chrome.webNavigation
- Description
Use the
chrome.webNavigation
API to receive notifications about the status of navigation requests in-flight. - Permissions
webNavigation
Manifest #
All chrome.webNavigation
methods and events require you to declare the "webNavigation" permission in the extension manifest. For example:
{
"name": "My extension",
...
"permissions": [
"webNavigation"
],
...
}
Examples #
You can find simple examples of using the tabs module in the examples/api/webNavigation directory. For other examples and for help in viewing the source code, see Samples.
Event order #
For a navigation that is successfully completed, events are fired in the following order:
onBeforeNavigate -> onCommitted -> onDOMContentLoaded -> onCompleted
Any error that occurs during the process results in an onErrorOccurred
event. For a specific navigation, there are no further events fired after onErrorOccurred
.
If a navigating frame contains subframes, its onCommitted
is fired before any of its children's onBeforeNavigate
; while onCompleted
is fired after all of its children's onCompleted
.
If the reference fragment of a frame is changed, a onReferenceFragmentUpdated
event is fired. This event can fire any time after onDOMContentLoaded
, even after onCompleted
.
If the history API is used to modify the state of a frame (e.g. using history.pushState()
, a onHistoryStateUpdated
event is fired. This event can fire any time after onDOMContentLoaded
.
If a navigation was triggered via Chrome Instant or Instant Pages, a completely loaded page is swapped into the current tab. In that case, an onTabReplaced
event is fired.
Relation to webRequest events #
There is no defined ordering between events of the webRequest API and the events of the webNavigation API. It is possible that webRequest events are still received for frames that already started a new navigation, or that a navigation only proceeds after the network resources are already fully loaded.
In general, the webNavigation events are closely related to the navigation state that is displayed in the UI, while the webRequest events correspond to the state of the network stack which is generally opaque to the user.
A note about tab IDs #
Not all navigating tabs correspond to actual tabs in Chrome's UI, e.g., a tab that is being pre-rendered. Such tabs are not accessible via the tabs API nor can you request information about them via webNavigation.getFrame
or webNavigation.getAllFrames
. Once such a tab is swapped in, an onTabReplaced
event is fired and they become accessible via these APIs.
A note about timestamps #
It's important to note that some technical oddities in the OS's handling of distinct Chrome processes can cause the clock to be skewed between the browser itself and extension processes. That means that WebNavigation's events' timeStamp
property is only guaranteed to be internally consistent. Comparing one event to another event will give you the correct offset between them, but comparing them to the current time inside the extension (via (new Date()).getTime()
, for instance) might give unexpected results.
A note about frame IDs #
Frames within a tab can be identified by a frame ID. The frame ID of the main frame is always 0, the ID of child frames is a positive number. Once a document is constructed in a frame, its frame ID remains constant during the lifetime of the document. As of Chrome 49, this ID is also constant for the lifetime of the frame (across multiple navigations).
Due to the multi-process nature of Chrome, a tab might use different processes to render the source and destination of a web page. Therefore, if a navigation takes place in a new process, you might receive events both from the new and the old page until the new navigation is committed (i.e. the onCommitted
event is send for the new main frame). In other words, it is possible to have more than one pending sequence of webNavigation events with the same frameId
. The sequences can be distinguished by the processId
key.
Also note that during a provisional load the process might be switched several times. This happens when the load is redirected to a different site. In this case, you will receive repeated onBeforeNavigate
and onErrorOccurred
events, until you receive the final onCommitted
event.
Transition types and qualifiers #
The webNavigation API's onCommitted
event has a transitionType
and a transitionQualifiers
property. The transition type is the same as used in the history API describing how the browser navigated to this particular URL. In addition, several transition qualifiers can be returned that further define the navigation.
The following transition qualifiers exist:
Transition qualifier | Description |
---|---|
"client_redirect" | One or more redirects caused by JavaScript or meta refresh tags on the page happened during the navigation. |
"server_redirect" | One or more redirects caused by HTTP headers sent from the server happened during the navigation. |
"forward_back" | The user used the Forward or Back button to initiate the navigation. |
"from_address_bar" | The user initiated the navigation from the address bar (aka Omnibox). |
Summary
- Types
- Methods
chrome.webNavigation.getAllFrames(details: object, callback: function)
chrome.webNavigation.getFrame(details: object, callback: function)
- Events
Types
TransitionQualifier
Enum
"client_redirect"
, "server_redirect"
, "forward_back"
, or "from_address_bar"
TransitionType
Cause of the navigation. The same transition types as defined in the history API are used. These are the same transition types as defined in the history API except with "start_page"
in place of "auto_toplevel"
(for backwards compatibility).
Enum
"link"
, "typed"
, "auto_bookmark"
, "auto_subframe"
, "manual_subframe"
, "generated"
, "start_page"
, "form_submit"
, "reload"
, "keyword"
, or "keyword_generated"
Methods
getAllFrames
chrome.webNavigation.getAllFrames(details: object, callback: function)
Retrieves information about all frames of a given tab.
