How to use the Bitwarden extension in Chrome

To use the Bitwarden extension in Chrome, add it from the Chrome Web Store, log in with your Bitwarden account, then click a suggested login on any sign-in page to fill it.

This guide covers installing and pinning the extension, setting up your vault, saving and autofilling logins, generating passwords, folders, security settings and fixes for common problems.

How to use the Bitwarden extension in Chrome in six steps

These steps take you from a fresh Chrome profile to your first autofilled login. Each one is expanded in the sections below.

1. Open the Bitwarden listing in the Chrome Web Store and select Add to Chrome, then Add extension.
2. Select the Extensions icon next to the address bar and select the Pin icon next to Bitwarden.
3. Click the Bitwarden icon and log in with your email address and master password.
4. Go to a website's sign-in page and click the Bitwarden icon.
5. On the Vault tab, click the login listed under Autofill suggestions to fill your username and password.
6. When you sign in to a site Bitwarden does not know yet, select Save on the banner that appears.

Install the Bitwarden Chrome extension

You cannot add extensions in an Incognito window or a guest profile, and a work or school administrator can block them.

1. Open the Chrome Web Store, or open the Bitwarden Downloads page at bitwarden.com/download and select Chrome under Web browser extensions.
2. Open the Bitwarden Password Manager listing and select Add to Chrome.
3. Review the permissions prompt and select Add extension.
4. If Bitwarden asks to become your default password manager, select Continue, then Allow.
5. Select the Extensions icon (the puzzle piece) to the right of the address bar.
6. Select the Pin icon next to Bitwarden so its shield icon stays on the toolbar.

The extension and the Bitwarden desktop app share one vault, so anything saved in Chrome also appears in the desktop app when you log in there.

Sign in and set up your Bitwarden vault in Chrome

A Bitwarden account is required before the extension does anything. Your account exists only on the server region where you created it, either bitwarden.com in the US or bitwarden.eu in the EU.

1. If you have no account yet, go to bitwarden.com, select Get Started Free, enter your Email address and pick your server region.
2. Open the verification email and select Verify email.
3. Enter a strong Master password, optionally tick Check known data breaches for the password, and select Create account.
4. Click the Bitwarden icon in Chrome and check the server dropdown on the login screen matches the region you chose.
5. Enter your email address and master password to log in.
6. To add a second account, select the account in the top-right corner of the extension and choose Add account.

Write the master password down somewhere safe. Bitwarden cannot recover it for you, and it is the one password the extension cannot fill.

The extension can stay logged in to up to five accounts at once, such as a personal and a work vault.

Import Chrome saved passwords into Bitwarden

Passwords already saved in Chrome do not move into Bitwarden by themselves. Export them as a CSV file, import that file, then delete the CSV because it stores every password in plain text.

1. Type chrome://password-manager/settings in the Chrome address bar and press Enter.
2. Use the export passwords option, confirm with your computer's password if asked, and save the CSV file.
3. In the Bitwarden extension, open Settings and select Vault options.
4. Select Import items; a new window opens.
5. Choose My vault (and a folder if you want one) from the Vault dropdown.
6. Pick the Chrome format from the File format dropdown, select Choose File and pick the CSV.
7. Select Import data, then delete the CSV file from your computer.

Importing does not check for duplicates, so run it once. A direct import from Chrome, without the CSV step, is only available in the Bitwarden desktop app.

Save and autofill logins in Chrome with Bitwarden

Every autofill method depends on the login item having a Website (URI) saved. When a page matches, a number appears on the Bitwarden toolbar icon showing how many logins fit that site.

What you want to do	How to do it in Chrome	Notes
Save a new login while browsing	Sign in or register on the site, then select Save on the Bitwarden banner	The banner also offers Select folder… or editing before you save
Add a login by hand	Vault tab > New icon > Login, fill Item name, Username, Password and Website (URI), then Save	Use the full sign-in address, such as https://instagram.com/login
Autofill from the toolbar	Click the Bitwarden icon on the sign-in page and click the item under Autofill suggestions	With several matches, the last-used login fills first
Autofill with the keyboard	Click into the username field and press Ctrl + Shift + L (Cmd + Shift + L on a Mac)	Press it again to cycle through other matching logins
Autofill from the right-click menu	Right-click the username field and choose Bitwarden > Autofill	A locked vault opens an unlock window first
Autofill from the field itself	Settings > Autofill > tick Show autofill suggestions on form fields, then click the username field	Press Esc to close the inline menu if it gets in the way
Update a changed password	Select the update option on the banner after you sign in with the new password	Bitwarden compares what you typed with the saved item
Fill automatically when a page loads	Settings > Autofill > tick Autofill on page load	Off by default because a compromised site could abuse it

Bitwarden warns you before filling a field inside an untrusted iframe, or an HTTP page when the saved address uses HTTPS. Read that warning before you continue.

