brave/brave-browser

JSON file containing all installed addons available to export/import?

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#48166 opened on Aug 5, 2025

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 (0 comments) (0 reactions) (0 assignees)JavaScript (16,194 stars) (2,164 forks)batch import
OS/Desktopfeature-requestfeature/extensionshelp wantedpriority/P5suggestion

Description

Platforms

Linux, Windows

Description

I have been using Brave browser for so long (both on mobile, Android, and on desktop, Windows and Linux) on different machines (laptop and desktop).

I noticed that keeping synchronized addons (install/uninstall) between different computers is quite time-consuming task, especially if you have a lot of addons installed.

Therefore, having JSON file would come in handy: export it from one machine and import into another.

The process should be:

  • put in on (C:\Users\[USER]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Brave Apps) path;
  • let Brave parse it comparing local file addons with imported file addons; if an extension is not installed or not up-to-date or dismissed, it would simple download/remove it automatically, without any manual action needed by user.

Anything like that available right now?

Contributor guide

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
full stack
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Brave extension systemJSON handlingFile I/OUI development
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
Examine Brave's extension management code, likely in the browser's settings or addons manager. Consider implementing a JSON export/import feature that reads installed extensions and writes to a JSON file, and vice versa. Review UI for adding export/import buttons in the Brave settings or extensions page. Ensure cross platform file path handling for Windows and Linux as suggested in the issue.