Parameters
- detailsobject
Information about the tab to retrieve all frames from.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab.
- callbackfunction
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object[]) => {...}
- detailsobject[]
A list of frames in the given tab, null if the specified tab ID is invalid.
- errorOccurredboolean
True if the last navigation in this frame was interrupted by an error, i.e. the onErrorOccurred event fired.
- frameIdnumber
The ID of the frame. 0 indicates that this is the main frame; a positive value indicates the ID of a subframe.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- urlstring
The URL currently associated with this frame.
getFrame
chrome.webNavigation.getFrame(details: object, callback: function)
Retrieves information about the given frame. A frame refers to an <iframe> or a <frame> of a web page and is identified by a tab ID and a frame ID.
Parameters
- detailsobject
Information about the frame to retrieve information about.
- frameIdnumber
The ID of the frame in the given tab.
- processIdnumber optional
Deprecated. Frames are now uniquely identified by their tab ID and frame ID; the process ID is no longer needed and therefore ignored.
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this tab.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the frame is.
- callbackfunction
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
Information about the requested frame, null if the specified frame ID and/or tab ID are invalid.
- errorOccurredboolean
True if the last navigation in this frame was interrupted by an error, i.e. the onErrorOccurred event fired.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - urlstring
The URL currently associated with this frame, if the frame identified by the frameId existed at one point in the given tab. The fact that an URL is associated with a given frameId does not imply that the corresponding frame still exists.
Events
onBeforeNavigate
chrome.webNavigation.onBeforeNavigate.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when a navigation is about to occur.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique for a given tab and process.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
Deprecated. The processId is no longer set for this event, since the process which will render the resulting document is not known until onCommit.
The value of -1.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation is about to occur.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the browser was about to start the navigation, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- urlstring
onCommitted
chrome.webNavigation.onCommitted.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when a navigation is committed. The document (and the resources it refers to, such as images and subframes) might still be downloading, but at least part of the document has been received from the server and the browser has decided to switch to the new document.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the navigation was committed, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- transitionQualifiers
A list of transition qualifiers.
- transitionType
Cause of the navigation.
- urlstring
onCompleted
chrome.webNavigation.onCompleted.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when a document, including the resources it refers to, is completely loaded and initialized.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the document finished loading, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- urlstring
onCreatedNavigationTarget
chrome.webNavigation.onCreatedNavigationTarget.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when a new window, or a new tab in an existing window, is created to host a navigation.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- sourceFrameIdnumber
The ID of the frame with sourceTabId in which the navigation is triggered. 0 indicates the main frame.
- sourceProcessIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for the source frame.
- sourceTabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation is triggered.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the url is opened
- timeStampnumber
The time when the browser was about to create a new view, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- urlstring
The URL to be opened in the new window.
onDOMContentLoaded
chrome.webNavigation.onDOMContentLoaded.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when the page's DOM is fully constructed, but the referenced resources may not finish loading.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the page's DOM was fully constructed, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- urlstring
onErrorOccurred
chrome.webNavigation.onErrorOccurred.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when an error occurs and the navigation is aborted. This can happen if either a network error occurred, or the user aborted the navigation.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- errorstring
The error description.
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
Deprecated. The processId is no longer set for this event.
The value of -1.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the error occurred, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- urlstring
onHistoryStateUpdated
chrome.webNavigation.onHistoryStateUpdated.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when the frame's history was updated to a new URL. All future events for that frame will use the updated URL.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the navigation was committed, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- transitionQualifiers
A list of transition qualifiers.
- transitionType
Cause of the navigation.
- urlstring
onReferenceFragmentUpdated
chrome.webNavigation.onReferenceFragmentUpdated.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when the reference fragment of a frame was updated. All future events for that frame will use the updated URL.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- frameIdnumber
0 indicates the navigation happens in the tab content window; a positive value indicates navigation in a subframe. Frame IDs are unique within a tab.
- parentFrameIdnumber
The ID of the parent frame, or
-1
if this is the main frame. - processIdnumber
The ID of the process that runs the renderer for this frame.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab in which the navigation occurs.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the navigation was committed, in milliseconds since the epoch.
- transitionQualifiers
A list of transition qualifiers.
- transitionType
Cause of the navigation.
- urlstring
onTabReplaced
chrome.webNavigation.onTabReplaced.addListener(listener: function)
Fired when the contents of the tab is replaced by a different (usually previously pre-rendered) tab.
Event
- listenerfunction
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(details: object) => {...}
- detailsobject
- replacedTabIdnumber
The ID of the tab that was replaced.
- tabIdnumber
The ID of the tab that replaced the old tab.
- timeStampnumber
The time when the replacement happened, in milliseconds since the epoch.