Technically you could have several extensions pointing at the same update file, but for simplicity’s sake we’re going to use one file for one extension. Regardless, your Update.xml file instructs Chrome where to download updates to your extension from. Using documentation from Google, I was able to figure out how to make it work.

Basically, do exactly as Google tells you.

This was a mild source of pain for me and took me longer than I’d like to admit to get working. In this example, the extension is uploaded as.

Grab your CRX and place it on your web server in the directory specified above.In this case, it will be aaaaaaaaafgjeglblehebfpbcfeobpgk Having packed your extension, drag and drop it into the same computer to determine your Extension ID.You must save this key in a safe place as it will be required for any future updates to your extension. If you have not already done this, a private signing key in PEM format will also be generated. In Chrome, pack your extension using ‘Developer mode’.Update your extension’s manifest.json to include:.In this example, the update manifest is at, and any updates will be served from. This must be a web server, preferably secured by TLS. Determine where your extension will be deployed from, and where the update manifest (an XML file that will be explained later) will be hosted.Preparing your Extension for distribution Indeed, on macOS and non-Active Directory domain-joined Windows computers, it is not possible (as far as I am aware) to install a CRX file from anywhere except the Chrome Store.

In earlier versions of Chrome, this was not required and one could install any CRX file by just dragging it into the browser, however this is not the case any more. When cryptographically signed and packaged into a CRX file, they generate a unique ‘Extension ID’ along the lines of ghbmnnjooekpmoecnnnilnnbdlolhkhi.īy default, Chrome will only permit installation of extensions that have been cryptographically signed by Google, and the only way to get signed by Google is to submit to the Chrome Store. Your mileage may vary! A little bit more about Chrome ExtensionsĬhrome Extensions are, at their core, a manifest.json file that is packaged into a CRX file. Note: this was tested against Google Chrome 76 version. An Active Directory domain, with all target computers joined to this domain.A Google Chrome extension you wish to publish internally.So, here goes – a guide to deploying an internal-only Chrome Extension to Windows Computers via Group Policy. Unfortunately, the documentation for doing this is poor to say the least, and Google strongly discourage the publication of Chrome Extensions except via their store for security reasons. Recently, reecetech (more accurately, a hackathon project gone wild) had a requirement to deploy an internally written Google Chrome Extension to our fleet of Windows clients.

Where to find the chrome crx file