# Open external links in a container

> This extension enables support for opening links in specific containers using custom protocol handler. It works for terminal, OS shortcuts and regular HTML pages.

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/open-url-in-container](https://chrome-stats.com/d/open-url-in-container)

## Overview

- **ID:** `open-url-in-container`
- **Platform:** Firefox
- **Type:** Firefox add-on
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Denys H
- **Category:** privacy-security,tabs
- **Daily users:** 1,829
- **Weekly downloads:** 52
- **Rating:** 4.90 / 5 (62 ratings)
- **Version:** 1.0.3
- **Last updated:** 2020-05-09
- **First published:** 2019-08-31
- **Size:** 31 KB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-09
- **Store listing:** [Firefox Add-ons Store](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/open-url-in-container/)
- **Website:** [https://github.com/honsiorovskyi/open-url-in-container](https://github.com/honsiorovskyi/open-url-in-container)

## Description

The "Open external links in a container" Chrome extension enables users to open URLs in designated containers using a custom protocol handler. This feature enhances browsing by allowing isolated environments for different links, improving privacy and organization.

Key features include support for command line and internal invocations, on-the-fly container creation with customizable colors and icons, tab pinning, and reader mode support. The extension seamlessly integrates with other browser extensions and offers a handy launcher script for quick command line usage. It's ideal for users looking to manage their browsing contexts efficiently and securely.

Explore the source code or download the launcher script from the official GitHub repository to maximize your browsing workflow.

## Rankings

- #2,287 — Overall
- #197 — Tabs
- #17 — broken links
- #19 — contain
- #22 — links
- #44 — line

## Permissions and access

### Permissions

- `contextualIdentities`
- `cookies`

## Safety

- **Risk impact:** Very low risk impact
- **Risk likelihood:** Low risk likelihood

### Analysis details

- This extension has low user count. Unpopular extensions may not be stable or safe.

> Some risk analysis details are omitted from this free response. [Upgrade to view the full analysis](https://chrome-stats.com/pricing).

## Review summary

The add-on is highly praised for enabling container-specific opening of external links via bookmarks and for scriptable, automated workflows. Users can reduce prompts with a config flag, and see benefits for multi-account use. Recurrent downsides include Firefox protocol-handler warnings, Windows compatibility issues, occasional activation hurdles on older Firefox versions, and occasional bookmark-saving UX quirks.

### Pros

- Opens external links and bookmarks in a specific Firefox container (ext+container)
- Bookmark-based and scriptable container routing for automation
- Option to suppress per-link prompts by enabling a config flag in about:config (network.protocol-handler.external.ext+container)
- Useful for multi-account workflows and separating site access within the same browser

### Cons

- Firefox protocol-handler warnings/prompt annoyances after recent updates
- Windows users report protocol handling compatibility issues (reliability problems on Windows)
- Activation/setup issues on older Firefox versions (possible inability to activate)
- Bookmark creation/saving for ext+container can be unclear or non-intuitive
- UX quirks such as the bookmark path affecting the page icon (disappears)

## Similar extensions and apps

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- [Ask for Container](https://chrome-stats.com/d/ask-for-container) — 5 users
- [Default Container Handler](https://chrome-stats.com/d/default-container-handler) — 1 users
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- [Open URLs in Container](https://chrome-stats.com/d/open-urls-in-container) — 37 users, 4.57 / 5
- [Container Bookmarks](https://chrome-stats.com/d/container-bookmarks) — 532 users, 4.33 / 5
- [Container Outgoing Links](https://chrome-stats.com/d/container-outgoing-links) — 33 users, 4.57 / 5
- [PR0F0X01\_Open-All-Containers](https://chrome-stats.com/d/pr0f0x01_open-all-containers) — 6 users
- [Container Sentry](https://chrome-stats.com/d/container-sentry) — 5 users, 5.00 / 5
- [ContainerGate](https://chrome-stats.com/d/containergate) — 1 users

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/open-url-in-container)