A browser extension may be useful on one website and unnecessary on every other tab you open. The permission you accepted during installation is worth revisiting once you know how you actually use the tool.
Start with the browser’s extension manager. Work through the list deliberately rather than installing another extension to audit the first set.
Connect each extension to a real task
For every item, ask what it does, whether you still use it and which sites it needs to operate on. If you do not recognise an extension, investigate its source and purpose. An unfamiliar name alone does not prove that it is malicious, but it is a reason not to ignore it.
Remove tools you no longer need through the browser’s supported controls. For an extension managed by an employer or school, use the organisation’s support process rather than trying to bypass its management.
Inspect site access separately from other permissions
Google’s Chrome extension guidance explains controls for allowing an extension to read and change site data when selected, on specified sites or more broadly, where those options apply. The available controls depend on the extension and its requested access.
Choosing specific sites can suit a tool used for one workflow. An extension that genuinely needs to operate across many pages may behave differently when restricted. Make one change, test the intended task and decide whether the narrower setting meets your needs.
Site access is not a complete summary of every capability. Check other listed permissions as well; changing host access does not automatically revoke unrelated permissions or erase data already shared.
Use a short maintenance routine
Keep a small note of the tools you intentionally retain and why. Review it after adding an extension, changing jobs or abandoning a service. This makes the next review faster and exposes tools that survived long after their original purpose disappeared.
For an illustrative setup, a writing aid might be allowed on a chosen publishing site while remaining inactive elsewhere. That is a workflow decision, not a guarantee that the extension is trustworthy. Publisher identity, updates and the tool’s data practices still matter.
The useful outcome is a browser whose extensions have understandable jobs and deliberate permissions. A shorter list is easier to maintain, but clarity about access matters more than chasing a particular number.