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Permission · history

What the history permission means for a Chrome extension

Live Chrome Web Store extensions that declare history: 2 043, which is 1% of the 270 886 whose permissions we have read. Counted after our catalog pass of 2026-10-10.

What it lets an extension do

Read and change your browsing history history

Reaches your browsing data or every site

Permissions in this group reach your browsing data or every site. Plenty of honest extensions need one; check that what the extension is for explains it.

What Chrome says when you add one

When you add an extension that declares it, Chrome asks you to allow it to:

Derived from the manifest by Chrome's documented rules; the dialog's exact wording depends on your Chrome version and language. Chrome asks again if an update requests more.

How common it is in each category

How common it is in each category
CategoryShare of extensionsExtensions
Make Chrome Yours · Privacy3%140 of 5 449
Make Chrome Yours · Functionality2%201 of 11 127
Productivity · Workflow1%494 of 45 728
Productivity · Tools1%931 of 106 524
Make Chrome Yours · Accessibility1%42 of 8 075
Lifestyle · Newsunder 1%7 of 1 631
Lifestyle · Well Beingunder 1%12 of 2 878
Productivity · Developerunder 1%108 of 28 347
Lifestyle · Fununder 1%29 of 8 489
Lifestyle · Artunder 1%9 of 3 521
Lifestyle · Socialunder 1%16 of 7 160
Lifestyle · Shoppingunder 1%19 of 8 710
Lifestyle · Householdunder 1%1 of 492
Productivity · Educationunder 1%19 of 11 519
Lifestyle · Entertainmentunder 1%10 of 6 364
Lifestyle · Travelunder 1%1 of 855
Lifestyle · Gamesunder 1%3 of 6 897
Productivity · Communicationunder 1%1 of 7 120

Counted over the live extensions of each category after our latest full pass of the store. A share is context, not a verdict: what is normal depends on what the extension is for.

Widely installed extensions that ask for it

  1. Online Security Access to every site · 18 permissions, 1 site pattern 11.0M users ★ 3.6
  2. ChatGPT Access to every site · 18 permissions, 1 site pattern 6.0M users ★ 2.8
  3. Free Download Manager Access to every site · 13 permissions, 1 site pattern 3.0M users ★ 4.2
  4. MasteryConnect LockDown Browser Access to every site · 16 permissions, 3 site patterns 2.0M users ★ 1.5
  5. Visual Bookmarks Access to specific sites only · 12 permissions, 17 site patterns 2.0M users ★ 3.4
  6. Web Developer Access to every site · 7 permissions, 1 site pattern 1.0M users ★ 4.5
  7. Bitdefender Web Sage Access to every site · 17 permissions, 1 site pattern 1.0M users ★ 4.4
  8. Click&Clean Access to every site · 7 permissions, 2 site patterns 1.0M users ★ 4.8
  9. Free VPN For Chrome & Ad blocker — Planet VPN Access to every site · 15 permissions, 1 site pattern 1.0M users ★ 4.6
  10. Reddit Enhancement Suite Access to specific sites only · 6 permissions, 1 site pattern 1.0M users ★ 4.7

Each links to what that extension can access and how its permissions have changed.

How to check your own extensions

  1. Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and find the extension in the list.
  2. Open its details. The Permissions section lists what Chrome granted it, in Chrome's own words.
  3. Open its details. The site access setting shows where it can run; set it to run only on click and it reaches a page only after you press its icon.
  4. To uninstall it, choose Remove on the same page.

Other permissions

Figures come from our own daily pass over the public Chrome Web Store. We do not install or audit extensions and publish no contact details for their developers. Catalog pass of .

Browse the catalog

Where the data comes from: how the catalog is built