Request permissions from content script

Add-ons Development
1

Hi there! I would like to attach event handler in content script and request permissions inside it, but it seems permissions API isn’t defined for content scripts. Bug? Are there any other way I can achieve my goal in Firefox?

document.querySelector('#hhhhhh').addEventListener('click', () => {
	console.log(chrome.permissions);	// undefined
	console.log(browser.permissions);	// undefined
});
2

Sending a message to the background script should retain the annotation that lets you request permissions and other things that require “user interaction”.

3

Thank you for response. Can you please provide more details of how can I “retain the annotation” ? In my experiments attempt to request from background script ends with
Error: permissions.request may only be called from a user input handler

4

The permission must be handled from the background script.

Here is one method of doing it:

  • from content script send a message to background script runtime.sendMessage()
  • in background script listen for the message from content runtime.onMessage.addListener()
  • once message is received, handle the permission request in background script
  • from background script send the result to content script runtime.sendMessage()
  • in content script listen for the message from background runtime.onMessage.addListener()
5

@erosman I have created test add-on that implements your approach. Unfortunately, I see Error: permissions.request may only be called from a user input handler in add-on debug console when click on “click me to request permissions” button

Code:
background.js:

browser.runtime.onMessage.addListener(() => {
    browser.permissions.request({ permissions: ['clipboardRead']})
        .then(granted => console.log(granted));
});

content.js:

var btn = document.createElement('button');
btn.innerHTML = 'click me to request permissions';
btn.addEventListener('click', () => {
    browser.runtime.sendMessage({});
});
document.body.appendChild(btn);

manifest.json:

{
    "background":{
        "scripts":[
            "background.js"
        ]
    },
    "name":"Test Permissions in Firefox",
    "manifest_version":2,
    "optional_permissions": [ "clipboardRead" ],
    "permissions":[ "<all_urls>" ],
    "content_scripts": [
        {
          "matches": ["*://*.example.com/*"],
          "js": ["content.js"]
        }
      ],
    "version":"0.0.1"
}
6

Ah, I believe you’re actually running into https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1392624, as in the annotation is not properly sent when the message comes from a content script.

7

@freaktechnik indeed I think it’s what I experience, thank you for the link, following this bug, hope will be fixed soon