chrome.windows

Description
Use the chrome.windows API to interact with browser windows. You can use this API to create, modify, and rearrange windows in the browser.

Manifest #

When requested, a windows.Window will contain an array of tabs.Tab objects. You must declare the "tabs" permission in your manifest if you require access to the url, pendingUrl, title, or favIconUrl properties of tabs.Tab. For example:

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

The current window #

Many functions in the extension system take an optional windowId parameter, which defaults to the current window.

The current window is the window that contains the code that is currently executing. It's important to realize that this can be different from the topmost or focused window.

For example, say an extension creates a few tabs or windows from a single HTML file, and that the HTML file contains a call to tabs.query. The current window is the window that contains the page that made the call, no matter what the topmost window is.

In the case of the event page, the value of the current window falls back to the last active window. Under some circumstances, there may be no current window for background pages.

Examples #

Two windows, each with one tab

You can find simple examples of using the windows module in the examples/api/windows directory. Another example is in the tabs_api.html file of the inspector example. For other examples and for help in viewing the source code, see Samples.

Summary

Types
QueryOptions
Window
CreateType
WindowState
WindowType
Properties
WINDOW_ID_CURRENT
WINDOW_ID_NONE
Methods
create
windows.create(createData: object, callback: function)
get
windows.get(windowId: number, queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)
getAll
windows.getAll(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)
getCurrent
windows.getCurrent(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)
getLastFocused
windows.getLastFocused(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)
remove
windows.remove(windowId: number, callback: function)
update
windows.update(windowId: number, updateInfo: object, callback: function)
Events
onBoundsChanged
onCreated
onFocusChanged
onRemoved

Types

QueryOptions

Since Chrome 88.

Properties

populate
boolean optional
If true, the Window object has a tabs property that contains a list of the tabs.Tab objects. The Tab objects only contain the url, pendingUrl, title, and favIconUrl properties if the extension's manifest file includes the "tabs" permission.
windowTypes
tabs.WindowType[] optional
If set, the Window returned is filtered based on its type. If unset, the default filter is set to ['normal', 'popup'].

Window

Properties

alwaysOnTop
boolean
Whether the window is set to be always on top.
focused
boolean
Whether the window is currently the focused window.
height
number optional
The height of the window, including the frame, in pixels. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a height property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.
id
number optional
The ID of the window. Window IDs are unique within a browser session. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned an ID property; for example, when querying windows using the sessions API, in which case a session ID may be present.
incognito
boolean
Whether the window is incognito.
left
number optional
The offset of the window from the left edge of the screen in pixels. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a left property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.
sessionId
string optional
The session ID used to uniquely identify a window, obtained from the sessions API.
state
WindowState optional
The state of this browser window.
tabs
tabs.Tab[] optional
Array of tabs.Tab objects representing the current tabs in the window.
top
number optional
The offset of the window from the top edge of the screen in pixels. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a top property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.
type
tabs.WindowType optional
The type of browser window this is.
width
number optional
The width of the window, including the frame, in pixels. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a width property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.

CreateType

Since Chrome 44.

Specifies what type of browser window to create. 'panel' is deprecated and is available only to existing whitelisted extensions on Chrome OS.

Enum

"normal", "popup", or "panel"

WindowState

Since Chrome 44.

The state of this browser window. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a state property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.

Enum

"normal", "minimized", "maximized", "fullscreen", or "locked-fullscreen"

WindowType

Since Chrome 44.

The type of browser window this is. In some circumstances a window may not be assigned a type property; for example, when querying closed windows from the sessions API.

Enum

"normal", "popup", "panel", "app", or "devtools"

Properties

WINDOW_ID_CURRENT

The windowId value that represents the current window.

Value

number -2

WINDOW_ID_NONE

The windowId value that represents the absence of a chrome browser window.

Value

number -1

Methods

create

windows.create(createData: object, callback: function)

Creates (opens) a new browser window with any optional sizing, position, or default URL provided.

