browsingData
Enables extensions to clear the data that is accumulated while the user is browsing.
In the browsingData
API, browsing data is divided into types:
- browser cache
- cookies
- downloads
- history
- local storage
- plugin data
- saved form data
- saved passwords
You can use the browsingData.remove()
function to remove any combination of these types. There are also dedicated functions to remove each particular type of data, such as removePasswords()
, removeHistory()
and so on.
All the browsingData.remove[X]()
functions take a browsingData.RemovalOptions
object, which you can use to control two further aspects of data removal:
- how far back in time to remove data
- whether to remove data only from normal web pages, or also from hosted web apps and add-ons. Note that this option is not yet supported in Firefox.
Finally, this API gives you a browsingData.settings()
function that gives you the current value of the settings for the browser's built-in "Clear History" feature.
To use this API you must have the "browsingData" API permission.
Types
browsingData.DataTypeSet
- Object used to specify the type of data to remove: for example, history, downloads, passwords, and so on.
browsingData.RemovalOptions
- Object used to specify how far back in time to remove data, and whether to remove data added through normal web browsing, by hosted apps, or by add-ons.
Methods
browsingData.remove()
- Removes browsing data for the data types specified.
browsingData.removeCache()
- Clears the browser's cache.
browsingData.removeCookies()
- Removes cookies.
browsingData.removeDownloads()
- Removes the list of downloaded files.
browsingData.removeFormData()
- Clears saved form data.
browsingData.removeHistory()
- Clears the browser's history.
browsingData.removeLocalStorage()
- Clears any local storage created by websites.
browsingData.removePasswords()
- Clears saved passwords.
browsingData.removePluginData()
- Clears data associated with plugins.
browsingData.settings()
- Gets the current value of settings in the browser's "Clear History" feature.
Browser compatibility
Report problems with this compatibility data on GitHubwebextensions-desktop | webextensions-mobile | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
remove | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53
| OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support57 — 79
|
removeCache | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53
| OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support57 — 79
|
removeCookies | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support56 — 79 |
removeDownloads | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support57 — 79 |
removeFormData | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support57 — 79 |
removeHistory | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53
| OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo supportNo
|
removeLocalStorage | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support57
| OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidFull support85
|
removePasswords | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo supportNo |
removePluginData | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidFull support85 |
settings | ChromeFull supportYes | EdgeFull support79 | FirefoxFull support53 | OperaFull supportYes | SafariNo supportNo | Firefox for AndroidNo support56 — 79 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
- No support
- No support
- See implementation notes.
Example extensions
This API is based on Chromium's chrome.browsingData
API.
Microsoft Edge compatibility data is supplied by Microsoft Corporation and is included here under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.