webRequestWhat the webRequest permission means for a Chrome extension
Live Chrome Web Store extensions that declare webRequest: 8 769, which is 3% of the 270 886 whose permissions we have read. Counted after our catalog pass of 2026-10-10.
What it lets an extension do
Watch the network requests your browser makes webRequest
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
We know of no install warning Chrome shows for this permission on its own. Chrome may still warn about the site access an extension declares alongside it.
How common it is in each category
| Category | Share of extensions | Extensions |
|---|---|---|
| Make Chrome Yours · Privacy | 13% | 707 of 5 449 |
| Productivity · Developer | 6% | 1 768 of 28 347 |
| Lifestyle · Travel | 5% | 41 of 855 |
| Lifestyle · Shopping | 4% | 375 of 8 710 |
| Productivity · Tools | 3% | 3 311 of 106 524 |
| Lifestyle · Social | 3% | 219 of 7 160 |
| Productivity · Workflow | 3% | 1 328 of 45 728 |
| Make Chrome Yours · Accessibility | 2% | 185 of 8 075 |
| Productivity · Education | 2% | 261 of 11 519 |
| Lifestyle · Entertainment | 2% | 136 of 6 364 |
| Productivity · Communication | 2% | 119 of 7 120 |
| Lifestyle · Household | 1% | 7 of 492 |
| Lifestyle · Fun | 1% | 90 of 8 489 |
| Lifestyle · Well Being | 1% | 28 of 2 878 |
| Make Chrome Yours · Functionality | 1% | 106 of 11 127 |
| Lifestyle · Art | 1% | 32 of 3 521 |
| Lifestyle · News | 1% | 11 of 1 631 |
| Lifestyle · Games | 1% | 45 of 6 897 |
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
-
Adobe Acrobat: PDF edit, convert, sign tools 344.0M users
-
迅雷下载支持 78.0M users
-
AdBlock — block ads across the web 65.0M users
-
Adblock Plus - free ad blocker 40.0M users
-
360 Internet Protection 19.0M users
-
Kami for Google Chrome™ 18.0M users
-
AdGuard AdBlocker 17.0M users
-
VPN for Chrome: NordVPN proxy protection 15.0M users
-
Free VPN for Chrome - VPN Proxy VeePN 15.0M users
-
Honey: Automated Coupons & Rewards 13.0M users
Each links to what that extension can access and how its permissions have changed.
How to check your own extensions
- Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and find the extension in the list.
- Open its details. The Permissions section lists what Chrome granted it, in Chrome's own words.
- 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.
- To uninstall it, choose Remove on the same page.
Other permissions
Every sitetabshistorybookmarksdownloadsdownloads.openmanagementnativeMessagingproxyprivacydebuggerpageCapturetabCapturedesktopCapturegeolocationclipboardReadclipboardWritecontentSettingsdeclarativeNetRequestfaviconidentity.emailnotificationstabGroupstopSiteswebNavigationstorageactiveTabscriptingcontextMenusalarmscookieswebRequestBlockingunlimitedStorageoffscreensidePanelidentitydeclarativeNetRequestWithHostAccessbrowsingDatabackground
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 .
Where the data comes from: how the catalog is built