You can automatically install Chrome apps and extensions on your users' Windows computers. You can also control which apps or extensions they can install themselves. Set a default policy (Extension management settings) for all apps and extensions. Then, if you want to customize a specific app or extension, you override the default settings.
Use Group Policy
In your Microsoft Windows Group Policy Editor (Computer or User Configuration folder):
- Go to Administrative templates
Google
Google Chrome
Extensions.
- Enable Extension management settings.
- In the box under Options, using JSON code, set the installation mode to:
- allowed—Users can install apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store. If no installation mode is defined, this is the default.
- blocked—Users can’t install apps or extensions from the Chrome Web Store. You can define a custom error message that lets users know it’s blocked (details below).
- force_installed—Automatically install extensions that you specify without user interaction. Users can’t disable or remove them. You also need to define the extension download location (details below).
- normal_installed—Automatically install extensions that you specify without user interaction. Users can disable them. You also need to define the extension download location (details below).
Note: Enter the JSON code as a single line with no line breaks. Use this JSON compression tool to validate policies and compact them into a single line. See the example below.
Example JSON {
"*": {
"runtime_blocked_hosts": ["*://*.example.com"],
"blocked_permissions": ["usb"]
}
}
Compact JSON {"*":{"runtime_blocked_hosts":["*://*.example.com"],"blocked_permissions":["usb"]}}
For detailed instructions on app and extension policy settings, see Set app and extension policies for Windows.