expected. You can provide a more robust end user
experience by anticipating this possibility and checking for collisions at install time.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** `_execute_action` will not appear in the list of commands returned by `commands.getAll()`.

service-worker.js:

    chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener((reason) => {
      if (reason === chrome.runtime.OnInstalledReason.INSTALL) {
        checkCommandShortcuts();
      }
    });

    // Only use this function during the initial install phase. After
    // installation the user may have intentionally unassigned commands.
    function checkCommandShortcuts() {
      chrome.commands.getAll((commands) => {
        let missingShortcuts = [];

        for (let {name, shortcut} of commands) {
          if (shortcut === '') {
            missingShortcuts.push(name);
          }
        }

        if (missingShortcuts.length > 0) {
          // Update the extension UI to inform the user that one or more
          // commands are currently unassigned.
        }
      });
    }

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## Types

### Command

#### Properties

- description string optional

  The Extension Command description
- name string optional

  The name of the Extension Command
- shortcut string optional

  The shortcut active for this command, or blank if not active.

## Methods

### getAll()

Promise

```typescript
chrome.commands.getAll(
  callback?: function,
): Promise<https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#type-Command[]>
```

Returns all the registered extension commands for this extension and their shortcut (if active). Before Chrome 110, this command did not return `_execute_action`.

#### Parameters

- callback function optional


  The `callback` parameter looks like:

  ```typescript
  (commands: Command[]) => void
  ```

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  - commands [Command](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#type-Command)\[\]

#### Returns

- Promise\<[Command](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/reference/commands#type-Command)\[\]\>
  Chrome 96+

  Resolves with a list of the registered commands.


  Promises are only supported for Manifest V3 and later, other platforms need to use callbacks.

## Events

### onCommand

```typescript
chrome.commands.onCommand.addListener(
  callback: function,
)
```

Fired when a registered command is activated using a keyboard shortcut.

#### Parameters

- callback function


  The `callback` parameter looks like:

  ```typescript
  (command: string, tab?: tabs.Tab) => void
  ```

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  - command string
  - tab [tabs.Tab](https://developer.chrome.com/docs/extensions/mv2/tabs/#type-Tab) optional

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