The Chrome Web Store is Google’s official shop for browser extensions and themes, and the safest place to get them. Extensions can do a lot: block ads, manage passwords, translate pages or connect Chrome to desktop apps. That power is also why it pays to choose carefully. This guide shows how to install an extension, how to manage the ones you have, and what to check before you add anything new.
How to install an extension
- Open chromewebstore.google.com in Chrome and search for what you need.
- Open the extension’s page and read its description, reviews and privacy section.
- Click Add to Chrome. Chrome shows the permissions the extension wants.
- If the permissions make sense for what it does, click Add extension.
- Click the puzzle-piece icon in the toolbar and pin the extension if you want it always visible.
How to tell whether an extension is trustworthy
| Check | Good sign | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Known company or long-standing developer with a website | No website, generic name, copies a famous brand |
| Permissions | Match the job, e.g. a colour picker that only needs the current tab | “Read and change all your data on all websites” for a simple tool |
| Reviews | Recent, detailed, mixed but mostly positive | Many short five-star reviews, or recent complaints about ads or redirects |
| Updates | Updated in the last year | Not updated for years |
| Badges | “Featured” or established-publisher badges | None of the above and very few users |
How to manage your extensions
Type chrome://extensions in the address bar to see everything installed. From there you can switch extensions off without removing them, click Details to limit which sites an extension can access (on click, on specific sites, or on all sites), allow it in incognito, or click Remove. Reviewing this page every few months, and removing what you no longer use, is one of the simplest security habits there is.
Why did Chrome turn off one of my extensions?
- It was removed from the store for breaking the rules or containing malware; Chrome disables it for your safety.
- It used the old Manifest V2 format. Google phased these out in 2024 and 2025, which is why some long-standing extensions, including the original uBlock Origin, stopped working in Chrome.
- It was installed from outside the store. Chrome disables most extensions that did not come from the Chrome Web Store.
Can I use Chrome Web Store extensions in other browsers?
Yes, in most browsers built on Chromium. Microsoft Edge asks you to allow extensions from other stores once, after which the Add to Chrome button works. Brave, Opera and Vivaldi also install them. Firefox and Safari use their own stores.
Frequently asked questions
How many extensions is too many?
There is no fixed number, but each extension uses memory and may run on every page you open. If Chrome feels slow, open its Task Manager with Shift+Esc to see which extensions use the most resources, and remove the ones you rarely need.
Are extensions in the store free?
Most are free to install. Some offer paid upgrades inside the extension, handled by the developer rather than by Google.
Is it safe to install extensions from other websites?
Generally no. Files from other sites skip the store’s review and get no automatic updates, and Chrome may disable them anyway.
How do I report a bad extension?
On the extension’s store page, use the report option to tell Google about malware, spam or misleading behaviour.
Used carefully, the Chrome Web Store is a safe source of genuinely useful tools. Check the publisher, the permissions and the reviews before you click Add, and clean out your extension list now and then. For ideas, see our lists of free YouTube extensions and free VPN extensions, and our guide to removing a browser hijacker.