Declare API permissions in the manifest

To use most of the chrome.* APIs, your extension must declare its intent in the permissions fields of the manifest. An extension can declare permissions using a permission string from the table that follows, or use a pattern to match similar strings. Permissions help to constrain your extension if it gets compromised by malware. Some permissions are displayed to users for their consent before installation of the extension, or at runtime, as needed; these are Permission Warnings.

If an API requires you to declare permissions in the manifest, see the documentation for that API to understand the needed permissions. For example, the Storage API page describes how to declare the storage permission.

Here's an example of the permissions part of a manifest file:

Manifest V3

"permissions": [
  "tabs",
  "bookmarks",
  "storage"
],
"optional_permissions": [
  "unlimitedStorage"
],
"host_permissions": [
  "http://www.blogger.com/",
  "http://*.google.com/"
],

Manifest V2

"permissions": [
  "tabs",
  "bookmarks",
  "storage",
  "http://www.blogger.com/",
  "http://*.google.com/"
],
"optional_permissions": [
  "unlimitedStorage"
]

The following table lists the currently available permission strings to use in your manifest, and the descriptions.

Permission string	Details
activeTab	Requests that the extension is granted permissions according to the activeTab specification.
alarms	Gives your extension access to the chrome.alarms API.
background	Makes Microsoft Edge start up early and shut down late, so that extensions may have a longer life. When any installed extension has background permission, Microsoft Edge runs invisibly as soon as the user logs into the user's computer, and before the user launches Microsoft Edge. The background permission also makes Microsoft Edge continue running, even after its last window is closed, until the user explicitly quits Microsoft Edge. Note: Disabled extensions are treated as if they aren't installed. You should use the background permission with background scripts.
bookmarks	Gives your extension access to the chrome.bookmarks API.
browsingData	Gives your extension access to the chrome.browsingData API.
certificateProvider	Gives your extension access to the chrome.certificateProvider API.
clipboardRead	Required if the extension uses document.execCommand('paste').
clipboardWrite	Indicates the extension uses document.execCommand('copy') or document.execCommand('cut').
contentSettings	Gives your extension access to the chrome.contentSettings API.
contextMenus	Gives your extension access to the chrome.contextMenus API.
cookies	Gives your extension access to the chrome.cookies API.
debugger	Gives your extension access to the chrome.debugger API.
declarativeContent	Gives your extension access to the chrome.declarativeContent API.
declarativeNetRequest	Gives your extension access to the chrome.declarativeNetRequest API. Allows the extension to block and upgrade requests without requiring host permissions, but requires host permissions to redirect requests or modify headers.
declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess	Gives your extension access to the chrome.declarativeNetRequest API. Always requires host permissions on the request URL and on the initiator, to act on the request.
declarativeNetRequestFeedback	Grants the extension access to events and methods within the chrome.declarativeNetRequest API, which returns information on declarative rules matched.
declarativeWebRequest	Gives your extension access to the chrome.declarativeWebRequest API.
desktopCapture	Gives your extension access to the chrome.desktopCapture API.
documentScan	Gives your extension access to the chrome.documentScan API.
downloads	Gives your extension access to the chrome.downloads API.
enterprise.deviceAttributes	Gives your extension access to the chrome.enterprise.deviceAttributes API.
enterprise.hardwarePlatform	Gives your extension access to the chrome.enterprise.hardwarePlatform API.
enterprise.networkingAttributes	Gives your extension access to the chrome.enterprise.networkingAttributes API.
enterprise.platformKeys	Gives your extension access to the chrome.enterprise.platformKeys API.
experimental	Required if the extension uses any chrome.experimental.* API.
fileBrowserHandler	Gives your extension access to the chrome.fileBrowserHandler API.
fileSystemProvider	Gives your extension access to the chrome.fileSystemProvider API.
fontSettings	Gives your extension access to the chrome.fontSettings API.
geolocation	Allows the extension to use the geolocation API without prompting the user for permission.
history	Gives your extension access to the chrome.history API.
identity	Gives your extension access to the chrome.identity API.
idle	Gives your extension access to the chrome.idle API.
loginState	Gives your extension access to the chrome.loginState API.
management	Gives your extension access to the chrome.management API.
nativeMessaging	Gives your extension access to the native messaging API.
notifications	Gives your extension access to the chrome.notifications API.
pageCapture	Gives your extension access to the chrome.pageCapture API.
platformKeys	Gives your extension access to the chrome.platformKeys API.
power	Gives your extension access to the chrome.power API.
printerProvider	Gives your extension access to the chrome.printerProvider API.
printing	Gives your extension access to the chrome.printing API.
printingMetrics	Gives your extension access to the chrome.printingMetrics API.
privacy	Gives your extension access to the chrome.privacy API.
processes	Gives your extension access to the chrome.processes API.
proxy	Gives your extension access to the chrome.proxy API.
scripting	Gives your extension access to the chrome.scripting API.
search	Gives your extension access to the chrome.search API.
sessions	Gives your extension access to the chrome.sessions API.
sidePanel	Gives your extension access to the chrome.sidePanel API. See Develop an extension for the Microsoft Edge sidebar.
signedInDevices	Gives your extension access to the chrome.signedInDevices API.
storage	Gives your extension access to the chrome.storage API.
system.cpu	Gives your extension access to the chrome.system.cpu API.
system.display	Gives your extension access to the chrome.system.display API.
system.memory	Gives your extension access to the chrome.system.memory API.
system.storage	Gives your extension access to the chrome.system.storage API.
tabCapture	Gives your extension access to the chrome.tabCapture API.
tabGroups	Gives your extension access to the chrome.tabGroups API.
tabs	Gives your extension access to privileged fields of the Tab objects that can be used by several APIs, including chrome.tabs and chrome.windows. In many circumstances, your extension doesn't need to declare the tabs permission, to make use of these APIs.
topSites	Gives your extension access to the chrome.topSites API.
tts	Gives your extension access to the chrome.tts API.
ttsEngine	Gives your extension access to the chrome.ttsEngine API.
unlimitedStorage	Provides an unlimited quota for storing client-side data, such as databases and local storage files. Without this permission, the extension is limited to 5 MB of local storage. This permission applies only to Web SQL Database and application cache (see Issue 58985: Unlimited Storage permission should apply to Local Storage). This permission currently doesn't work with wildcard subdomains such as http://*.contoso.com.
vpnProvider	Gives your extension access to the chrome.vpnProvider API.
wallpaper	Gives your extension access to the chrome.wallpaper API.
webNavigation	Gives your extension access to the chrome.webNavigation API.
webRequest	Gives your extension access to the chrome.webRequest API.
webRequestBlocking	Required if the extension uses the chrome.webRequest API to block requests.

Note

Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The original page is found here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

See also

• Overview of Microsoft Edge extensions