How to Find a Google Chrome Extension ID

Google Chrome extension IDs follow this format:

• Length: 32 characters
• Characters: Lowercase letters (a-p) representing hexadecimal digits
• Example: cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

Pro Tip: Extension IDs are consistent across installations and devices for the same extension version.

This guide will show you multiple methods to retrieve an extension's ID, whether it's installed from the Chrome Web Store or loaded as an unpacked extension.

What you'll learn

• Store URLs - Extract IDs from Chrome Web Store
• Extension Management Interface - Find IDs through Chrome's built-in interface
• Developer Tools - Use browser console to programmatically list extensions
• File System - Locate extension folders and IDs in the system
• PowerShell/Terminal Scripts - Advanced automation for listing all extensions

Method 1: From Chrome Web Store URL

Step 1: Visit Chrome Web Store

Go to the extension's page on Chrome Web Store and select the extension you want to find the ID for.

Step 2: Extract ID from URL

The extension ID is part of the URL structure: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/[extension-name]/[EXTENSION-ID]

Example: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/[extension-name]/[EXTENSION-ID]

Example:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm
                                                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
                                                        This is the Extension ID

Method 2: Using Chrome Extensions Management Page (when it's already installed)

Step 1: Open Google Chrome Extensions Page

Ensure you are using Google Chrome browser, and then Navigate to the extensions management page using one of these methods:

• Type chrome://extensions/ in the address bar
• Click the three-dot menu (⋮) → More tools → Extensions
• Use keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + E (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + E (Mac)

Step 2: Enable Developer Mode

In the top-right corner of the extensions page, toggle on "Developer mode".

Step 3: Locate the Extension ID

Once Developer mode is enabled, each extension card will display its ID below the extension name and description.

Example Extension ID: cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm

Method 3: Using Browser Developer Tools (when it's already installed)

Step 1: Open Developer Tools

Press F12 or right-click and select "Inspect"

Step 2: Access Console

Navigate to the Console tab and run the following JavaScript code:

chrome.management.getAll((extensions) => {
    extensions.forEach(ext => {
        if (ext.enabled) {
            console.log(`${ext.name}: ${ext.id}`);
        }
    });
});

Step 3: Review Output

The console will display all enabled extensions with their corresponding IDs.

Method 4: File System Location (when it's already installed)

Windows

Navigate to the Chrome extensions directory: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

macOS

Navigate to the Chrome extensions directory: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions

Linux

Navigate to the Chrome extensions directory: ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions

Identify Extension Folders

Each folder name in this directory represents an extension ID. The folder structure looks like:

Extensions/
├── cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm/
│   └── 4.3.0_0/
├── edacconmaakjimmfgnblocblbcdcpbko/
│   └── 1.42.0_0/
└── other-extension-ids...

Match Extension to ID

To identify which folder corresponds to which extension, check the manifest.json file inside each version folder:

{
    "name": "Extension Name",
    "version": "4.3.0",
    "manifest_version": 3,
    "description": "Extension description",
    ...
}

Method 5: Using Command Line Scripts (when it's already installed)

PowerShell (Windows)

$extensionsPath = "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions"
Get-ChildItem $extensionsPath | ForEach-Object {
    $manifestPath = Get-ChildItem "$($_.FullName)\*\manifest.json" | Select-Object -First 1
    if ($manifestPath) {
        $manifest = Get-Content $manifestPath.FullName | ConvertFrom-Json
        Write-Output "Extension: $($manifest.name) | ID: $($_.Name)"
    }
}

Bash (macOS/Linux)

#!/bin/bash
CHROME_EXT_DIR="$HOME/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions"  # Linux
# CHROME_EXT_DIR="$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions"  # macOS

for ext_dir in "$CHROME_EXT_DIR"/*; do
    if [ -d "$ext_dir" ]; then
        ext_id=$(basename "$ext_dir")
        manifest_file=$(find "$ext_dir" -name "manifest.json" | head -n 1)
        if [ -f "$manifest_file" ]; then
            ext_name=$(grep -o '"name"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"[^"]*"' "$manifest_file" | cut -d'"' -f4)
            echo "Extension: $ext_name | ID: $ext_id"
        fi
    fi
done

Method 6: Using Chrome Extension Inspector

Step 1: Install Extension Inspector

Install a Chrome extension like "Extension Inspector" or "Chrome Extension Source Viewer" from the Chrome Web Store.

Step 2: Use Inspector Tools

These extensions provide additional tools to:

• View extension source code
• Display extension IDs in an organized list
• Export extension information

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Developer mode not enabled - Make sure to enable Developer mode in chrome://extensions/
• Extension not visible - Ensure the extension is enabled and properly installed
• Path not found - Chrome might be installed in a custom location
• Permission denied - Run scripts with appropriate permissions
• Multiple Chrome profiles - Check the correct profile folder (Default, Profile 1, etc.)

Profile-Specific Paths

If you use multiple Chrome profiles, replace "Default" with your profile name:

• Profile 1, Profile 2, etc. for additional profiles
• Check chrome://version/ to see your current profile path