I need to define my Service Worker as persistent in my Chrome extension because I'm using the webRequest API to intercept some data passed in a form for a specific request, but I don't know how I can do that. I've tried everything, but my Service Worker keeps unloading.
How can I keep it loaded and waiting until the request is intercepted?
Description of the problem
Workarounds:
• Bug exploit
• offscreen API
• nativeMessaging API
• WebSocket API
• chrome messaging API
• Dedicated tab
Caution
Service worker (SW) can't be persistent by definition and the browser must forcibly terminate all its activities/requests after a certain time, which in Chrome is 5 minutes. The inactivity timer (i.e. when no such activities are ongoing) is even shorter: 30 seconds.
Chromium team currently considers this behavior good (the team relaxes some aspects though occasionally e.g. Chrome 114 prolongs chrome.runtime port after each message), however this is only good for extensions that observe infrequent events, which run just a few times a day thus reducing browser's memory footprint between the runs (for example, webRequest/webNavigation events with urls filter for a rarely visited site). These extensions can be reworked to maintain the state, example. Unfortunately, such an idyll is unsustainable in many cases.
Problem 1: Chrome 106 and older doesn't wake up SW for webRequest events.
Although you can try to subscribe to an API like chrome.webNavigation as shown in the other answers, but it helps only with events that occur after the worker starts.
Problem 2: the worker randomly stops waking up for events.
The workaround may be to call chrome.runtime.reload().
Problem 3: Chrome 109 and older doesn't prolong SW lifetime for a new chrome API event in an already running background script. It means that when the event occurred in the last milliseconds of the 30-second inactivity timeout your code won't be able to run anything asynchronous reliably. It means that your extension will be perceived as unreliable by the user.
Problem 4: worse performance than MV2 in case the extension maintains a remote connection or the state (variables) takes a long time to rebuild or you observe frequent events like these:
Starting SW for a new event is essentially like opening a new tab. Creating the environment takes ~50ms, running the entire SW script may take 100ms (or even 1000ms depending on the amount of code), reading the state from storage and rebuilding/hydrating it may take 1ms (or 1000ms depending on the complexity of data). Even with an almost empty script it'd be at least 50ms, which is quite a huge overhead to call the event listener, which takes only 1ms.
SW may restart hundreds of times a day, because such events are generated in response to user actions that have natural gaps in them e.g. clicked a tab then wrote something, during which the SW is terminated and restarted again for a new event thus wearing down CPU, disk, battery, often introducing a frequent perceivable lag of the extension's reaction.
Chrome 110 introduced a bug: calling any asynchronous chrome API keeps the worker running for 30 seconds more. The bug is not yet fixed.
// background.js
const keepAlive = () => setInterval(chrome.runtime.getPlatformInfo, 20e3);
chrome.runtime.onStartup.addListener(keepAlive);
keepAlive();
Courtesy of Keven Augusto.
In Chrome 109 and newer you can use offscreen API to create an offscreen document and send some message from it every 30 second or less, to keep service worker running. Currently this document's lifetime is not limited (only audio playback is limited, which we don't use), but it's likely to change in the future.
manifest.json
"permissions": ["offscreen"]
offscreen.html
<script src="offscreen.js"></script>
offscreen.js
setInterval(async () => {
(await navigator.serviceWorker.ready).active.postMessage('keepAlive');
}, 20e3);
background.js
async function createOffscreen() {
await chrome.offscreen.createDocument({
url: 'offscreen.html',
reasons: ['BLOBS'],
justification: 'keep service worker running',
}).catch(() => {});
}
chrome.runtime.onStartup.addListener(createOffscreen);
self.onmessage = e => {}; // keepAlive
createOffscreen();
nativeMessaging host is connectedIn Chrome 105 and newer the service worker will run as long as it's connected to a nativeMessaging host via chrome.runtime.connectNative. If the host process is terminated due to a crash or user action, the port will be closed, and the SW will terminate as usual. You can guard against it by listening to port's onDisconnect event and call chrome.runtime.connectNative again.
Chrome 116 and newer: exchange WebSocket messages less than every 30 seconds to keep it active, e.g. every 25 seconds.
Downsides:
<all_urls> or *://*/*) for content scripts which puts most extensions into the slow review queue in the web store.Warning! If you already connect ports, don't use this workaround, use another one for ports below.
