Glossary
What is service worker?
The background script that runs an extension when no page is open to it.
Under Manifest V3 an extension's background logic runs as a service worker, which the browser starts on demand and shuts down when idle.
Because it can be terminated at any point, anything that must survive has to be written to storage rather than kept in memory.
For extension users, this is why a well-built extension resumes correctly after the browser has been idle, and a poorly built one forgets what it was doing.
In practice
An extension that keeps its licence state in storage rather than memory still works after the browser suspends its worker overnight.
Common questions
- What does service worker mean in one sentence?
- The background script that runs an extension when no page is open to it.
- Why does service worker matter when you use Claude or ChatGPT?
- For extension users, this is why a well-built extension resumes correctly after the browser has been idle, and a poorly built one forgets what it was doing.
- Can you give an example of service worker?
- An extension that keeps its licence state in storage rather than memory still works after the browser suspends its worker overnight.
Related terms
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