This guide explains how to load and test your Chrome extension without publishing it to the Chrome Web Store.

Make sure your extension folder contains at least the following:

• manifest.json — the extension manifest file.
• Other assets (HTML, CSS, JS, images) required by your extension.
• Ensure your manifest.json is valid and matches your Chrome version requirements (Manifest V3 is standard now).

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Go to the extensions page by navigating to: chrome://extensions/ or click the menu → More Tools → Extensions.

• Toggle Developer mode in the top-right corner of the page.

1. Click Load unpacked.
2. Navigate to your extension folder (the one containing manifest.json) and select it.
3. Your extension should appear in the list of extensions.

• If there are errors, Chrome will highlight them. Check the console in the extensions page for details.

• Browser action / popup: Click the extension icon in the toolbar.
• Content scripts: Visit a web page that matches your content script rules.
• Background scripts: Check logs in the Extensions → Background page console.

• After making changes to your extension code:

1. Return to chrome://extensions/.
2. Click the Reload button for your extension.
3. Refresh any affected web pages to see updates.

• To temporarily disable: toggle the extension off.
• To completely remove: click Remove.

💡 Tips

• Always use a separate folder for testing your unpacked extension to avoid conflicts with the published version.
• Use the Chrome DevTools console to debug your extension scripts.
• If images or resources aren’t loading, make sure paths in manifest.json match your folder structure.