.CRX File Extension

Chromium Extension

Developer Google
Popularity
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What is a CRX file?

A CRX file is an extension for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and other Chromium-based web browsers. It adds an additional feature or theme to the web browser. For example, a CRX file might contain an ad blocker, spell checker, password manager, or webpage translator.

More Information

CRX files installed in Google Chrome
CRX files installed in Google Chrome

Many popular web browsers, including Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, are based on the open-source Chromium browser. Chromium-based browsers allow users to install add-ons, more commonly referred to as extensions. (Only the PC versions of Chrome and Edge allow users to install extensions.)

Typically, users install extensions by opening their browser's Extensions window, going to the Chrome Web Store (or another extension hub), and browsing and installing extensions. In this case, the Chrome Web Store (or other extension hub) automatically downloads, unpacks, and installs the extension, and users never see or interact with a CRX file.

However, users searching for extensions outside their browser's extension hub may encounter and need to install a CRX file. For example, a user who downloads an unofficial Chromium extension from a forum may receive that extension as a CRX file. Each CRX file is a compressed archive that contains all of an extension's constituent files. For example, a CRX file might contain .JS, .JSON, image, and executable files, which together comprise the extension.

NOTE: CRX files use .ZIP formatting. However, they contain custom file headers, so you may not be able to decompress them with standard Zip decompression utilities.

How to open a CRX file

To install the extension a CRX file contains:

  1. Navigate to your Chromium-based browser's Extensions menu. For example, in Google Chrome, enter the address chrome://extensions in the address bar. (In Microsoft Edge, enter edge://extensions.)
  2. Drag and drop your CRX file on the Extensions window.
  3. When prompted, click Add extension.

Your browser will then automatically install the extension your CRX file contains.

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Programs that open CRX files

Windows
Linux
Chrome OS

Verified by FileInfo.com

The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the Chromium Extension file format and Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified.

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