Chromium’s feature to limit installed extensions is still great

Browser extensions are great. They improve usability and functionality on the Internet. From blocking ads and tracking over creating screenshots to improving password management or games.

All extensions come with a manifest file. This file defines rights and permissions. One of these sets the websites the extension is designed to run on. This can be a single website, part of a domain, or on the entire Internet.

Chromium has a great usability feature to limit the access of extensions. You can use it for the following:

• Allow an extension to only run on sites you select.
• Block an extension from running automatically. Make it run only when you want it to.

This may sound complicated, but it can increase privacy or performance significantly. Here is how you use the feature.

Limiting extensions in Chrome and other Chromium-based browsers

Make sure you have one extension installed. This works in Chrome, Brave, and many other Chromium-based browsers.

1. Right-click on the icon of the extension in the toolbar of the browser. Some extension icons may not be displayed. You find them when you click on the general extensions icon in that case.
2. Move the cursor over “This can read and change site data”.
3. Select one of the following options:
   • When you click the extension: this prevents the extension from running automatically when the website is opened. You need to click on its icon to load it.
   • On “sitename”: this allows the extension to run on the active website.
   • On “all sites”: this allows the extension to run on all websites (it is configured for).

Some notes:

• Functionality of some extensions may be reduced or not available when you select the click to run option. A prime example for this are ad blockers, which need to run when the site loads.
• When you select the option to run an extension on a specific site, it is set to “click to run” on any other site you have not picked.
• You may modify the setting at any time.

The list of allowed sites is manageable. You find it under Chrome menu > Extensions > Details of the extensions.

There you see “site access”, which lists all allowed sites. You may also add new sites there, if you prefer that.

Closing Words

The ability to restrict extension access in Chrome can be mighty useful. While it depends on the installed extensions, it may limit extension access to sites that you want to use the extensions on.

Sometimes, you may need extension functionality on a single site only. With this feature, you can do that exactly.

Mozilla has the feature “under development” apparently, but this has been the case for more than three years. Will it ever be a part of Firefox? I do not know.

What is your take on the feature? Do you use it actively, or is it the first time you hear about it? Let everyone know in the comment section below.