Google Chrome Extensions

chrome.experimental.* APIs

Before you start, choose the right version of this page. You should read either:

For information about browser versions such as Canary (bleeding edge) and the Dev channel, see Chrome Release Channels. For details about channel-specific docs, see Doc versions.

List of APIs

We'd like your feedback on the following experimental APIs:

Pay special attention to the following APIs, which we expect to finalize soon: devtools, infobars, permissions, For examples of using the experimental APIs, see Samples.

Caution: Don't depend on these experimental APIs. They might disappear, and they will change. Also, the Chrome Web Store doesn't allow you to upload items that use experimental APIs.

How to use experimental APIs

  1. Make sure you're using either Canary (which you can use at the same time as other Chrome channels) or the Dev channel. Although the experimental APIs might work in other versions, we need your feedback on the latest incarnation of the APIs, which you can find in Canary and on the Dev channel.
  2. Using either the most recent API documentation (if you're using Canary) or the API documentation for the Dev channel, write the code for your extension.
  3. Specify the "experimental" permission in your manifest, like this: 
    "permissions": [
  "experimental",
  ...
],
  4. Enable the experimental API in your browser. You can do this in either of two ways:
    • Go to chrome://flags, find "Experimental Extension APIs", click its "Enable" link, and restart Chrome. From now on, unless you return to that page and disable experimental APIs, you'll be able to run extensions and apps that use experimental APIs.
    • Specify the --enable-experimental-extension-apis flag each time you launch the browser. On Windows, you can do this by modifying the properties of the shortcut that you use to launch Google Chrome. For example: 
      path_to_chrome.exe --enable-experimental-extension-apis
  5. Give us feedback! Your comments and suggestions help us improve the APIs and decide which ones should move from experimental to supported.

More APIs

For information on the standard APIs, see chrome.* APIs and Other APIs.