diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/chrome/chrome_utils.js b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/chrome_utils.js
index 245e0ba9..b4370fde 100755
--- a/archivebox/plugins/chrome/chrome_utils.js
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/chrome_utils.js
@@ -1312,6 +1312,99 @@ function findChromium() {
     return null;
 }
 
+// ============================================================================
+// Shared Extension Installer Utilities
+// ============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Get the extensions directory path.
+ * Centralized path calculation used by extension installers and chrome launch.
+ *
+ * Path is derived from environment variables in this priority:
+ * 1. CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR (explicit override)
+ * 2. DATA_DIR/personas/ACTIVE_PERSONA/chrome_extensions (default)
+ *
+ * @returns {string} - Absolute path to extensions directory
+ */
+function getExtensionsDir() {
+    const dataDir = getEnv('DATA_DIR', './data');
+    const persona = getEnv('ACTIVE_PERSONA', 'Default');
+    return getEnv('CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR') ||
+        path.join(dataDir, 'personas', persona, 'chrome_extensions');
+}
+
+/**
+ * Install a Chrome extension with caching support.
+ *
+ * This is the main entry point for extension installer hooks. It handles:
+ * - Checking for cached extension metadata
+ * - Installing the extension if not cached
+ * - Writing cache file for future runs
+ *
+ * @param {Object} extension - Extension metadata object
+ * @param {string} extension.webstore_id - Chrome Web Store extension ID
+ * @param {string} extension.name - Human-readable extension name (used for cache file)
+ * @param {Object} [options] - Options
+ * @param {string} [options.extensionsDir] - Override extensions directory
+ * @param {boolean} [options.quiet=false] - Suppress info logging
+ * @returns {Promise<Object|null>} - Installed extension metadata or null on failure
+ */
+async function installExtensionWithCache(extension, options = {}) {
+    const {
+        extensionsDir = getExtensionsDir(),
+        quiet = false,
+    } = options;
+
+    const cacheFile = path.join(extensionsDir, `${extension.name}.extension.json`);
+
+    // Check if extension is already cached and valid
+    if (fs.existsSync(cacheFile)) {
+        try {
+            const cached = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cacheFile, 'utf-8'));
+            const manifestPath = path.join(cached.unpacked_path, 'manifest.json');
+
+            if (fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
+                if (!quiet) {
+                    console.log(`[*] ${extension.name} extension already installed (using cache)`);
+                }
+                return cached;
+            }
+        } catch (e) {
+            // Cache file corrupted, re-install
+            console.warn(`[⚠️] Extension cache corrupted for ${extension.name}, re-installing...`);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Install extension
+    if (!quiet) {
+        console.log(`[*] Installing ${extension.name} extension...`);
+    }
+
+    const installedExt = await loadOrInstallExtension(extension, extensionsDir);
+
+    if (!installedExt) {
+        console.error(`[❌] Failed to install ${extension.name} extension`);
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    // Write cache file
+    try {
+        await fs.promises.mkdir(extensionsDir, { recursive: true });
+        await fs.promises.writeFile(cacheFile, JSON.stringify(installedExt, null, 2));
+        if (!quiet) {
+            console.log(`[+] Extension metadata written to ${cacheFile}`);
+        }
+    } catch (e) {
+        console.warn(`[⚠️] Failed to write cache file: ${e.message}`);
+    }
+
+    if (!quiet) {
+        console.log(`[+] ${extension.name} extension installed`);
+    }
+
+    return installedExt;
+}
+
 // Export all functions
 module.exports = {
     // Environment helpers
@@ -1349,6 +1442,9 @@ module.exports = {
     getExtensionPaths,
     waitForExtensionTarget,
     getExtensionTargets,
+    // Shared extension installer utilities
+    getExtensionsDir,
+    installExtensionWithCache,
     // Deprecated - use enableExtensions option instead
     getExtensionLaunchArgs,
 };
@@ -1371,6 +1467,8 @@ if (require.main === module) {
         console.log('  loadExtensionManifest <path>');
         console.log('  getExtensionLaunchArgs <extensions_json>');
         console.log('  loadOrInstallExtension <webstore_id> <name> [extensions_dir]');
+        console.log('  getExtensionsDir');
+        console.log('  installExtensionWithCache <webstore_id> <name>');
         process.exit(1);
     }
 