Generate strong passwords from the Bitwarden extension

Use the generator whenever you create an account or change a weak password. Bitwarden's own advice is to keep minimum numbers and special characters low unless a site demands them.

1. Click the Bitwarden icon and select the Generator tab.
2. Choose Password for random characters or Passphrase for random words that are easier to type.
3. Set the length, or the number of words, and tick the character types the site accepts.
4. Select the regenerate icon until you get a result you like, then copy it.
5. To attach it to a saved login, open the item, select Edit, select Generate in the Password box, then Use this password and Save.

Press Ctrl + Shift + 9 on any page to generate a password and copy it straight to the clipboard. Generator history keeps recent results until you log out, even ones you never saved.

Manage Bitwarden vault items and folders

The vault holds five item types: logins, cards, identities, secure notes and SSH keys. Folders only organise your own view; deleting a folder never deletes the items inside it.

Task	Where to do it in the extension
Create a folder	Select New and choose Folder
Nest a folder	Name it Parent/Child, for example Socials/Forums
Rename or delete a folder	Settings > Vault > Folders
Move a login into a folder	Open the item, select Edit, choose from the Folder dropdown, then Save
Edit or delete an item	Select the item's options menu, then Edit or Delete
Restore a deleted item	Open the Filters menu and select Trash; items stay there for 30 days
Copy a username or password	Select the Copy icon next to the item and choose Copy username or Copy password
Find an item fast	Use the search box or the Filters icon above All items
Pull changes from another device	Settings > Vault options > Sync vault now

Turn on Show quick copy actions on Vault under Settings > Appearance to get one-click username, password and code buttons next to each item.

How to check Bitwarden autofill is working in Chrome

1. Open the sign-in page of a site you have saved in Bitwarden.
2. Check the Bitwarden toolbar icon shows a number badge for matching logins.
3. Click the icon and confirm the login appears under Autofill suggestions on the Vault tab.
4. Click the username field and press Ctrl + Shift + L; both fields should fill.
5. Sign in and confirm Chrome no longer offers to save the password itself.

No badge and no suggestion means the item's Website (URI) does not match the page. The troubleshooting section below fixes that.

Bitwarden Chrome extension keyboard shortcuts

These are the default shortcuts in Chrome on Windows; use Cmd instead of Ctrl on a Mac. Change any of them at chrome://extensions/shortcuts if another extension already uses the keys.

Action	Shortcut
Open the Bitwarden extension	Ctrl + Shift + Y
Autofill the last-used login for the current site	Ctrl + Shift + L
Generate a password and copy it	Ctrl + Shift + 9
Lock the vault	Ctrl + Shift + N
Autofill a card or identity	No default; create one in Chrome's shortcut settings

Chrome lets you set keyboard shortcuts for extensions from the same page, including the card and identity actions that ship without one.

Adjust Bitwarden extension settings and security options

Most of these live under the extension's Settings tab. Settings are stored per account, so repeat them for each account you log in to.

Setting	Where it is	What to choose
Session timeout	Settings > Account security	Immediately, a time interval, On system lock, On browser restart, Never or Custom
Timeout action	Settings > Account security	Lock keeps data on the device for offline unlock; Log out removes it
Unlock with PIN	Settings > Account security > Unlock with PIN	Untick Lock with master password on browser restart to use the PIN after Chrome restarts
Unlock with biometrics	Settings > Account security > Unlock with biometrics	Needs the desktop app with Windows Hello turned on
Default password manager	Settings > Autofill > Make Bitwarden your default password manager	Select Allow so Chrome's own manager stops competing
Clear clipboard	Settings > Autofill > Clear clipboard	Default is five minutes; shorter is safer
URI matching	Settings > Autofill > Default URI match detection	Base domain is the default; Host is stricter for subdomains
Blocked domains	Settings > Autofill > Blocked domains	Stops autofill on sites you list
Save and update prompts	Settings > Notifications	On by default; add Excluded domains to silence specific sites

Biometric unlock in Chrome works through the desktop app, so install the Bitwarden desktop app from Bitwarden's own installer first; the Microsoft Store version does not support it. Then turn on Allow access to file URLs for Bitwarden at chrome://extensions and select Allow when the extension asks to communicate with native applications.

If Bitwarden cannot switch Chrome's password manager off, open chrome://password-manager/settings and turn off Offer to save passwords and passkeys and Sign in automatically.

