Where does Chrome store extensions?

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Uncovering Chrome's Extension Storage Locations

Uncovering Chrome's Extension Storage Locations

Ever wondered where Google Chrome keeps all its extensions? This article dives into the directory structures across Windows, macOS, and Linux, helping you locate and understand how extensions are managed.

Google Chrome extensions enhance browsing functionality, but their internal storage location can be a mystery to many users. Understanding where these extensions reside on your file system is crucial for advanced troubleshooting, manual backups, or even development purposes. The exact path varies significantly depending on your operating system. This guide will walk you through finding Chrome extensions on Windows, macOS, and Linux, detailing the directory structure and what you might find there.

Understanding the Extension Directory Structure

Chrome stores each extension in its own unique folder, identified by a 32-character ID. Inside this folder, you'll typically find subdirectories corresponding to different versions of the extension. Chrome usually loads the latest version, but keeps older ones for rollback purposes. The main extension files, such as manifest.json, JavaScript files, HTML, CSS, and images, are all contained within these version-specific folders.

A file system diagram showing the structure of Chrome extension storage. A main 'Extensions' folder branches into multiple 32-character ID folders. Each ID folder contains version number folders (e.g., '1.0.0', '1.0.1'), and inside each version folder are extension files like 'manifest.json', 'background.js', 'popup.html'. Use a hierarchical tree structure with clear labels and folder icons.

Chrome Extension Directory Structure

Locating Extensions on Windows

On Windows, Chrome extensions are stored within your user profile directory. The path can be quite long, so it's often easiest to navigate there by pasting the full path into File Explorer. Ensure you replace <username> with your actual Windows username.

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

Default path for Chrome extensions on Windows

Locating Extensions on macOS

For macOS users, extensions are similarly located within your user's Library directory. This directory is also hidden by default, but can be accessed via the Finder's 'Go to Folder...' option or by using the Terminal.

~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions

Default path for Chrome extensions on macOS

Locating Extensions on Linux

On Linux, the path follows a similar pattern, residing within your user's home directory. The .config folder is typically hidden.

~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions

Default path for Chrome extensions on Linux

Identifying Specific Extensions

Once you navigate to the Extensions directory, you'll see a collection of folders with cryptic 32-character names. To identify which folder belongs to which extension, you can do the following:

1. Step 1

Open Google Chrome and go to chrome://extensions.

2. Step 2

Enable 'Developer mode' using the toggle switch in the top-right corner.

3. Step 3

For each extension, you will now see its 'ID' displayed. This ID directly corresponds to the folder name in your file system.

4. Step 4

You can then navigate to the specific folder using this ID to inspect its contents.