{
  "slug": "chrome-devtools-mcp-adds-chrome-extension-debugging-tools-387be4c39120",
  "title": "chrome-devtools-mcp adds Chrome extension debugging tools",
  "tools": [
    "chrome-devtools-mcp"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "agent"
  ],
  "introduced_at": "2026-04-21T14:25:09.000Z",
  "announced_at": "2026-04-21T14:25:09.000Z",
  "effective_at": null,
  "date_basis": "source-publication",
  "status": "unknown",
  "how": {
    "incantation": "When debugging an unpacked Chrome extension, start chrome-devtools-mcp with the extensions category enabled, then install or inspect/manage the extension using its documented MCP tools. The extension tools require a pipe connection; autoConnect, browserUrl, and wsEndpoint are unsupported with this feature until Chrome 149 is released.",
    "examples": [
      "npx chrome-devtools-mcp@0.22.0 --category-extensions=true",
      "install_extension({\"path\":\"<absolute-path-to-unpacked-extension-folder>\"})",
      "list_extensions({})\nreload_extension({\"id\":\"<extension-id>\"})\ntrigger_extension_action({\"id\":\"<extension-id>\"})\nuninstall_extension({\"id\":\"<extension-id>\"})"
    ],
    "gotchas": [
      "Version: 0.22.0",
      "--category-extensions / --categoryExtensions: Boolean; set true to include extension tools. Default false.",
      "install_extension.path (required): Absolute path to the unpacked extension folder.",
      "reload_extension.id (required): ID of the extension to reload.",
      "trigger_extension_action.id (required): ID of the extension whose default action to trigger.",
      "uninstall_extension.id (required): ID of the extension to uninstall.",
      "Prerequisite: Extension tools are inactive by default; enable them with --category-extensions=true.",
      "Prerequisite: This feature is supported only with a pipe connection. autoConnect, browserUrl, and wsEndpoint are unsupported until Chrome 149 is released.",
      "Extension tools are not active by default.",
      "This feature is currently only supported with a pipe connection.",
      "autoConnect, browserUrl, and wsEndpoint are not supported with this feature until 149 will be released.",
      "install_extension requires an absolute path to the unpacked extension folder."
    ]
  },
  "why_it_matters": "When debugging an unpacked Chrome extension, enable the extension tool category and use its tools to manage and inspect extensions.",
  "sources": [
    "https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/releases/tag/chrome-devtools-mcp-v0.22.0",
    "https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/pull/1922",
    "https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/blob/3ff21cf30dae19a6af85d836b1b55314f53ff401/README.md",
    "https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/blob/3ff21cf30dae19a6af85d836b1b55314f53ff401/docs/tool-reference.md"
  ],
  "rank": 0.9803,
  "judge": {
    "publish": true,
    "judge_model": "codex-cli/gpt-6-luna+typesafe/jev-1.13.0",
    "prompt_version": "extract-v7+enrich-v1+judge-v2x3+jev-publish-v1"
  },
  "review_state": "approved",
  "provenance": {
    "run_id": "ghtools-20261008",
    "verdict_id": "ghtools-20261008:ghtools-20261008-6d8f42ec3741aa53-4:gate",
    "evidence_hash": "9737eb5516d75e7582529d3245b3cc72244d618ba6c416a0fe7e4cedb4581d02"
  },
  "review": {
    "draft_hash": "9cbde7b57c513822eb5a051bbcc590662aff0c02acc4f09674b9550337e48900",
    "reviewer": "publication-gate",
    "reviewed_at": "2026-10-07T00:00:00.000Z",
    "decision": "ghtools-20261008:gate",
    "reason": "3 of 3 judge runs approved with p_yes >= 0.9 (mean 0.98 >= 0.9; 2 needed) and Jev gave 0.76 (>= 0.6 needed)."
  }
}