Revision 1075894 of Temporary Installation in Firefox

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<div class="summary">
<p>This article describes how an add-on developer can temporarily install an add-on in Firefox for testing and debugging. The add-on will stay installed until you restart Firefox. You can use this method with any kind of restartless add-on, including <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/Bootstrapped_extensions">bootstrapped extensions</a> and <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/SDK">Add-on SDK add-ons</a>.</p>

<p>Note that this is <em>not</em> how end users should install add-ons in Firefox. End users will install add-ons by downloading and opening packaged add-ons that have been signed by Mozilla. To learn how a WebExtension developer can get such a packaged, signed add-on, see <a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Publishing_your_WebExtension">Publishing your WebExtension</a>.</p>
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<p>To install an add-on temporarily:</p>

<ul>
 <li>open Firefox</li>
 <li>enter "about:debugging" in the URL bar</li>
 <li>click "Load Temporary Add-on"</li>
 <li>open the add-on's directory and select any file inside the add-on.</li>
</ul>

<p>The add-on will be installed, and will stay installed until you restart Firefox.</p>

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<h2 id="Updating_a_temporary_add-on">Reloading a temporary add-on</h2>

<p>Starting in Firefox 48, there's a new button labeled "Reload" next to the add-on's entry in about:debugging:</p>

<p><img alt="" src="https://mdn.mozillademos.org/files/13462/reload.png" style="display:block; height:544px; margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto; width:848px" />This does what it says:</p>

<ul>
 <li>reloading any persistent scripts, such as <a href="/en-US/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Anatomy_of_a_WebExtension#Background_scripts">background scripts</a></li>
 <li>parsing the manifest.json file again, so changes to <code><a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json/permissions">permissions</a></code>, <code><a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json/content_scripts">content_scripts</a></code>, <code><a href="/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/manifest.json/browser_action">browser_action</a></code> or any other keys will take effect.</li>
</ul>

<div class="note">
<p>Note that in Firefox 48 only, "Reload" does not update the add-on's name and description that are displayed in about:debugging and about:addons. This is fixed in Firefox 49.</p>
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