chrome.management

Description

The chrome.management API provides ways to manage installed apps and extensions.

Permissions

management

You must declare the "management" permission in the extension manifest to use the management API. For example:

{
  "name": "My extension",
  ...
  "permissions": [
    "management"
  ],
  ...
}

management.getPermissionWarningsByManifest(), management.uninstallSelf(), and management.getSelf() do not require the management permission.

Types

ExtensionDisabledReason

Chrome 44+

A reason the item is disabled.

Enum

"unknown"

"permissions_increase"

ExtensionInfo

Information about an installed extension, app, or theme.

Properties

  • appLaunchUrl

    string optional

    The launch url (only present for apps).

  • availableLaunchTypes

    LaunchType[] optional

    The currently available launch types (only present for apps).

  • description

    string

    The description of this extension, app, or theme.

  • disabledReason

    ExtensionDisabledReason optional

    A reason the item is disabled.

  • enabled

    boolean

    Whether it is currently enabled or disabled.

  • homepageUrl

    string optional

    The URL of the homepage of this extension, app, or theme.

  • hostPermissions

    string[]

    Returns a list of host based permissions.

  • icons

    IconInfo[] optional

    A list of icon information. Note that this just reflects what was declared in the manifest, and the actual image at that url may be larger or smaller than what was declared, so you might consider using explicit width and height attributes on img tags referencing these images. See the manifest documentation on icons for more details.

  • id

    string

    The extension's unique identifier.

  • installType

    ExtensionInstallType

    How the extension was installed.

  • isApp

    boolean

    Deprecated

    Please use management.ExtensionInfo.type.

    True if this is an app.

  • launchType

    LaunchType optional

    The app launch type (only present for apps).

  • mayDisable

    boolean

    Whether this extension can be disabled or uninstalled by the user.

  • mayEnable

    boolean optional

    Chrome 62+

    Whether this extension can be enabled by the user. This is only returned for extensions which are not enabled.

  • name

    string

    The name of this extension, app, or theme.

  • offlineEnabled

    boolean

    Whether the extension, app, or theme declares that it supports offline.

  • optionsUrl

    string

    The url for the item's options page, if it has one.

  • permissions

    string[]

    Returns a list of API based permissions.

  • shortName

    string

    A short version of the name of this extension, app, or theme.

  • The type of this extension, app, or theme.

  • updateUrl

    string optional

    The update URL of this extension, app, or theme.

  • version

    string

    The version of this extension, app, or theme.

  • versionName

    string optional

    Chrome 50+

    The version name of this extension, app, or theme if the manifest specified one.

ExtensionInstallType

Chrome 44+

How the extension was installed. One of admin: The extension was installed because of an administrative policy, development: The extension was loaded unpacked in developer mode, normal: The extension was installed normally via a .crx file, sideload: The extension was installed by other software on the machine, other: The extension was installed by other means.

Enum

"admin"

"development"

"normal"

"sideload"

"other"

ExtensionType

Chrome 44+

The type of this extension, app, or theme.

Enum

"extension"

"hosted_app"

"packaged_app"

"legacy_packaged_app"

"theme"

"login_screen_extension"

IconInfo

Information about an icon belonging to an extension, app, or theme.

Properties

  • size

    number

    A number representing the width and height of the icon. Likely values include (but are not limited to) 128, 48, 24, and 16.

  • url

    string

    The URL for this icon image. To display a grayscale version of the icon (to indicate that an extension is disabled, for example), append ?grayscale=true to the URL.

LaunchType

These are all possible app launch types.

Enum

"OPEN_AS_REGULAR_TAB"

"OPEN_AS_PINNED_TAB"

"OPEN_AS_WINDOW"

"OPEN_FULL_SCREEN"

UninstallOptions

Chrome 88+

Options for how to handle the extension's uninstallation.

Properties

  • showConfirmDialog

    boolean optional

    Whether or not a confirm-uninstall dialog should prompt the user. Defaults to false for self uninstalls. If an extension uninstalls another extension, this parameter is ignored and the dialog is always shown.

Methods

createAppShortcut()

Promise 
chrome.management.createAppShortcut(
  id: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Display options to create shortcuts for an app. On Mac, only packaged app shortcuts can be created.

Parameters

  • id

    string

    This should be the id from an app item of management.ExtensionInfo.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

Promise 
chrome.management.generateAppForLink(
  url: string,
  title: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Generate an app for a URL. Returns the generated bookmark app.

Parameters

  • url

    string

    The URL of a web page. The scheme of the URL can only be "http" or "https".