Troubleshoot common Bitwarden Chrome extension issues

Bitwarden extension keeps locking or will not stay logged in

The session timeout is short, or closing the Chrome window ends the session.

1. Open Settings > Account security in the extension.
2. Set Session timeout to a longer interval, On browser restart or Never.
3. Make sure the timeout action is Lock, not Log out, so unlocking does not need two-step login.
4. Set up Unlock with PIN and untick Lock with master password on browser restart for a quicker unlock.
5. If the options are limited, your organisation's timeout policy controls them; ask its administrator.

Bitwarden does not show the correct login for a website

The item's saved URI does not match the page under the current match detection rule.

1. Open the login item and select Edit.
2. Check the Website (URI) field holds the address of the actual sign-in page.
3. Select the settings icon on that field and try Host or Base domain match detection.
4. Select Save and reload the sign-in page.
5. If you autofill from the item anyway, choose the option to add this website to the login item.

Bitwarden extension not working or not loading in Chrome

The extension is turned off, damaged, restricted to some sites, or blocked by policy.

1. Open More > Extensions > Manage extensions in Chrome.
2. Turn the Bitwarden toggle on if it is off.
3. If Chrome marks it as corrupted, select Repair and confirm with Repair extension.
4. Select Details and set site access to On all sites so it can fill pages without a click first.
5. On a work or school computer, ask the administrator whether extensions are blocked.

New or changed passwords do not appear in the Chrome extension

The extension has not synced yet, or a VPN or ad blocker extension blocks the connection.

1. Open Settings > Vault options and select Sync vault now.
2. Check your computer's date, time and time zone are correct.
3. Turn off any VPN or ad blocker extension briefly and sync again.

Chrome and Bitwarden both offer to save or fill passwords

Chrome's built-in password manager is still on.

1. In Bitwarden, open Settings > Autofill and turn on Make Bitwarden your default password manager.
2. Select Allow in the dialog that appears.
3. If both still appear, turn off Offer to save passwords and passkeys and Sign in automatically at chrome://password-manager/settings.

Chrome's repair option for corrupted extensions is the first thing to try before removing Bitwarden and adding it again.

Bitwarden Chrome extension FAQ

What is the Bitwarden extension?

The Bitwarden extension is a browser add-on that connects Chrome to your encrypted Bitwarden vault. It saves logins as you sign in, fills usernames and passwords on matching sites, generates strong passwords and syncs everything with the Bitwarden apps on your phone and desktop.

How do I download the Bitwarden extension?

Install it from the Chrome Web Store by selecting Add to Chrome, then Add extension. The Bitwarden Downloads page at bitwarden.com/download links to the correct store listing for Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Opera, Brave, Vivaldi and other browsers.

How do I start using Bitwarden?

Create a free account at bitwarden.com with your email and a master password, install the browser extension, and log in. Then import your Chrome passwords from a CSV export or let Bitwarden save each login the next time you sign in to a site.

How do I set up Bitwarden for daily use?

Pin the extension to the Chrome toolbar, make Bitwarden the default password manager under Settings > Autofill, and set a session timeout and PIN unlock under Settings > Account security. Those three changes make filling and unlocking quick without weakening the vault.

How do I keep the Bitwarden extension logged in?

Open Settings > Account security and set the session timeout to On browser restart or Never, with the timeout action set to Lock. Lock keeps you logged in and only asks for your master password, PIN or biometrics to reopen the vault.

How do I use the Bitwarden extension in Edge?

The Edge extension works the same way as the Chrome one: the same Vault, Generator and Settings tabs and the same autofill methods. If a keyboard shortcut does nothing in Edge, change it at edge://extensions/shortcuts, because Edge has default shortcuts that can clash with Bitwarden's.

How do I add the Bitwarden extension to Edge?

Open bitwarden.com/download, select Edge under Web browser extensions, and add Bitwarden from Edge's extension store. Log in with the same email and master password you use in Chrome, and the same vault appears with all your saved logins.

Is the Bitwarden Chrome extension free?

Yes. The extension and the core password manager are free on Bitwarden's free plan. Some features, such as storing verification codes for logins and archiving items, need a paid plan.

Does Bitwarden autofill work without opening the extension?

Yes. Press Ctrl + Shift + L in a username field, right-click the field and choose Bitwarden > Autofill, or turn on Show autofill suggestions on form fields to get a menu right under the field.

Bottom line: is the Bitwarden Chrome extension worth setting up?

Install the extension, make it Chrome's default password manager, and use Ctrl + Shift + L or the inline menu for everyday sign-ins. Turning off Chrome's own manager removes duplicate prompts, and a PIN with a Lock timeout keeps the vault both protected and quick to reopen.