Side Panel

sidePanel

Low RiskCategory: Browser UIView Official Docs↗

Technical Context

Grants the ability to host an extension's user interface within the browser's persistent side container. This allows for a dedicated UI that remains visible and interactive as the user navigates across different tabs or windows.

What This Means For You

This provides a sidebar companion that stays open while you browse, making it perfect for taking notes or doing research. It prevents you from having to constantly click an icon to reopen the extension's window.

Related APIs

This permission enables access to these Chrome APIs:

chrome.sidePanel

Common Use Cases

✓Note-taking apps
✓Research assistants
✓Shopping companions

How to Declare in manifest.json

Add the "sidePanel" permission to your extension manifest:

{
  "manifest_version": 3,
  "name": "My Extension",
  "permissions": [
    "sidePanel"
  ]
}

Related Permissions

Context Menus

contextMenus

The extension can add new options to the menu that appears when you right-click on a page. This makes it easy to use the extension's features without leaving what you are doing.

low

Notifications

notifications

The extension can show popup notifications on your desktop even when Chrome is minimized. This is useful for alerts and reminders but can be annoying if overused.

low

Keyboard Commands

commands

The extension can respond to keyboard shortcuts you press, even when you are not clicking on it. You can customize these shortcuts in Chrome's extension settings.

low

Omnibox

omnibox

The extension adds a special keyword you can type in the address bar to access its features quickly. For example, typing "dict word" might look up a definition.

low

Theme

theme

The extension can change how Chrome looks, like the colors of tabs and toolbars. It cannot see what websites you visit or read any of your data.

low