Error messages · Chrome extension
Manifest version 2 is deprecated
What you see
Manifest version 2 is deprecated, and support will be removed in 2024.
Why it happens
ChatGPT wrote "manifest_version": 2. Chrome turned Manifest V2 off for everyone with Chrome 138 on 24 July 2025, and from Chrome 139 there is no setting left that turns it back on.
The fix
- rightsocket does this Changes the manifest to version 3: browser_action becomes action, background scripts become a service worker, site addresses move to host_permissions.
- rightsocket does this Renames the chrome.* calls that changed (chrome.browserAction, chrome.extension.*).
- You do this Anything Chrome no longer allows at all, such as blocking web requests, is marked Check with what to ask ChatGPT for instead.
What changed, and when
- 31 August 2026, Chrome: All remaining Manifest V2 extensions removed from the Chrome Web Store. Existing installs on Chrome 138 or earlier keep running but can’t update or be reinstalled.
- 24 July 2025, Chrome: Chrome 138: Manifest V2 extensions disabled for all users on all channels, with no option to turn them back on. Chrome 139 then removed the enterprise policy that kept them working.
- 31 March 2025, Chrome: Manifest V2 extensions disabled by default for all users, with a temporary option to re-enable them.
- 3 June 2024, Chrome: The Manifest V2 phase-out began on Chrome Beta, Dev and Canary.
Sources
Other chrome extension errors
- Service worker registration failed. Status code: 15
- Manifest is not valid JSON
- Could not load icon specified in the manifest
- Refused to execute inline script (Content Security Policy)
- chrome.browserAction is undefined (Manifest V3)
- 'browser_action' requires manifest version of 2 or lower
- 'webRequestBlocking' requires manifest version of 2 or lower
- Permission is unknown or URL pattern is malformed
- Invalid value for 'web_accessible_resources[0]'