  • title

    string

    The title of the generated app.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    (result: ExtensionInfo) => void

Returns

  • Promise<ExtensionInfo>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

get()

Promise 
chrome.management.get(
  id: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Returns information about the installed extension, app, or theme that has the given ID.

Parameters

Returns

  • Promise<ExtensionInfo>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

getAll()

Promise 
chrome.management.getAll(
  callback?: function,
)

Returns a list of information about installed extensions and apps.

Parameters

Returns

  • Promise<ExtensionInfo[]>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

getPermissionWarningsById()

Promise 
chrome.management.getPermissionWarningsById(
  id: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Returns a list of permission warnings for the given extension id.

Parameters

  • id

    string

    The ID of an already installed extension.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    (permissionWarnings: string[]) => void

    • permissionWarnings

      string[]

Returns

  • Promise<string[]>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

getPermissionWarningsByManifest()

Promise 
chrome.management.getPermissionWarningsByManifest(
  manifestStr: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Returns a list of permission warnings for the given extension manifest string. Note: This function can be used without requesting the 'management' permission in the manifest.

Parameters

  • manifestStr

    string

    Extension manifest JSON string.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    (permissionWarnings: string[]) => void

    • permissionWarnings

      string[]

Returns

  • Promise<string[]>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

getSelf()

Promise 
chrome.management.getSelf(
  callback?: function,
)

Returns information about the calling extension, app, or theme. Note: This function can be used without requesting the 'management' permission in the manifest.

Parameters

Returns

  • Promise<ExtensionInfo>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

installReplacementWebApp()

Promise Chrome 77+ 
chrome.management.installReplacementWebApp(
  callback?: function,
)

Launches the replacement_web_app specified in the manifest. Prompts the user to install if not already installed.

Parameters

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

launchApp()

Promise 
chrome.management.launchApp(
  id: string,
  callback?: function,
)

Launches an application.

Parameters

  • id

    string

    The extension id of the application.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

setEnabled()

Promise 
chrome.management.setEnabled(
  id: string,
  enabled: boolean,
  callback?: function,
)

Enables or disables an app or extension. In most cases this function must be called in the context of a user gesture (e.g. an onclick handler for a button), and may present the user with a native confirmation UI as a way of preventing abuse.

Parameters

  • id

    string

    This should be the id from an item of management.ExtensionInfo.

  • enabled

    boolean

    Whether this item should be enabled or disabled.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

setLaunchType()

Promise 
chrome.management.setLaunchType(
  id: string,
  launchType: LaunchType,
  callback?: function,
)

Set the launch type of an app.

Parameters

  • id

    string

    This should be the id from an app item of management.ExtensionInfo.

  • launchType

    LaunchType

    The target launch type. Always check and make sure this launch type is in ExtensionInfo.availableLaunchTypes, because the available launch types vary on different platforms and configurations.

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

uninstall()

Promise 
chrome.management.uninstall(
  id: string,
  options?: UninstallOptions,
  callback?: function,
)

Uninstalls a currently installed app or extension. Note: This function does not work in managed environments when the user is not allowed to uninstall the specified extension/app. If the uninstall fails (e.g. the user cancels the dialog) the promise will be rejected or the callback will be called with runtime.lastError set.

Parameters

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

uninstallSelf()

Promise 
chrome.management.uninstallSelf(
  options?: UninstallOptions,
  callback?: function,
)

Uninstalls the calling extension. Note: This function can be used without requesting the 'management' permission in the manifest. This function does not work in managed environments when the user is not allowed to uninstall the specified extension/app.

Parameters

  • options

    UninstallOptions optional

  • callback

    function optional

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    () => void

Returns

  • Promise<void>

    Chrome 88+

    Promises are supported in Manifest V3 and later, but callbacks are provided for backward compatibility. You cannot use both on the same function call. The promise resolves with the same type that is passed to the callback.

Events

onDisabled

chrome.management.onDisabled.addListener(
  callback: function,
)

Fired when an app or extension has been disabled.

Parameters

onEnabled

chrome.management.onEnabled.addListener(
  callback: function,
)

Fired when an app or extension has been enabled.

Parameters

onInstalled

chrome.management.onInstalled.addListener(
  callback: function,
)

Fired when an app or extension has been installed.

Parameters

onUninstalled

chrome.management.onUninstalled.addListener(
  callback: function,
)

Fired when an app or extension has been uninstalled.

Parameters

  • callback

    function

    The callback parameter looks like: 

    (id: string) => void

    • id

      string