Warning! Also implement the workaround for sendMessage (below) if you use sendMessage.
manifest.json, the relevant part:
"permissions": ["scripting"],
"host_permissions": ["<all_urls>"],
"background": {"service_worker": "bg.js"}
background service worker bg.js:
const onUpdate = (tabId, info, tab) => /^https?:/.test(info.url) && findTab([tab]);
findTab();
chrome.runtime.onConnect.addListener(port => {
if (port.name === 'keepAlive') {
setTimeout(() => port.disconnect(), 250e3);
port.onDisconnect.addListener(() => findTab());
}
});
async function findTab(tabs) {
if (chrome.runtime.lastError) { /* tab was closed before setTimeout ran */ }
for (const {id: tabId} of tabs || await chrome.tabs.query({url: '*://*/*'})) {
try {
await chrome.scripting.executeScript({target: {tabId}, func: connect});
chrome.tabs.onUpdated.removeListener(onUpdate);
return;
} catch (e) {}
}
chrome.tabs.onUpdated.addListener(onUpdate);
}
function connect() {
chrome.runtime.connect({name: 'keepAlive'})
.onDisconnect.addListener(connect);
}
all your other extension pages like the popup or options:
;(function connect() {
chrome.runtime.connect({name: 'keepAlive'})
.onDisconnect.addListener(connect);
})();
In Chrome 99-101 you need to always call sendResponse() in your chrome.runtime.onMessage listener even if you don't need the response. This is a bug in MV3. Also, make sure you do it in less than 5 minutes time, otherwise call sendResponse immediately and send a new message back via chrome.tabs.sendMessage (to the tab) or chrome.runtime.sendMessage (to the popup) after the work is done.
Warning! If you also connect more ports to the service worker you need to reconnect each one before its 5 minutes elapse e.g. in 295 seconds. This is crucial in Chrome versions before 104, which killed SW regardless of additional connected ports. In Chrome 104 and newer this bug is fixed but you'll still need to reconnect them, because their 5-minute lifetime hasn't changed, so the easiest solution is to reconnect the same way in all versions of Chrome: e.g. every 295 seconds.
background script example:
chrome.runtime.onConnect.addListener(port => {
if (port.name !== 'foo') return;
port.onMessage.addListener(onMessage);
port.onDisconnect.addListener(deleteTimer);
port._timer = setTimeout(forceReconnect, 250e3, port);
});
function onMessage(msg, port) {
console.log('received', msg, 'from', port.sender);
}
function forceReconnect(port) {
deleteTimer(port);
port.disconnect();
}
function deleteTimer(port) {
if (port._timer) {
clearTimeout(port._timer);
delete port._timer;
}
}
client script example e.g. a content script:
let port;
function connect() {
port = chrome.runtime.connect({name: 'foo'});
port.onDisconnect.addListener(connect);
port.onMessage.addListener(msg => {
console.log('received', msg, 'from bg');
});
}
connect();
Instead of using the SW, open a new tab with an extension page inside, so this page will act as a "visible background page" i.e. the only thing the SW would do is open this tab. You can also open it from the action popup.
chrome.tabs.create({url: 'bg.html'})
It'll have the same abilities as the persistent background page of ManifestV2 but a) it's visible and b) not accessible via chrome.extension.getBackgroundPage (which can be replaced with chrome.extension.getViews).
Downsides:
You can make it a little more bearable for your users by adding info/logs/charts/dashboard to the page and also add a beforeunload listener to prevent the tab from being accidentally closed.
You still need to save/restore the state (variables) because there's no such thing as a persistent service worker and those workarounds have limits as described above, so the worker can terminate. You can maintain the state in a storage, example.
Note that you shouldn't make your worker persistent just to simplify state/variable management. Do it only to restore the performance worsened by restarting the worker in case your state is very expensive to rebuild or if you hook into frequent events listed in the beginning of this answer.
unlike the chrome.webRequest API the chrome.webNavigation API works perfectly because the chrome.webNavigation API can wake up the service worker, for now you can try putting the chrome.webRequest API api inside the chrome.webNavigation.
chrome.webNavigation.onBeforeNavigate.addListener(function(){
chrome.webRequest.onResponseStarted.addListener(function(details){
//.............
//.............
},{urls: ["*://domain/*"],types: ["main_frame"]});
},{
url: [{hostContains:"domain"}]
});
If i understand correct you can wake up service worker (background.js) by alerts. Look at below example:
"permissions": [
"alarms"
],
chrome.alarms.create({ periodInMinutes: 4.9 })
chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener(() => {
console.log('log for debug')
});
Unfortunately this is not my problem and may be you have different problem too. When i refresh dev extension or stop and run prod extension some time service worker die at all. When i close and open browser worker doesn't run and any listeners inside worker doesn't run it too. It tried register worker manually. Fore example:
// override.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>...<head>
<body>
...
