Optimizing Network Interception in Manifest V3: Inside the Architecture of an Asynchronous Blocklist Extension

Short summary

This article walks through the architectural decisions behind building a Manifest V3 Chrome extension that blocks distracting websites. Key patterns include treating service workers as stateless environments, persisting state via chrome.storage.local, and using the declarativeNetRequest API instead of the removed blocking webRequest API. The author demonstrates how event-driven design with browser alarms and declarative rules keeps the extension responsive while minimizing resource usage.

• •Service workers in MV3 are stateless—persist all critical state in chrome.storage.local
• •Use declarativeNetRequest dynamic rules instead of blocking webRequest for network filtering
• •Rely on browser events and alarms rather than continuous polling for session enforcement

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