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How to Install Firefox Extensions: A Complete Beginner Guide

#firefox #browser #javascript #webextensions

Firefox extensions are installed through the Firefox Add-ons store (AMO). The process is straightforward and takes less than 30 seconds for any extension.

How to install a Firefox extension

Method 1: From an AMO listing page

  1. Navigate to the extension's AMO page (the URL looks like: addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/[extension-name]/)
  2. Click the "Add to Firefox" button
  3. Firefox shows a permissions dialog explaining what the extension can do
  4. Click "Add" to confirm
  5. The extension installs and appears in your toolbar

Method 2: From AMO search

  1. Go to: addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
  2. Use the search bar to find extensions by name or feature
  3. Follow the same install steps as above

Method 3: From a direct link

Clicking an AMO link in a browser will take you to the listing page, where you install normally. Direct .xpi file installs also work but are less common.

After installation

After installing, the extension icon usually appears in the Firefox toolbar (the row of icons next to the address bar). Some extensions work automatically without clicking anything (dark mode extensions, new tab replacements).

If the icon does not appear in the toolbar, it may be in the Extensions menu (the puzzle piece icon). You can pin it to the toolbar from there.

Managing installed extensions

Go to: about:addons (type this in the address bar) to see all installed extensions.

From here you can:

  • Enable or disable extensions
  • Remove extensions
  • See permissions each extension has
  • Access extension settings

Extensions worth trying

For anyone new to Firefox extensions, these are some of my favorites that I built:

Dark mode on every website (auto-scheduled):
NightOwl — dark mode turns on at sunset

Tab management with session saving:
Tab Manager and Session Saver

Quick voice memos saved locally:
Voice Notes

Weather and clock on new tab:
Weather and Clock Dashboard

News headlines from your chosen sources:
News Widget Dashboard

All are free and require no account.

These are five of 11 Firefox extensions I built — see the full series.

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