Load chrome extension using selenium

Question

While running selenium, I need to load a chrome extension from the web store. In my research, I only found how to load an extension from the local machine.

Is it possible for selenium to load an extension from the Web Store?

Answer 1

I did this with Python in case anyone was looking.

All you have to do is download the .crx file (I used https://chrome-extension-downloader.com/) and save it somewhere that Python can access it. In my example, I imported it to the same folder as my Python script, to load exampleOfExtensionDownloadedToFolder.crx.

from selenium import webdriver 
from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options 

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_extension('./exampleOfExtensionDownloadedToFolder.crx')
driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options) 
driver.get('http://www.google.com')

Answer 2

I am not sure why you are particular about downloading from Webstore and then install into Chrome.

I found some steps to download chrome extensions:

-With a computer connected to the internet, install the extension from the extension page: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/
-Navigate to the extension source code. In XP this is found at: C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\
-You should see a version folder (ie. "0.0.21_0"). Copy this folder and move it on the machine you want to install on.
-Open up chrome on the disconnected machine and go to Wrench -> Tools -> Extensions
-Click the + next to Developer mode to display the developer options
-Click 'Pack extension...' and choose the version folder as the root directory. Leave the private key file blank. This will create a .crx file in the version folder along with a private key as if you were the developer.

--Or--

1- Find the ID of the extension you’re interested in. When on the details page of the extension, it will be something like : bfbmjmiodbnnpllbbbfblcplfjjepjdn after https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/

2- Paste this into any other browser (not Chrome): https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx?response=redirect&x=id%3D~~~~%26uc

3- and replacing ~~~~ with the extension ID. You’ll be prompted to save a CRX file. Drag this file to a Chrome window and proceed with installation.

Source: https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/chrome/g02KlhK12fU

Finally, use the downloaded .crx file in ChromeOptions to load the extension

ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.addExtensions(new File("/path/to/extension.crx"));
DesiredCapabilities capabilities = new DesiredCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability(ChromeOptions.CAPABILITY, options);
ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(capabilities);

Source: https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/chromedriver/extensions

Answer 3

Here is how to load a chrome extension into chrome Selenium Python

Date = 20-12-19
Chrome version = 79.0.3945.88

The new version of Chrome support crx.crx (crx3) and if you use crx it will throw an error.
If you are using chrome version 73 or above then only follow this step

1> Crate a crx3 file.

1. Go to Chrome web store and search you Extension, copy the link of the extension. Screen shot
2. Go to this site and paste the link and download crx file for your Chrome extension.
3. Go to this GitHub page and download the module which will convert your crx file to crx3 or crx.crx.
4. Now you have your crx.crx or (crx3) file

**2> Python Code to Add chrome extension in selenium**

1. Put your extension.crx.crx file in the same folder as your code or give the path
2. You can copy-paste this code and just change the file crx.crx name at `chrome_options.add_extension(' YOUR - EXTENSION - NAME ')`

import os
    from selenium import webdriver
    from selenium.webdriver.chrome.options import Options
    
    
    executable_path = "/webdrivers"
    os.environ["webdriver.chrome.driver"] = executable_path
    
    chrome_options = Options()

    chrome_options.add_extension('  YOUR - EXTIONTION  - NAME    ')
    
    driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)
    driver.get("http://stackoverflow.com")

Answer 4

1. Put chromedriver exe in your document file if you want to follow this and have a successful result.

2. Download "GET CRX" extension from Google.

3. Download your extension (i.e. mine is "DHS" for Rest API testing).

4. Go to Chrome Web Store >> search for your extension (the one you've already downloaded) >> right click on it and click :: GET CRX
   (This should download the CRX file. For my case the CRX file is "extension_1_2_5.crx")

5. Drop the CRX file in any Chrome window (this can reject it but no worries).

6. Now, build your test and execute

   public static void openChromeExtension(){
   
       System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "/Users/[your local name]/Documents/chromedriver");
   
       ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
       options.addExtensions(new File("/Users/[your local name]/Documents/extension_1_2_5.crx"));
   
       DesiredCapabilities capabilities = new DesiredCapabilities();
       capabilities.setCapability(ChromeOptions.CAPABILITY, options);
       ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(capabilities);
       System.out.println("Opening extension");
       driver.get("chrome-extension://**aejoelaoggembcahagimdiliamlcdmfm**/dhc.html"); 
   
       driver.navigate().refresh();
       System.out.println("Refresh successfully");
   }
   

   //this is the extension URL or you can get the id on chrome://extensions/ find the extension and copy the ID. However, the URL must be the extension URL.

Answer 5

Not sure why, but somebody deleted their answer, which was correct. Here is the content (sourced from @parishodak):

ChromeOptions options = new ChromeOptions();
options.addExtensions(new File("/path/to/extension.crx"));
DesiredCapabilities capabilities = new DesiredCapabilities();
capabilities.setCapability(ChromeOptions.CAPABILITY, options);
ChromeDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(capabilities);

This particular example is in Java

Answer 6

The above solutions although technically sound not always work as intended, so I thought another way to do it. Because many times I need a lot of things that are better done manually, authentications, certain cookies, etc

I use folders as profiles, I run:

chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument("user-data-dir=selenium") 
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)
driver.get("www.google.com")

Then I manually install the Extensions and do the logins I need now every-time I start the Webdriver with that folder everything is there

chrome_options = Options()
chrome_options.add_argument("user-data-dir=selenium") 
driver = webdriver.Chrome(chrome_options=chrome_options)
driver.get("www.google.com") #Now you can see the Extensions and the logins done are present

The advantage is you can use multiple folders with different setting and Extensions without the need to install and uninstall Extensions, change settings, change logins etc

Answer 7

using System.IO;
using System.IO.Compression;



  public static class ChromeExtension
        {
            public static string Execute()
            {
                var ParentPath = Directory.GetParent(Directory.GetCurrentDirectory()).Parent;
                var DirectoryPath = ParentPath.FullName.Remove(ParentPath.FullName.IndexOf(ParentPath.Name));

                string startPath = $"{DirectoryPath}\\Exchanger\\ChromeExtension";
                string zipPath = $"{DirectoryPath}Exchanger\\Extension.zip";

                if (System.IO.File.Exists(zipPath))
                {
                    System.IO.File.Delete(startPath);
                }

                ZipFile.CreateFromDirectory(startPath, zipPath);


                if (System.IO.File.Exists($"{DirectoryPath}\\Exchanger\\Extension.crx"))
                {
                    System.IO.File.Delete($"{DirectoryPath}\\Exchanger\\Extension.crx");
                }

                System.IO.File.Move(zipPath, $"{DirectoryPath}\\Exchanger\\Extension.crx");

                return $"{DirectoryPath}\\Exchanger\\Extension.crx";
            }

        }

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Used: 
var options = new ChromeOptions();   
options.AddExtension(ChromeExtension.Execute());

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