chrome.identity

Description: Use the chrome.identity API to get OAuth2 access tokens.
Availability: Since Chrome 35.
Permissions: "identity"
Learn More: Identify User

Summary

Types
AccountInfo
Methods
getAccounts chrome.identity.getAccounts(function callback)
getAuthToken chrome.identity.getAuthToken(object details, function callback)
getProfileUserInfo chrome.identity.getProfileUserInfo(object details, function callback)
removeCachedAuthToken chrome.identity.removeCachedAuthToken(object details, function callback)
launchWebAuthFlow chrome.identity.launchWebAuthFlow(object details, function callback)
getRedirectURL string chrome.identity.getRedirectURL(string path)
Events
onSignInChanged

Types

AccountInfo

properties
string id

A unique identifier for the account. This ID will not change for the lifetime of the account.

Methods

getAccounts

chrome.identity.getAccounts(function callback)

Dev channel only. Learn more.

Retrieves a list of AccountInfo objects describing the accounts present on the profile.

getAccounts is only supported on dev channel.

Parameters
function callback

The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:

function(array of AccountInfo accounts) {...};
array of AccountInfo accounts

getAuthToken

chrome.identity.getAuthToken(object details, function callback)

Gets an OAuth2 access token using the client ID and scopes specified in the oauth2 section of manifest.json.

The Identity API caches access tokens in memory, so it's ok to call getAuthToken non-interactively any time a token is required. The token cache automatically handles expiration.

For a good user experience it is important interactive token requests are initiated by UI in your app explaining what the authorization is for. Failing to do this will cause your users to get authorization requests, or Chrome sign in screens if they are not signed in, with with no context. In particular, do not use getAuthToken interactively when your app is first launched.

Parameters
object (optional) details

Token options.

boolean (optional) interactive

Fetching a token may require the user to sign-in to Chrome, or approve the application's requested scopes. If the interactive flag is true, getAuthToken will prompt the user as necessary. When the flag is false or omitted, getAuthToken will return failure any time a prompt would be required.

AccountInfo (optional) account

Since Chrome 37.

The account ID whose token should be returned. If not specified, the function will use an account from the Chrome profile: the Sync account if there is one, or otherwise the first Google web account.

array of string (optional) scopes

Since Chrome 37.

A list of OAuth2 scopes to request.

When the scopes field is present, it overrides the list of scopes specified in manifest.json.

function (optional) callback

Called with an OAuth2 access token as specified by the manifest, or undefined if there was an error.

If you specify the callback parameter, it should be a function that looks like this:

function(string token) {...};
string (optional) token

getProfileUserInfo

chrome.identity.getProfileUserInfo(object details, function callback)

Since Chrome 37.

Retrieves email address and obfuscated gaia id of the user signed into a profile.

Requires the identity.email manifest permission. Otherwise, returns an empty result.

This API is different from identity.getAccounts in two ways. The information returned is available offline, and it only applies to the primary account for the profile.

Parameters
object (optional) details

Since Chrome 84.

Profile options.

enum of "SYNC", or "ANY" (optional) accountStatus

A status of the primary account signed into a profile whose ProfileUserInfo should be returned. Defaults to SYNC account status.

SYNC
Sync is enabled for the primary account.
ANY
Any primary account, if exists.
function callback

Called with the ProfileUserInfo of the primary Chrome account, of an empty ProfileUserInfo if the account with given details doesn't exist.

The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:

function(object userInfo) {...};
object userInfo
string email

An email address for the user account signed into the current profile. Empty if the user is not signed in or the identity.email manifest permission is not specified.

string id

A unique identifier for the account. This ID will not change for the lifetime of the account. Empty if the user is not signed in or (in M41+) the identity.email manifest permission is not specified.

removeCachedAuthToken

chrome.identity.removeCachedAuthToken(object details, function callback)

Removes an OAuth2 access token from the Identity API's token cache.

If an access token is discovered to be invalid, it should be passed to removeCachedAuthToken to remove it from the cache. The app may then retrieve a fresh token with getAuthToken.

Parameters
object details

Token information.

string token

The specific token that should be removed from the cache.

function (optional) callback

Called when the token has been removed from the cache.

If you specify the callback parameter, it should be a function that looks like this:

function() {...};

launchWebAuthFlow

chrome.identity.launchWebAuthFlow(object details, function callback)

Starts an auth flow at the specified URL.

This method enables auth flows with non-Google identity providers by launching a web view and navigating it to the first URL in the provider's auth flow. When the provider redirects to a URL matching the pattern https://<app-id>.chromiumapp.org/*, the window will close, and the final redirect URL will be passed to the callback function.

For a good user experience it is important interactive auth flows are initiated by UI in your app explaining what the authorization is for. Failing to do this will cause your users to get authorization requests with no context. In particular, do not launch an interactive auth flow when your app is first launched.

Parameters
object details

WebAuth flow options.

string url

The URL that initiates the auth flow.

boolean (optional) interactive

Whether to launch auth flow in interactive mode.

Since some auth flows may immediately redirect to a result URL, launchWebAuthFlow hides its web view until the first navigation either redirects to the final URL, or finishes loading a page meant to be displayed.

If the interactive flag is true, the window will be displayed when a page load completes. If the flag is false or omitted, launchWebAuthFlow will return with an error if the initial navigation does not complete the flow.

function callback

Called with the URL redirected back to your application.

The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:

function(string responseUrl) {...};
string (optional) responseUrl

getRedirectURL

string chrome.identity.getRedirectURL(string path)

Generates a redirect URL to be used in |launchWebAuthFlow|.

The generated URLs match the pattern https://<app-id>.chromiumapp.org/*.

Parameters
string (optional) path

The path appended to the end of the generated URL.

Events

onSignInChanged

Fired when signin state changes for an account on the user's profile.

addListener

chrome.identity.onSignInChanged.addListener(function callback)
Parameters
function callback

The callback parameter should be a function that looks like this:

function( AccountInfo account, boolean signedIn) {...};
AccountInfo account
boolean signedIn