WebExtensions/Vision

Status: draft

Vision for WebExtensions

A Vision for Extensions in Firefox

Mozilla Firefox is undergoing a multi-year change to improve its performance and security, and to give users more control over their web experience. As part of those changes, Firefox’s extension platform is moving to an API-based framework we’re calling WebExtensions.

The new framework supports these goals by:

• Extending the capabilities of Firefox to interact with web content
• Simplifying the development and maintenance of extensions for Firefox and other browsers
• Making it easier for users to personalize Firefox using extensions and themes
• Minimizing the impact that changes to Firefox internals have on extensions
• Improving the performance, safety, and security of extensions in Firefox
• Expanding the capabilities of the API over time to push innovation and adoption in browsers

WebExtensions are a web-focused extension development platform. They strike a balance between providing users with control over their web experience and minimizing the potential risks that brings.