What are extensions?

Extensions are small software programs that can modify and enhance the functionality of the Chrome browser. You write them using web technologies such as HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.

A screenshot of an extension's icon in the browser bar Extensions have little to no user interface. For example, the image to the right shows the icon that provides the UI for the Google Mail Checker extension.

Extensions bundle all their files into a single file that the user downloads and installs. This bundling means that, unlike ordinary web apps, extensions don't need to depend on content from the web.

You can distribute your extension using the Chrome Developer Dashboard to publish to the Chrome Web Store. For more information, see the store developer documentation.

How do I start?

  1. Follow the Getting Started tutorial
  2. Read the Overview
  3. Keep up-to-date by reading the Chromium blog
  4. Subscribe to the chromium-extensions group

Technical videos
Developer snapshots (below)