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I am working on a Chrome extension, and I want to want to extend (but not override) the browser's search (ctrl-F or cmd-F) feature.

Is there any way to make my extension receive a message when the browser's search feature gets invoked, along with the search term entered.

(Is the search box UI in HTML? If so, is there a way to access it, so that I could bind to the keypress/keydown event on it search input element?)

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up vote 0 down vote accepted

Till date there is no way you can access Standard Chrome Find Dialog or receive a message when the browser's search feature gets invoked or rendering search box UI in HTML?

( Which is triggered through Ctrl + F or Cmd + F).

However, you can use window.find()1.

Work Around

This Work Around will Override because extension is not possible till date.

Define your own Command using chrome.commands API

        "suggested_key" : {

and add a listener for your command Ctrl + F or Cmd + F

chrome.commands.onCommand.addListener(function (command) {

    //Do what ever you want here

This will override Standard Ctrl + F or Cmd + F and use your own content script to frame all the UI and functional Logic for scraping the Page for related Content.

1: window.find() scope falls in selected text only


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Accepted this answer since as you mentioned, there seems to be no way to hook into Chrome's ctrl+f event. –  tanushree Feb 25 '13 at 6:45
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