How to Back Up Your Chrome Extension Settings and Data

Chrome sync brings your extensions back on a new computer, but not always their settings and data. To be sure nothing is lost, you need to know what sync covers and how to back up the rest.

What Chrome sync covers

• Which extensions you have. With Extensions turned on in sync settings, signing in on another computer reinstalls them.
• Some settings. Extensions that save settings with Chrome's sync storage get them back too. Many don't: they keep settings and data only on the computer, so after a reinstall they start fresh.

To check sync: Settings → You and Google → Sync, and make sure Extensions is on.

Use the extension's own export

Many extensions with important data have an export option. Look in the extension's options page (right-click its icon → Options) for Export, Backup or Download. Password managers, ad blockers with custom filters, note-takers and tab managers often have one. Save the file somewhere outside your Chrome profile, such as a cloud drive.

Back up the whole Chrome profile

For a complete copy of everything, including extension data that has no export, back up your Chrome profile folder:

1. Close Chrome completely.
2. Find the profile folder:
   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data
   • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome
3. Copy the profile you use (usually Default, or Profile 1 and so on) to a backup drive.

Inside, extension data lives in folders such as Local Extension Settings, Sync Extension Settings and IndexedDB, named by each extension's ID. To restore, close Chrome and copy the profile folder back in place. Restore onto the same Chrome version or newer, not older.

Back up just one extension's data

1. Find the extension's ID on its Details page in chrome://extensions.
2. With Chrome closed, copy the folder with that ID from Local Extension Settings in your profile.
3. To restore, install the same extension, close Chrome, and copy the folder back.

This works for most extensions that store data locally. It's a manual method, so test it before relying on it.

Before you reinstall Chrome or switch computers

• Export what you can from each important extension.
• Back up the profile folder as a safety net.
• Note your list of extensions, in case sync doesn't bring them all back.

If you're uninstalling Chrome, see what happens to your data when you uninstall.