Is it possible to create a Chrome Extension for private distribution outside Chrome Web Store?

Question

We have a Chrome Extension application that we have developed and would like to distribute it only a limited number of internal users.

This would be a private app, but to install it, users now have to follow the manual steps of going to Settings -> Extensions -> clicking on Developer mode -> drop the .crx in there.

I would like to know if there is a way to just have private App Store to privately distribute this app and not have it on Chrome Web Store for anyone to see/download/use.

Thanks for your help in advance ---

Answer 1

You use the Chrome Web Store. 2 options are available:

1. Share an unlisted Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store (anyone with the link will be able to install it)
2. Chrome customers using G Suite or Education can use the Chrome Web Store to host private apps restricted only to their users on the same domain.

See https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/2663860

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Update 2016-05-20: From https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/2663860?hl=en

Chrome customers using Google Apps for Work or Education can use the Chrome Web Store to host private apps restricted only to their users or people who you share a direct link to the app with. Users from the same Chrome domain will see their organization's private apps in a private collection in the Chrome Web Store.

Update 2015-10-27: Google has updated installation policies in attempt to curb malicious extension activity on Windows. On the chrome extension hosting page:

Warning: As of Chrome 33, Windows users can only download extensions hosted in the Chrome Web store, except for installs via enterprise policy or developer mode (see Protecting Windows users from malicious extensions). As of Chrome 44, no external installs are allowed from a path to a local .crx on Mac (see Continuing to protect Chrome users from malicious extensions).

With the latest versions of Google Chrome, users are no longer going to be able to just click a download link and have it install with the correct HTTP headers. This leaves you with 4 possible options:

• user downloads extension and then drags the file into the extension management page (This no longer works on Windows per update note)
• change registry settings on users computers
• user downloads extension source folder and loads extension from source in the extension management page
• Re-enable extension installs with command-line flag as suggested by Rob W

I have created and distributed several different Google Chrome extensions privately within my company and went with the first option. It is an extra step for the users but it wasn't a big deal. The users did not have to have developer mode enabled in their Chrome browser for this to work.