@@ -1483,6 +1581,26 @@ if (require.main === module) {
                     break;
                 }
 
+                case 'getExtensionsDir': {
+                    console.log(getExtensionsDir());
+                    break;
+                }
+
+                case 'installExtensionWithCache': {
+                    const [webstore_id, name] = commandArgs;
+                    if (!webstore_id || !name) {
+                        console.error('Usage: installExtensionWithCache <webstore_id> <name>');
+                        process.exit(1);
+                    }
+                    const ext = await installExtensionWithCache({ webstore_id, name });
+                    if (ext) {
+                        console.log(JSON.stringify(ext, null, 2));
+                    } else {
+                        process.exit(1);
+                    }
+                    break;
+                }
+
                 default:
                     console.error(`Unknown command: ${command}`);
                     process.exit(1);
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/chrome/on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js
index 58cafca0..0799f3ad 100644
--- a/archivebox/plugins/chrome/on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const {
     killChrome,
     getEnv,
     writePidWithMtime,
+    getExtensionsDir,
 } = require('./chrome_utils.js');
 
 // Extractor metadata
@@ -115,8 +116,7 @@ async function main() {
         if (version) console.error(`[*] Version: ${version}`);
 
         // Load installed extensions
-        const extensionsDir = getEnv('CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR') ||
-            path.join(getEnv('DATA_DIR', '.'), 'personas', getEnv('ACTIVE_PERSONA', 'Default'), 'chrome_extensions');
+        const extensionsDir = getExtensionsDir();
         const userDataDir = getEnv('CHROME_USER_DATA_DIR');
 
