Chrome Permissions Explainer

Only request the permissions your extension actually needs. Chrome Web Store reviewers flag extensions that request excessive permissions — this can cause rejection or removal. Use the minimum permissions required.

The riskiest permissions are: 'webRequest' (can intercept all network traffic), 'cookies' (access all cookies across sites), 'browsingData' (erase browser history), and broad host permissions like 'http://*/*'. These trigger manual Chrome Web Store review.

'activeTab' gives temporary access to the current tab only when the user explicitly activates your extension (like clicking the icon). 'tabs' gives permanent read access to URLs, titles, and favicons of all open tabs — a much broader permission.

Yes. The plain-English explanations help you understand what capabilities each permission gives your extension, which you can then accurately describe in your privacy policy and Chrome Web Store listing.

Optional permissions can be requested at runtime (when needed) rather than at install time. This improves the install rate since users aren't overwhelmed by permission prompts during installation.