<script defer src="override.js"></script>
<body>
<html>
// override.js - this code is running in new tab page
navigator.serviceWorker.getRegistrations().then((res) => {
for (let worker of res) {
console.log(worker)
if (worker.active.scriptURL.includes('background.js')) {
return
}
}
navigator.serviceWorker
.register(chrome.runtime.getURL('background.js'))
.then((registration) => {
console.log('Service worker success:', registration)
}).catch((error) => {
console.log('Error service:', error)
})
})
This solution partially helped me but it does not matter because i have to register worker on different tabs. May be somebody know decision. I will pleasure.
I found a different solution to keeping the extension alive. It improves on wOxxOm's answer by using a secondary extension to open the connection port to our main extension. Then both extensions try to communicate with each other in the event that any disconnects, hence keeping both alive.
The reason this was needed was that according to another team in my company, wOxxOm's answer turned out to be unreliable. Reportedly, their SW would eventually fail in an nondeterministic manner.
Then again, my solution works for my company as we are deploying enterprise security software, and we will be force installing the extensions. Having the user install 2 extensions may still be undesirable in other use-cases.
As Clairzil Bawon samdi's answer that chrome.webNavigation could wake up the service worker in MV3, here are workaround in my case:
// manifest.json
...
"background": {
"service_worker": "background.js"
},
"host_permissions": ["https://example.com/api/*"],
"permissions": ["webRequest", "webNavigation"]
...
In my case it listens onHistoryStateUpdated event to wake up the service worker:
// background.js
chrome.webNavigation.onHistoryStateUpdated.addListener((details) => {
console.log('wake me up');
});
chrome.webRequest.onSendHeaders.addListener(
(details) => {
// code here
},
{
urls: ['https://example.com/api/*'],
types: ['xmlhttprequest'],
},
['requestHeaders']
);
IMHO (and direct experience) a well structured SW will work forever.
Obviously there are some particular cases, like uninterruptible connections, which may suffer a lot once SW falls asleep, but still if the code is not prepared to handle the specific behaviour.
It seems like a battle against windmills, punctually after 30 seconds SW stops doing anything, falls asleep, several events are not honored anymore and the problems start... if our SW has nothing else pressing to think about.
From "The art of War" (Sun Tzu): if you can't fight it, make friends with it.
so... ok, lets try to give something consistent to think about from time to time to our SW and put a "patch" (because this IS A PATCH!) to this issue.
Obviously I don't assure this solution will work for all of you, but it worked for me in the past, before I decided to review the whole logic and code of my SW.
So I decided to share it for your own tests.
EDIT:
Since the logic of the code may not be clear to some, I will try to explain it to dispel doubts:
Any extension's SW can attempt to make a connection and send messages through a named port and, if something fails, generate an error.
The code below connects to a named port and tries to send a message through it to a nonexistent listener (so it will generate errors).
While doing this, SW is active and running (it has something to do, that is, it has to send a message through a port).
Because noone is listening, it generates a (catched and logged) error (in onDisconnect) and terminates (normal behaviour happening in whatever code).
But after 25 secs it does the same iter from start, thus keeping SW active forever.
It works fine. It is a simple trick to keep the service worker active.
// Forcing service worker to stay alive by sending a "ping" to a port where noone is listening
// Essentially it prevents SW to fall asleep after the first 30 secs of work.
const INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT = "Whatever_Port_Name_You_Want"
var alivePort = null;
...
StayAlive();
...
async function StayAlive() {
var lastCall = Date.now();
var wakeup = setInterval( () => {
const now = Date.now();
const age = now - lastCall;
console.log(`(DEBUG StayAlive) ----------------------- time elapsed: ${age}`)
if (alivePort == null) {
alivePort = chrome.runtime.connect({name:INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT})
alivePort.onDisconnect.addListener( (p) => {
if (chrome.runtime.lastError){
console.log(`(DEBUG StayAlive) Disconnected due to an error: ${chrome.runtime.lastError.message}`);
} else {
console.log(`(DEBUG StayAlive): port disconnected`);
}
alivePort = null;
});
}
if (alivePort) {
alivePort.postMessage({content: "ping"});
if (chrome.runtime.lastError) {
console.log(`(DEBUG StayAlive): postMessage error: ${chrome.runtime.lastError.message}`)
} else {
console.log(`(DEBUG StayAlive): "ping" sent through ${alivePort.name} port`)
}
}
//lastCall = Date.now();
}, 25000);
}
Hoping this will help someone.
