Do not assume the extension currently called EditThisCookie is the original project. The original cookie editor disappeared from the Chrome Web Store around late 2024, while reports described a similarly named replacement as suspicious. Google has not publicly established a reason for the original delisting in the sources reviewed here. If you need cookie editing now, use Chrome DevTools for occasional changes, or choose a replacement only after checking its publisher, permissions, source availability and maintenance history.
What EditThisCookie was and why its disappearance matters
EditThisCookie was a Chrome and Chromium extension for managing browser cookies. Its project materials describe tools for finding and reading cookies, adding and editing values, deleting entries, protecting cookies from deletion, blocking them, and importing or exporting cookie data. That combination made it useful for debugging websites, testing authentication flows and moving cookie sets between browser profiles.
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It also made the extension unusually sensitive. Cookies can contain login state, account identifiers and other session information. An extension with permission to read or alter cookies may therefore access data that lets a website recognize an already authenticated browser. The practical lesson is that a familiar name is not enough evidence of continuity or safety; the publisher and the permissions attached to the exact store listing matter.
The original project’s website states that it had more than 400,000 users, although the page does not state a year for that figure. A Chrome Web Store listing for “EditThisCookie (V3)” displayed 400,000 users when it was accessed in 2026. Neither number proves that the current listing is operated by the original team.
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When was the original removed?
Reviewed guides place the original EditThisCookie delisting in late 2024, with one guide dating it to December. Those reports establish the timing as an approximate period, not an exact public removal notice. The sources reviewed did not locate an official explanation from Google or the original publisher.
Some alternative-provider pages suggest that Google’s transition away from Manifest V2 could explain the disappearance. Manifest V2 was the older Chrome extension platform, and the browser ecosystem has been moving toward Manifest V3. That explanation is plausible, but it remains a third-party account rather than a confirmed reason for this particular delisting. Do not treat “removed because of Manifest V2” as an official finding.
Is the similarly named extension malware?
The answer requires more precision than either “definitely safe” or “proven malware.” Bokal’s developer guide reports that a namesake clone harvested credentials and session tokens and displayed phishing content. Bokal also says the original had around 3 million users and that the clone had passed 50,000 users before removal; those are vendor-authored, approximate figures, not independently verified impact statistics.
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A report from AS.com described an examination by security analyst Eric Parker. In the version he examined, Parker did not find evidence of cookie theft, but he did identify capabilities he considered suspicious. That account does not erase the other warnings, and the conflicting observations mean you should avoid claiming that every specific theft allegation has been conclusively proven.
The safest interpretation is operational: a listing that reuses a well-known name can be unrelated to the original, and a store presence is not an independent security audit. If you installed a suspicious namesake, remove it, review the extension’s permissions, and change passwords or revoke active sessions for accounts that may have been exposed. Do not export additional cookies to investigate it.
How to tell whether a listing is the original project
Chrome currently has a listing titled “EditThisCookie (V3),” shown as version 3.0.5 and updated September 12, 2025. Those details are useful for identifying the listing you are viewing, but they do not establish that it is the same project that produced the original extension.
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Before installing any cookie editor, check all of the following on the exact store page:
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- Publisher identity: Compare the publisher name with the project’s official documentation or repository. A similar product name is not proof of a shared publisher.
- Permissions: Read every requested permission and the stated reason for it. Broad website access deserves more scrutiny than a narrowly scoped, optional site permission.
- Privacy disclosures: Treat the store’s privacy section as the developer’s statement about data handling, not as an independent audit.
- Source code: If a repository is provided, inspect whether it is current, matches the published extension and has a credible maintenance history. “Open source” alone does not guarantee safe behavior.
- Maintenance: Check the last update date, release history and whether issues are being addressed. A recent date is evidence of activity, not proof of a clean build.
- Installation source: Use the verified Chrome Web Store listing or the publisher’s documented release channel, not a download mirror or a file supplied by an unknown person.
Replacement options compared
The right choice depends on whether you edit cookies occasionally, need bulk operations, or have an old EditThisCookie JSON export. The table separates published capabilities from independent verification: none of the descriptions below should be read as a security audit.
| Option | Best fit | EditThisCookie JSON migration | Permissions and provenance | Maintenance information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome DevTools | Occasional, one-site edits without another extension | Not an import workflow | Built into Chrome; no additional extension publisher | Follows the installed Chrome release |
| CookieMate | Users who want an extension with cookie search and migration features | The Chrome Web Store description says it imports and exports EditThisCookie-compatible JSON | Permission and privacy details are statements on its store listing; verify them on the page you install | Use the listing’s current version and update history |
| Bokal | Users seeking an MV3 replacement with optional per-site access | Bokal’s guide says it imports the old EditThisCookie JSON format | Bokal describes its permission scope and says the project is GPL-3.0; these are publisher claims | Check the guide and repository for current releases |
| EditThisCookie (V3) | Readers considering the familiar name despite the project break | Not stated in the reviewed listing | Inspect the listed publisher, permissions and privacy disclosures; the name alone proves no continuity | Version 3.0.5, updated September 12, 2025, on the listing accessed in 2026 |
Use Chrome DevTools when you only need a quick edit
A vendor-authored comparison says Chrome’s built-in DevTools can edit cookies in the Application panel. This avoids installing a third-party extension, but it is less convenient for frequent bulk work, searching across many sites or importing a saved cookie file.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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- Open the target page in Chrome.