Parameters

createData
object
- focused
  boolean optional
  If true, opens an active window. If false, opens an inactive window.
- height
  number optional
  The height in pixels of the new window, including the frame. If not specified, defaults to a natural height.
- incognito
  boolean optional
  Whether the new window should be an incognito window.
- left
  number optional
  The number of pixels to position the new window from the left edge of the screen. If not specified, the new window is offset naturally from the last focused window. This value is ignored for panels.
- setSelfAsOpener
  boolean optional
  Since Chrome 64.
  If true, the newly-created window's 'window.opener' is set to the caller and is in the same unit of related browsing contexts as the caller.
- state
  WindowState optional
  Since Chrome 44.
  The initial state of the window. The minimized, maximized, and fullscreen states cannot be combined with left, top, width, or height.
- tabId
  number optional
  The ID of the tab to add to the new window.
- top
  number optional
  The number of pixels to position the new window from the top edge of the screen. If not specified, the new window is offset naturally from the last focused window. This value is ignored for panels.
- type
  CreateType optional
  Specifies what type of browser window to create.
- url
  string | string[] optional
  A URL or array of URLs to open as tabs in the window. Fully-qualified URLs must include a scheme, e.g., 'http://www.google.com', not 'www.google.com'. Non-fully-qualified URLs are considered relative within the extension. Defaults to the New Tab Page.
- width
  number optional
  The width in pixels of the new window, including the frame. If not specified, defaults to a natural width.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window
  Contains details about the created window.

get

windows.get(windowId: number, queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)

Gets details about a window.

Parameters

windowId
number
queryOptions
QueryOptions optional
Since Chrome 88.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window

getAll

windows.getAll(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)

Gets all windows.

Parameters

queryOptions
QueryOptions optional
Since Chrome 88.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(windows: Window[]) => {...}
- windows
  Window[]

getCurrent

windows.getCurrent(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)

Gets the current window.

Parameters

queryOptions
QueryOptions optional
Since Chrome 88.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window

getLastFocused

windows.getLastFocused(queryOptions?: QueryOptions, callback: function)

Gets the window that was most recently focused — typically the window 'on top'.

Parameters

queryOptions
QueryOptions optional
Since Chrome 88.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window

remove

windows.remove(windowId: number, callback: function)

Removes (closes) a window and all the tabs inside it.

Parameters

windowId
number
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
() => {...}

update

windows.update(windowId: number, updateInfo: object, callback: function)

Updates the properties of a window. Specify only the properties that to be changed; unspecified properties are unchanged.

Parameters

windowId
number
updateInfo
object
- drawAttention
  boolean optional
  If true, causes the window to be displayed in a manner that draws the user's attention to the window, without changing the focused window. The effect lasts until the user changes focus to the window. This option has no effect if the window already has focus. Set to false to cancel a previous drawAttention request.
- focused
  boolean optional
  If true, brings the window to the front; cannot be combined with the state 'minimized'. If false, brings the next window in the z-order to the front; cannot be combined with the state 'fullscreen' or 'maximized'.
- height
  number optional
  The height to resize the window to in pixels. This value is ignored for panels.
- left
  number optional
  The offset from the left edge of the screen to move the window to in pixels. This value is ignored for panels.
- state
  WindowState optional
  The new state of the window. The 'minimized', 'maximized', and 'fullscreen' states cannot be combined with 'left', 'top', 'width', or 'height'.
- top
  number optional
  The offset from the top edge of the screen to move the window to in pixels. This value is ignored for panels.
- width
  number optional
  The width to resize the window to in pixels. This value is ignored for panels.
callback
function
The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window

Events

onBoundsChanged

windows.onBoundsChanged.addListener(listener: function)

Since Chrome 86.

Fired when a window has been resized; this event is only dispatched when the new bounds are committed, and not for in-progress changes.

Event

listener
function
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window
  Details of the window. The tabs will not be populated for the window.

onCreated

windows.onCreated.addListener(listener: function)

Fired when a window is created.

Event

listener
function
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(window: Window) => {...}
- window
  Window
  Details of the created window.

onFocusChanged

windows.onFocusChanged.addListener(listener: function)

Fired when the currently focused window changes. Returns chrome.windows.WINDOW_ID_NONE if all Chrome windows have lost focus. Note: On some Linux window managers, WINDOW_ID_NONE is always sent immediately preceding a switch from one Chrome window to another.

Event

listener
function
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(windowId: number) => {...}
- windowId
  number
  ID of the newly-focused window.

onRemoved

windows.onRemoved.addListener(listener: function)

Fired when a window is removed (closed).

Event

listener
function
The listener parameter should be a function that looks like this:
(windowId: number) => {...}
- windowId
  number
  ID of the removed window.