Anyway, I still recommend, where possible, to review the logic and the code of your SW, because, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, any well structured SW will work perfectly in MV3 even without tricks like this one.
EDIT (jan 17, 2023)
when you think you've hit bottom, watch out for the trapdoor that might suddenly open under your feet. Sun Tzu
This revision of the StayAlive() function above still keeps the service worker active, but avoids calling the function every 25 seconds, so as not to burden it with unnecessary work.
In practice, it appears that by running the Highlander() function below at predefined intervals, the service worker will still live forever.
How it works
The first call of Highlander() is executed before the expiration of the fateful 30 seconds (here it is executed after 4 seconds from the start of the service worker).
Subsequent calls are performed before the expiration of the fateful 5 minutes (here they are executed every 270 seconds).
The service worker, in this way, will never go to sleep and will always respond to all events.
It thus appears that, per Chromium design, after the first Highlander() call within the first 30 seconds, the internal logic that manages the life of the (MV3) service worker extends the period of full activity until the next 5 minutes.
This is really really hilarious...
anyway... this is the ServiceWorker.js I used for my tests.
// -----------------
// SERVICEWORKER.JS
// -----------------
const INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT = "CT_Internal_port_alive"
var alivePort = null;
const SECONDS = 1000;
var lastCall = Date.now();
var isFirstStart = true;
var timer = 4*SECONDS;
// -------------------------------------------------------
var wakeup = setInterval(Highlander, timer);
// -------------------------------------------------------
async function Highlander() {
const now = Date.now();
const age = now - lastCall;
console.log(`(DEBUG Highlander) ------------- time elapsed from first start: ${convertNoDate(age)}`)
if (alivePort == null) {
alivePort = chrome.runtime.connect({name:INTERNAL_STAYALIVE_PORT})
alivePort.onDisconnect.addListener( (p) => {
if (chrome.runtime.lastError){
console.log(`(DEBUG Highlander) Expected disconnect (on error). SW should be still running.`);
} else {
console.log(`(DEBUG Highlander): port disconnected`);
}
alivePort = null;
});
}
if (alivePort) {
alivePort.postMessage({content: "ping"});
if (chrome.runtime.lastError) {
console.log(`(DEBUG Highlander): postMessage error: ${chrome.runtime.lastError.message}`)
} else {
console.log(`(DEBUG Highlander): "ping" sent through ${alivePort.name} port`)
}
}
//lastCall = Date.now();
if (isFirstStart) {
isFirstStart = false;
clearInterval(wakeup);
timer = 270*SECONDS;
wakeup = setInterval(Highlander, timer);
}
}
function convertNoDate(long) {
var dt = new Date(long).toISOString()
return dt.slice(-13, -5) // HH:MM:SS only
}
EDIT (jan 20, 2023):
On Github, I created a repository for a practical example of how to properly use the Highlander function in a real world extension. For the implementation of this repo, I also took into account wOxxOm's comments to my post (many thanks to him).
Still on Github, I created another repository to demonstrate in another real world extension how a service worker can immediately start by itself (put itself in RUNNING status), without the aid of external content scripts, and how it can live on forever using the usual Highlander function. This repository includes a local WebSocket Echo Test server used by the extension in its client communication sample and useful to externally debug the extension when the extension's host browser has been closed. That's right, because, depending on the type of configuration applied, when the host browser is closed Highlander-DNA can either shut down with the browser or continue to live forever, with all functionality connected and managed (e.g. the included WebSocket client/server communications test sample).
EDIT (jan 22, 2023)
I tested memory and CPU consumption while a Service Worker is always in RUNNING state due to the use of Highlander. The consumption to keep it running all the time is practically ZERO. I really don't understand why the Chromium team is persisting in wanting to unnecessarily complicate everyone's life.
setInterval(()=>{self.serviceWorker.postMessage('test')},20000)
No idea how this works, but it seems to keep the service worker awake on Chrome 100, 105, 108, and 114. Haven't tested on other versions.
WebSocket callbacks registered from within the chrome.runtime listener registrations of my extensions's service worker would not get invoked, which sounds like almost the same problem.
I approached this problem by making sure that my service worker never ends, by adding the following code to it:
function keepServiceRunning() {
setTimeout(keepServiceRunning, 2000);
}
keepServiceRunning()
After this, my callbacks now get invoked as expected.