- Open DevTools with
Ctrl+Shift+Ion Windows/Linux orCommand+Option+Ion macOS. - Select the Application panel. If it is hidden, open the panel overflow menu and choose it.
- In the left sidebar, expand Storage, then Cookies, and choose the site’s origin.
- Find the cookie row you need. Use the table’s fields to inspect or edit its name, value, domain, path, expiration and related attributes.
- Reload the page and test the specific behavior you were debugging. If the site logs you out, restore the prior value or clear the changed cookie and sign in normally.
Only edit cookies for accounts and systems you are authorized to administer. A cookie value can function like a bearer credential: anyone who obtains a valid session token may be able to use it until the session expires or is revoked.
Move an old EditThisCookie JSON backup
If you already have a JSON export, migration may be possible. CookieMate’s store listing and Bokal’s guide each claim compatibility with the old EditThisCookie format. The reviewed sources do not independently test every cookie type or guarantee that an imported session will remain valid.
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- Verify the replacement first. Confirm the exact publisher, requested permissions, privacy disclosure, source repository where available and recent maintenance before installing.
- Install only from the verified listing. Check the extension name and publisher together; do not rely on an icon or a familiar spelling.
- Use the extension’s import command. Select the saved JSON file through the extension’s documented import control. Keep the backup local and delete temporary copies when the migration is complete.
- Test one low-risk site first. Confirm that the intended page works before importing a larger set. Some cookies are tied to a browser, device, domain, expiration time or server-side session and may not work after transfer.
- Revoke exposure if anything looks wrong. If an import tool requests unexpected access, opens phishing pages or changes unrelated browser behavior, stop, remove it and rotate affected account credentials.
Permission and privacy checks that matter most
Cookie editors commonly need some form of access to the sites whose cookies they display. The exact scope varies by extension. Bokal says its MV3 implementation offers optional per-site access, while each store listing publishes its own permission and privacy statements. These statements tell you what the developer says the extension does; they do not independently verify the code.
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- Prefer a tool that lets you grant access only to the site or sites you actually need.
- Read whether the extension can read browsing activity, modify data on all websites, or communicate with external servers.
- Check whether the publisher explains data collection, storage and sharing in plain language.
- Review permissions again after updates; a formerly narrow extension can request broader access in a later release.
- Remove the extension when the task is finished if you use it only for occasional troubleshooting.
What the user counts do—and do not—tell you
User counts are context, not a safety score. The original site’s “over 400,000 users” statement has no year attached. The current “EditThisCookie (V3)” listing displayed 400,000 users when accessed in 2026, but that figure does not demonstrate continuity with the original. Bokal’s approximate reports of around 3 million users for the original and more than 50,000 for the clone are secondary, vendor-authored claims. None of these numbers independently establishes how many people were exposed or whether a particular build was malicious.
A practical decision rule
Choose DevTools if
- You edit one or two cookies occasionally.
- You do not need JSON import/export or bulk search.
- You want to avoid granting another extension access to website data.
Consider CookieMate or Bokal if
- You need a repeatable extension workflow or an EditThisCookie-compatible import.
- You have checked the current publisher, permissions, privacy disclosure and maintenance history.
- You understand that compatibility claims come from the respective publisher and may not cover every cookie or session.
Approach EditThisCookie (V3) cautiously if
- You are considering it solely because the name looks familiar.
- You have not compared the publisher and permissions with the original project’s documentation.
- You cannot explain why its requested access is necessary for your task.
Bottom line
The original EditThisCookie was a capable but highly privileged cookie-management tool, and reports place its Chrome Web Store removal in late 2024. The official reason for that removal is not established in the reviewed material. Reports about a namesake clone raise serious concerns, but the available accounts do not agree on whether cookie theft was demonstrated in the examined version. Treat every similarly named listing as a separate product until its publisher and provenance are verified.
For a one-off change, Chrome DevTools is the lowest-dependency option. For migration or recurring work, CookieMate and Bokal publicly describe EditThisCookie JSON compatibility, while the current EditThisCookie (V3) listing should be judged by its publisher, permissions and maintenance—not by its name.
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