---
title: runtime
slug: Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/runtime
tags:
  - API
  - Add-ons
  - Extensions
  - Interface
  - NeedsTranslation
  - Reference
  - TopicStub
  - WebExtensions
  - runtime
translation_of: Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/runtime
---
<div>{{AddonSidebar}}</div>

<p><span class="seoSummary">This module provides information about your extension and the environment it's running in.</span></p>

<p>It also provides messaging APIs enabling you to:</p>

<ul>
 <li>Communicate between different parts of your extension. For advice on choosing between the messaging options, see <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Content_scripts#Choosing_between_one-off_messages_and_connection-based_messaging">Choosing between one-off messages and connection-based messaging</a>.</li>
 <li>Communicate with other extensions.</li>
 <li>Communicate with native applications.</li>
</ul>

<h2 id="Types">Types</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.Port")}}</dt>
 <dd>Represents one end of a connection between two specific contexts, which can be used to exchange messages.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.MessageSender")}}</dt>
 <dd>
 <p>Contains information about the sender of a message or connection request.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.PlatformOs")}}</dt>
 <dd>Identifies the browser's operating system.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.PlatformArch")}}</dt>
 <dd>Identifies the browser's processor architecture.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.PlatformInfo")}}</dt>
 <dd>Contains information about the platform the browser is running on.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.RequestUpdateCheckStatus")}}</dt>
 <dd>Result of a call to {{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.requestUpdateCheck()")}}.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.OnInstalledReason")}}</dt>
 <dd>The reason that the {{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onInstalled")}} event is being dispatched.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.OnRestartRequiredReason")}}</dt>
 <dd>The reason that the {{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onRestartRequired")}} event is being dispatched.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Properties">Properties</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.lastError")}}</dt>
 <dd>This value is set when an asynchronous function has an error condition that it needs to report to its caller.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.id")}}</dt>
 <dd>The ID of the extension.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Functions">Functions</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getBackgroundPage()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Retrieves the <a href="/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window">Window</a> object for the background page running inside the current extension.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.openOptionsPage()")}}</dt>
 <dd>
 <p>Opens your extension's <a href="/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/user_interface/Options_pages">options page</a>.</p>
 </dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getManifest()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Gets the complete <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json">manifest.json</a> file, serialized as an object.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getURL()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Given a relative path from the <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json">manifest.json</a> to a resource packaged with the extension, returns a fully-qualified URL.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.setUninstallURL()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Sets a URL to be visited when the extension is uninstalled.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.reload()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Reloads the extension.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.requestUpdateCheck()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Checks for updates to this extension.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.connect()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Establishes a connection from a content script to the main extension process, or from one extension to a different extension.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.connectNative()")}}</dt>
 <dd>
 <div>Connects the extension to a native application on the user's computer.</div>
 </dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.sendMessage()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Sends a single message to event listeners within your extension or a different extension. Similar to {{WebExtAPIRef('runtime.connect')}} but only sends a single message, with an optional response.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.sendNativeMessage()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Sends a single message from an extension to a native application.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getPlatformInfo()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns information about the current platform.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getBrowserInfo()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns information about the browser in which this extension is installed.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.getPackageDirectoryEntry()")}}</dt>
 <dd>Returns a DirectoryEntry for the package directory.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Events">Events</h2>

<dl>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onStartup")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when a profile that has this extension installed first starts up. This event is not fired when an incognito profile is started.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onInstalled")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when the extension is first installed, when the extension is updated to a new version, and when the browser is updated to a new version.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onSuspend")}}</dt>
 <dd>Sent to the event page just before the extension is unloaded. This gives the extension an opportunity to do some cleanup.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onSuspendCanceled")}}</dt>
 <dd>Sent after {{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onSuspend")}} to indicate that the extension won't be unloaded after all.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onUpdateAvailable")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when an update is available, but isn't installed immediately because the extension is currently running.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onBrowserUpdateAvailable")}} {{deprecated_inline}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when an update for the browser is available, but isn't installed immediately because a browser restart is required.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onConnect")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when a connection is made with either an extension process or a content script.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onConnectExternal")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when a connection is made with another extension.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onMessage")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when a message is sent from either an extension process or a content script.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onMessageExternal")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when a message is sent from another extension. Cannot be used in a content script.</dd>
 <dt>{{WebExtAPIRef("runtime.onRestartRequired")}}</dt>
 <dd>Fired when the device needs to be restarted.</dd>
</dl>

<h2 id="Browser_compatibility">Browser compatibility</h2>



<p>{{Compat("webextensions.api.runtime")}}</p>

<div>{{WebExtExamples("h2")}}</div>

<div class="note"><strong>Acknowledgements</strong>

<p>This API is based on Chromium's <a href="https://developer.chrome.com/extensions/runtime"><code>chrome.runtime</code></a> API. This documentation is derived from <a href="https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromium/src/+/master/extensions/common/api/runtime.json"><code>runtime.json</code></a> in the Chromium code.</p>

<p>Microsoft Edge compatibility data is supplied by Microsoft Corporation and is included here under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.</p>
</div>

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