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 {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.remove()")}} function to remove any combination of these types. There are also dedicated functions to remove each particular type of data, such as {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removePasswords()", "removePasswords()")}}, {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeHistory()", "removeHistory()")}} and so on.

All the browsingData.remove[X]() functions take a {{WebExtAPIRef("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 add-ons. Note that this option is not yet supported in Firefox.

Finally, this API gives you a {{WebExtAPIRef("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

• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.DataTypeSet")}}
  • : Object used to specify the type of data to remove: for example, history, downloads, passwords, and so on.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.RemovalOptions")}}
  • : Object used to specify how far back in time to remove data, and whether to remove data added through normal web browsing or by add-ons.

Methods

• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.remove()")}}
  • : Removes browsing data for the data types specified.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeCache()")}}
  • : Clears the browser's cache.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeCookies()")}}
  • : Removes cookies.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeDownloads()")}}
  • : Removes the list of downloaded files.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeFormData()")}}
  • : Clears saved form data.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeHistory()")}}
  • : Clears the browser's history.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removeLocalStorage()")}}
  • : Clears any local storage and session storage created by websites.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removePasswords()")}}
  • : Clears saved passwords.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.removePluginData()")}}
  • : Clears data associated with plugins.
• {{WebExtAPIRef("browsingData.settings()")}}
  • : Gets the current value of settings in the browser's "Clear History" feature.

{{WebExtExamples("h2")}}

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

[!NOTE] This API is based on Chromium's chrome.browsingData API.

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