Manifest File Format

Every extension has a JSON-formatted manifest file, named manifest.json, that provides important information.

Field summary

The following code shows the supported manifest fields for Extensions, with links to the page that discusses each field.

{
  // Required
  "manifest_version": 2,
  "name": "My Extension",
  "version": "versionString",

  // Recommended
  "default_locale": "en",
  "description": "A plain text description",
  "icons": {...},

  // Pick one (or none)
  "browser_action": {...},
  "page_action": {...},

  // Optional
  "action": ...,
  "author": ...,
  "automation": ...,
  "background": {
    // Recommended
    "persistent": false,
    // Optional
    "service_worker":
  },
  "chrome_settings_overrides": {...},
  "chrome_url_overrides": {...},
  "commands": {...},
  "content_capabilities": ...,
  "content_scripts": [{...}],
  "content_security_policy": "policyString",
  "converted_from_user_script": ...,
  "current_locale": ...,
  "declarative_net_request": ...,
  "devtools_page": "devtools.html",
  "differential_fingerprint": ...,
  "event_rules": [{...}],
  "externally_connectable": {
    "matches": ["*://*.example.com/*"]
  },
  "file_browser_handlers": [...],
  "file_system_provider_capabilities": {
    "configurable": true,
    "multiple_mounts": true,
    "source": "network"
  },
  "homepage_url": "http://path/to/homepage",
  "host_permissions": ...,
  "import": [{"id": "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"}],
  "incognito": "spanning, split, or not_allowed",
  "input_components": ...,
  "key": "publicKey",
  "minimum_chrome_version": "versionString",
  "nacl_modules": [...],
  "natively_connectable": ...,
  "oauth2": ...,
  "offline_enabled": true,
  "omnibox": {
    "keyword": "aString"
  },
  "optional_permissions": ["tabs"],
  "options_page": "options.html",
  "options_ui": {
    "chrome_style": true,
    "page": "options.html"
  },
  "permissions": ["tabs"],
  "platforms": ...,
  "replacement_web_app": ...,
  "requirements": {...},
  "sandbox": [...],
  "short_name": "Short Name",
  "signature": ...,
  "spellcheck": ...,
  "storage": {
    "managed_schema": "schema.json"
  },
  "system_indicator": ...,
  "tts_engine": {...},
  "update_url": "http://path/to/updateInfo.xml",
  "version_name": "aString",
  "web_accessible_resources": [...]
}