How to Find a Chrome Extension by Its ID (3 Easy Ways) | ExtensionBooster
I've tested and ranked the best approaches for Chrome extension UI in 2026.
What This Covers
- How to Find a Chrome Extension by Its ID (3 Easy Ways) | ExtensionBooster You’re staring at a string like cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm with zero context
- Maybe it showed up in a security log
- Maybe a coworker pasted it in Slack
- Maybe you’re auditing a managed device and need to know what that extension actually does before you allow or block it
- Whatever brought you here, the answer is the same: every installed Chrome extension carries a unique ID, and that ID is your key to finding everything about it
The Details
How to Find a Chrome Extension by Its ID (3 Easy Ways) | ExtensionBooster You’re staring at a string like cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm with zero context. Maybe it showed up in a security log. Maybe a coworker pasted it in Slack. Maybe you’re auditing a managed device and need to know what that extension actually does before you allow or block it. Whatever brought you here, the answer is the same: every installed Chrome extension carries a unique ID, and that ID is your key to finding everything about it. Here’s how to do it, in three ways, starting with the fastest. What a Chrome extension ID actually is Before you go looking, it helps to know what you’re looking at. Every Chrome extension has a 32-character ID made up only of lowercase letters a through p (no numbers, no other characters). It looks something like cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm . That string isn’t random, it’s derived from the extension’s public key when it’s first submitted to the Chrome Web Store. The practical upshot: the ID is permanent for a published extension . It doesn’t change between version 1. An extension’s icon, name, and description can be completely overhauled and the ID stays the same. There’s one catch worth knowing: an unpacked extension (one you load locally from a folder via Developer mode) gets a temporary, randomly assigned ID each time, unless the developer sets a key field in the manifest. Published extensions don’t have this problem. If you’re dealing with a CRX you loaded yourself, the ID might not match anything in the store. # Published extension ID, stable forever cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm # The full Web Store URL pattern with that ID https://chromewebstore. com/detail// # Or the shorter form, Chrome resolves either https://chromewebstore. com/detail/ Where do I find an extension’s ID. Two reliable places: From chrome://extensions : Open a new tab, type chrome://extensions in the address bar, and hit Enter. Toggle Developer mode on (top-right corner of the page). Every installed extension now shows its ID directly beneath its name and version. From the Chrome Web Store URL: If you’re on the extension’s listing page, look at the URL. It ends with the 32-character ID after the final slash: https://chromewebstore. com/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ that's the ID Copy either one and you’re ready to look it up. Why you’d want to find an extension by ID A few common situations where you need to go from ID to extension: IT and enterprise auditing: You have a list of extension IDs deployed via policy. You need to confirm what each one does, who publishes it, and whether any have been removed from the store (a red flag). Security and incident response: A suspicious process or network request traces back to a browser extension ID. You need the name, publisher, and permission list fast. Competitor research: You found an extension ID in a CRX file or a competitor’s browser profile. You want to understand what it does before you build against it. Verifying a CRX before installing: Someone sent you a . The ID is in the manifest. You want to confirm it maps to a legitimate store listing before you install anything. Recovering a delisted extension: An extension you relied on disappeared from the store. The ID is still in your chrome://extensions list. A third-party lookup might still have archived metadata. Method 1: Build the Chrome Web Store URL yourself This is the fastest method when the extension is still publicly listed. Take your 32-character ID and plug it directly into this URL pattern: https://chromewebstore. com/detail/ Replace <id> with your actual string. Open it in the browser. If the extension is published and not unlisted, Chrome will redirect you to the full listing page, name, icon, description, publisher, ratings, and permission list all visible. Works great for: any currently published, publicly listed extension. Doesn’t work for: extensions that have been removed from the store, made private, or were never published publicly. You’ll get a 404 or a generic error page. Tip: Even if the name part of the URL is wrong or missing, Chrome resolves the listing by ID alone. https://chromewebstore. com/detail/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm works just as well as the full URL with the slug. Method 2: Use a third-party extension lookup When the direct Web Store URL fails, extension removed, delisted, or never publicly available, a third-party database can fill the gap. com maintains an indexed archive of Chrome Web Store extensions including many that have since been removed. You can search by extension ID and often find historical data: name, description, version history, permission changes over time, and publisher information. This is particularly useful for: Tracking down the identity of a removed extension you found on an audited machine Researching permission changes across versions (did an extension quietly add tabs or webRequest access. ) Getting metadata on extensions that are listed but have low visibility Third-party tools index public data from the Chrome Web Store , so their coverage depends on when they last crawled. Very new extensions or very obscure ones might not appear immediately. Method 3: Use ExtensionBooster’s free Find Extension tool If you want the fastest path from ID to full extension details without manually constructing URLs or hunting across multiple sites, use the Find Extension tool at ExtensionBooster. Paste an extension ID or a full Chrome Web Store URL into the tool. It pulls up the extension’s details, name, description, version, permissions, ratings, and publisher, in one view. It’s free, no account required, and handles both formats: A raw 32-character ID: cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm A full Web Store URL: https://chromewebstore. com/detail/ublock-origin/cjpalhdlnbpafiamejdnhcphjbkeiagm ExtensionBooster is built specifically for extension research and growth, so the lookup is purpose-built for this use case rather than being a generic search tool. It’s one of six free developer tools on the platform alongside version tracking, review monitoring, and more. If you’re working through multiple IDs, the tool is faster than opening individual Web Store tabs and easier than scripting your own lookup. Choosing the right method Situation Best method Extension is currently listed on the store Method 1 (direct URL) Extension has been removed or delisted Method 2 (chrome-stats. com) You want name + permissions + ratings in one view Method 3 (ExtensionBooster) You’re processing multiple IDs at once Method 3 (ExtensionBooster) You need historical version/permission data Method 2 (chrome-stats. com) For most people most of the time, start with Method 1
Pro Tip: Keep this guide bookmarked. Chrome extension development has enough gotchas without adding "figured it out the hard way" to your list.
The Key Takeaway
This is the kind of content that separates quick learners from production-ready developers. Whether you're building your first extension or optimizing an existing one, these patterns save hours of frustration.
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Why This Matters in 2026
Chrome extensions are experiencing a renaissance. With Manifest V3 now mandatory and the Chrome Web Store tightening review standards, the bar for quality has never been higher.
Building on proven patterns means:
- 🚀 Faster development cycles
- ✅ Cleaner code that passes store review
- ⭐ Better user experience and retention
- 🔧 Less time debugging, more time shipping
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Originally published on ExtensionBooster Blog
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