Configure Google Chrome Settings with Group Policy Ranjan.info

You can use official Group Policy Templates (ADMX files) to centrally manage Google Chrome browser settings on computers in an Active Directory domain. In this article, we will show you how to install and configure Google Chrome browser settings on a user’s computer via GPO.

Deploy Google Chrome on Domain Computers via GPO

You can use Group Policies to deploy programs on users’ computers.

1. Download Google Chrome Installer in MSI Format
2. remove GoogleChromeEnterpriseBundle64.zip archive and copy GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi file in the SYSVOL directory on the domain controller (\\woshub.com\SysVol\woshub.com\scripts,
3. Open the Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc,
4. Create a new GPO (gpoInstallChrome) and link it to a container (Organizational Unit) with user computers (Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here,
5. Open and navigate to the new GPO Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Software Settings -> Software Installation,
6. choose new , package and specify the UNC path for the GoogleChromeStandaloneEnterprise64.msi file on SYSVOL;
7. Choose “advancedPress Option and OK;
8. Go to Deployment -> Advanced tab and enable the option Ignore language when deploying this package (This will allow windows to ignore the language on client computers);
9. Reboot the user’s computer to update the Group Policy settings. The Google Chrome installation will begin when Windows boots. Check that it appears in the list of installed programs on Windows.

Install Group Policy Administrative Template Files (ADMX) for Google Chrome

To centrally manage Google Chrome settings on users’ computers, you need to download and install administrative GPO templates (ADMX files).

1. Download and extract an archive with ADMX Group Policy Template files for Google Chrome ( – The size of the archive is about 100MB);
2. There are 3 directories in policy_template:
   , chrome – Administrative Templates for Chromium;
   , Normal – Contains HTML files with details of all Chrome policy settings – View Cchrome_policy_list.html file;
   , windows – Includes Chrome Policy Templates in two formats: admiral And edmx (Admx is a new GPO template format that should be used for current versions of Windows 11/10/8.1 and Windows Server 2022/2019/2016/2012R2);
   This folder contains a chrome.reg file. It contains an example of Chrome registry settings that can be set via GPO. You can use the examples in this REG file to set Chrome settings directly in the Registry via Group Policy preferences.
3. Copy the ADMX GPO template file to the ..SYSVOL\PolicyDefinitions folder (the Group Policy central store on Active Directory domain controllers) \\woshub.com\SYSVOL\woshub.com\Policies\PolicyDefinitions, You need to copy all *.admx files and directories with localization ADML files (in our example, these are en-US and de-DE);
4. Open the Domain Group Policy Management Console (gpmc.msc) and edit any existing GPO (or create a new one). make sure a new Google folder containing multiple new subsections (Google Chrome, google chrome default settings (users can override), Google Update, legacy browser support, user-agent switcher for Chrome) appeared in the Users and Computers sections of Policies -> Administrative Templates.

There are 400+ different browser options available in the GPO administrative template for Google Chrome.

Customizing Google Chrome Settings via Group Policy

Note that the Google Chrome settings are located in two separate Group Policy sections (in both Computer and User Configuration):

• Google Chrome – Users (and also local administrators) cannot change the Chrome settings on their computers specified in this GPO section,
• Google Chrome – Default Settings (user can override) – Recommended browser settings that the user can change.

Let’s consider the basic Chrome settings that are often centrally configured in enterprise environments:

note that ${local_app_data} directory matches folder %username%\AppData\LocalAnd ${roaming_app_data} – to \%username%\AppData\Roaming,

To set proxy server settings for Chrome (may be different from proxy settings in Windows), go to Google Chrome -> Proxy Settings -> Enable Policy and specify proxy server address and port in the following format – 192.168.1.123:8080

Set home page: Google Chrome -> Startup, home page and new tab page-> Configure home page URL:

It remains to link the GPO with the Chrome browser settings to the desired container (OU) in Active Directory.

Update GPO settings on the client, run Chrome and check whether the new settings have been implemented on the browser.

Note that the Chrome Settings page now displays “Your browser is managed by your organization,

If you’ve prevented users from changing specific Chrome settings, the browser settings window will display the message “This setting is enforced by your administrator,

You can display all Google Chrome settings configured with GPOs. open chrome://policy address in your browser. Chrome settings that you set through the registry or ADMX GPO templates are displayed here.

Installing Google Chrome Extensions Using Group Policy

You can install a specific Google Chrome extension for all domain users using a GPO. For example, you want to automatically install the AdBlock extension on all computers. open the chrome://extensions Settings page and install the extension you need on a reference computer.

Now you need to get the extension id and the URL from which the extension has been updated. The Google Chrome extension ID can be found in the extension properties (developer mode must be enabled).

Chrome installs extension in user profile C:\Users\%Username%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions\{extension_id_here},

find and open manifest.json file in extension folder and copy its value update_url, Most likely, you will see the following URL: ,

Now, in the GPO Editor console, go to Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Administrative Templates -> Google -> Google Chrome -> Extensions, enable policy Configure list of forcibly installed extensions,

press show button and add a line for each extension you want to install. Use the following format:

{extension_id_here};

Update Group Policy settings on the user’s computer:

gpupdate /force

Close and restart the browser. Now the specified extension will be automatically installed in Chrome in silent mode without user interaction.

You can prevent users from installing chrome extensions using GPO option Configure extension installation blocklist:* and allow users to install only approved extensions (Configure extension installation permission list,