How to Install Chrome and Edge Extensions from a ZIP File (2025 Guide)

Installing extensions from the Chrome Web Store or Edge Add-ons store is straightforward. However, there are instances where you might need to install an extension from a ZIP file—be it a beta version, a custom build, or a GitHub project. This guide will walk you through the process of manually installing extensions in both Chrome and Edge browsers.

Why Install from a ZIP File?

Manually installing extensions allows you to:

• Access custom or private extensions not available in official stores.
• Test beta versions before public release.
• Install GitHub extensions directly.
• Use Chrome extensions in Edge.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure you have:

• The extension in a ZIP file format.
• A Chromium-based browser (Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge).
• Basic knowledge of navigating your file system.

Step-by-Step Guide for Google Chrome

Download and Extract the ZIP File

• Download the extension ZIP file to your computer. Extract its contents to a folder using tools like 7-Zip or WinRAR.
• Otherwise press right click and select "Extract all".

Open the Extensions Page

• Navigate to chrome://extensions (Google Chrome) or edge://extensions (Microsoft Edge) in the address bar of your preferred browser. And enable the developer mode by using the toggle switch provided on the screen.
• You can find the toggle on the top right of the chrome://extensions screen and on the mid left area on the edge://extensions screen.

Load the unpacked extension

• Now you can load the unpacked extension by using the "Load unpacked" button of the chome://extensions screen (Google Chrome) or edge://extensions screen (Microsoft Edge)
• Make sure to select the root folder of the extension (The folder where all the files and subfolders of the extensions are in
• The following image shows the root folder of the extension "G-Aesthetics"

Check if everything worked

• If everything worked as expected, you should now see your extension in the chrome://extensions or edge://extensions tab
• Furthermore you should be able to open the extension via the extension menu