A utility skill designed to automate the installation of Google Chrome extensions on macOS using direct store URLs, managed policy forced installations, or unpacked developer loads.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install chrome-extension-installer
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install chrome-extension-installer using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Chrome Extension Installer?
The Chrome Extension Installer is a versatile integration tool designed for macOS that automates how Google Chrome extensions are deployed and configured. By leveraging native macOS tools and Chrome CLI flags, this component streamlines developer environments and automated testing setups. It is one of the most practical Openclaw Skills for orchestrating browser-based automation workflows.
This utility provides three distinct installation vectors: standard Web Store URL redirection for interactive user approval, native macOS profile management (.plist modification) for silent enterprise-style background installations, and Developer Mode CLI switches for loading unpackaged local extensions. This flexibility ensures that developers can easily provision their browsers with crucial productivity tools without tedious manual configurations.
Chrome Extension Installer Use Cases
- Automated Developer Environment Bootstrapping: Automatically provision local Mac environments with necessary developer tools and extensions (like Anima or Codex) when setting up new workspaces.
- Silent Background Deployments: Force-install extensions silently across macOS systems for testing and policy enforcement without requiring user interaction.
- Local Extension Testing: Load unpacked WebExtension builds directly into Chrome instances to automate end-to-end testing cycles.
How Chrome Extension Installer Works
- Determine Installation Vector: The skill identifies whether to use interactive URL routing, local policy overrides, or CLI arguments based on the input payload.
- ID Extraction & Verification: The system extracts the specific Chrome Web Store ID from user-provided URLs or direct parameters.
- Command Execution: For silent deploys, it writes target extension IDs directly to Chrome's managed preferences using defaults write. For interactive runs, it calls macOS open commands targeting the store URL.
- Profile Loading: Chrome is restarted or invoked with the specified flags to apply the new extensions instantly.
Chrome Extension Installer Setup
Basic Installation and Usage
To interactively open a Chrome Web Store extension page, run:
open -a "Google Chrome" "https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/<extension-id>"
Silent Installation (macOS Managed Policies)
For background installation requiring no user confirmation, execute these terminal commands (requires sudo privileges):
EXTENSION_ID="<id>"
PLIST="/Library/Managed Preferences/com.google.Chrome.plist"
sudo defaults write "$PLIST" ExtensionInstallForcelist -array-add "$EXTENSION_ID;https://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx"
Loading Unpacked Extensions
To load a local developer extension directory during launch:
open -a "Google Chrome" --args --load-extension="/path/to/extension"
Chrome Extension Installer Data Schema & Taxonomy
Profile and Policy Taxonomy
| Setting / Path | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
/Library/Managed Preferences/com.google.Chrome.plist |
Plist File | Stores macOS enterprise managed policy definitions for forced extensions. |
ExtensionInstallForcelist |
Array | Plist key containing the list of extension IDs targeted for automated background delivery. |
profile=openclaw |
Sandbox Directory | Separate sandbox profile folder used specifically during automated browser tasks, distinct from your local default Chrome profile. |
Extension ID Mapping
- Web Store URL Pattern:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/NAME/<ID> - Local Path Routing: Absolute path to local unpackaged directory structures containing
manifest.json.
Chrome Extension Installer Advanced Features
- Enterprise Silent Provisioning: Leverages macOS system management defaults to push extensions silently, bypassing standard store verification prompts.
- Isolated OpenClaw Sandbox Execution: Ensures developer tasks run safely in clean sandbox profiles (profile=openclaw) to avoid overlapping configuration issues with your primary browser.
- Direct Unpacked Manifest Hot-Loading: Allows developers to load local draft directories instantly via command-line arguments, facilitating rapid iterative testing for custom Openclaw Skills.
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