         if (userDataDir) {
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/chrome/tests/chrome_test_helpers.py b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/tests/chrome_test_helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97928323
--- /dev/null
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/chrome/tests/chrome_test_helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,276 @@
+"""
+Shared Chrome test helpers for plugin integration tests.
+
+This module provides common utilities for Chrome-based plugin tests, reducing
+duplication across test files. It uses the JavaScript utilities from chrome_utils.js
+where appropriate.
+
+Usage:
+    from archivebox.plugins.chrome.tests.chrome_test_helpers import (
+        get_test_env,
+        setup_chrome_session,
+        cleanup_chrome,
+        find_chromium_binary,
+        get_node_modules_dir,
+    )
+"""
+
+import os
+import signal
+import subprocess
+import time
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Tuple, Optional
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+
+
+# Plugin directory locations
+CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent
+PLUGINS_ROOT = CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR.parent
+
+# Hook script locations
+CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK = CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR / 'on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js'
+CHROME_TAB_HOOK = CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR / 'on_Snapshot__20_chrome_tab.bg.js'
+CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK = next(CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR.glob('on_Snapshot__*_chrome_navigate.*'), None)
+CHROME_UTILS = CHROME_PLUGIN_DIR / 'chrome_utils.js'
+
+
+def get_node_modules_dir() -> Path:
+    """Get NODE_MODULES_DIR for tests, checking env first.
+
+    Returns the path to the node_modules directory, checking:
+    1. NODE_MODULES_DIR environment variable
+    2. Computed from LIB_DIR via ArchiveBox config
+    """
+    if os.environ.get('NODE_MODULES_DIR'):
+        return Path(os.environ['NODE_MODULES_DIR'])
+    # Otherwise compute from LIB_DIR
+    from archivebox.config.common import STORAGE_CONFIG
+    lib_dir = Path(os.environ.get('LIB_DIR') or str(STORAGE_CONFIG.LIB_DIR))
+    return lib_dir / 'npm' / 'node_modules'
+
+
+def get_test_env() -> dict:
+    """Get environment dict with NODE_MODULES_DIR set correctly for tests.
+
+    Returns a copy of os.environ with NODE_MODULES_DIR added/updated.
+    Use this for all subprocess calls in plugin tests.
+    """
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    env['NODE_MODULES_DIR'] = str(get_node_modules_dir())
+    return env
+
+
+def find_chromium_binary(data_dir: Optional[str] = None) -> Optional[str]:
+    """Find the Chromium binary using chrome_utils.js findChromium().
+
+    This uses the centralized findChromium() function which checks:
+    - CHROME_BINARY env var
+    - @puppeteer/browsers install locations
+    - System Chromium locations
+    - Falls back to Chrome (with warning)
+
+    Args:
+        data_dir: Directory where chromium was installed (contains chromium/ subdir)
+
+    Returns:
+        Path to Chromium binary or None if not found
+    """
+    search_dir = data_dir or os.environ.get('DATA_DIR', '.')
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ['node', str(CHROME_UTILS), 'findChromium', str(search_dir)],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=10
+    )
+    if result.returncode == 0 and result.stdout.strip():
+        return result.stdout.strip()
+    return None
+
+
+def get_extensions_dir() -> str:
+    """Get the Chrome extensions directory using chrome_utils.js getExtensionsDir().
+
+    This uses the centralized path calculation from chrome_utils.js which checks:
+    - CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR env var
+    - DATA_DIR/personas/ACTIVE_PERSONA/chrome_extensions
+
+    Returns:
+        Path to extensions directory
+    """
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ['node', str(CHROME_UTILS), 'getExtensionsDir'],
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=10,
+        env=get_test_env()
+    )
+    if result.returncode == 0 and result.stdout.strip():
+        return result.stdout.strip()
+    # Fallback to default computation if JS call fails
+    data_dir = os.environ.get('DATA_DIR', './data')
+    persona = os.environ.get('ACTIVE_PERSONA', 'Default')
+    return str(Path(data_dir) / 'personas' / persona / 'chrome_extensions')
+
+
+def setup_chrome_session(
+    tmpdir: Path,
+    crawl_id: str = 'test-crawl',
+    snapshot_id: str = 'test-snapshot',
+    test_url: str = 'about:blank',
+    navigate: bool = True,
+    timeout: int = 15,
+) -> Tuple[subprocess.Popen, int, Path]:
+    """Set up a Chrome session with tab and optional navigation.
+
+    Creates the directory structure, launches Chrome, creates a tab,
+    and optionally navigates to the test URL.
+
+    Args:
+        tmpdir: Temporary directory for test files
+        crawl_id: ID to use for the crawl
+        snapshot_id: ID to use for the snapshot
+        test_url: URL to navigate to (if navigate=True)
+        navigate: Whether to navigate to the URL after creating tab
+        timeout: Seconds to wait for Chrome to start
+
+    Returns:
+        Tuple of (chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir)
+
+    Raises:
+        RuntimeError: If Chrome fails to start or tab creation fails
+    """
+    crawl_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'crawl'
+    crawl_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    chrome_dir = crawl_dir / 'chrome'
+    chrome_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+    env = get_test_env()
+    env['CHROME_HEADLESS'] = 'true'
+
+    # Launch Chrome at crawl level
+    chrome_launch_process = subprocess.Popen(
+        ['node', str(CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK), f'--crawl-id={crawl_id}'],
+        cwd=str(chrome_dir),
+        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+        stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        text=True,
+        env=env
+    )
+
+    # Wait for Chrome to launch
+    for i in range(timeout):
+        if chrome_launch_process.poll() is not None:
+            stdout, stderr = chrome_launch_process.communicate()
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Chrome launch failed:\nStdout: {stdout}\nStderr: {stderr}")
+        if (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
+            break
+        time.sleep(1)
+
+    if not (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Chrome CDP URL not found after {timeout}s")
+
+    chrome_pid = int((chrome_dir / 'chrome.pid').read_text().strip())
+
+    # Create snapshot directory structure
+    snapshot_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'snapshot'
+    snapshot_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+    snapshot_chrome_dir = snapshot_dir / 'chrome'
+    snapshot_chrome_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)
+
+    # Create tab
+    tab_env = env.copy()
+    tab_env['CRAWL_OUTPUT_DIR'] = str(crawl_dir)
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        ['node', str(CHROME_TAB_HOOK), f'--url={test_url}', f'--snapshot-id={snapshot_id}', f'--crawl-id={crawl_id}'],
+        cwd=str(snapshot_chrome_dir),
+        capture_output=True,
+        text=True,
+        timeout=60,
+        env=tab_env
+    )
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid)
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Tab creation failed: {result.stderr}")
+
+    # Navigate to URL if requested
+    if navigate and CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK and test_url != 'about:blank':
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ['node', str(CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK), f'--url={test_url}', f'--snapshot-id={snapshot_id}'],
+            cwd=str(snapshot_chrome_dir),
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            timeout=120,
+            env=env
+        )
+        if result.returncode != 0:
+            cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid)
+            raise RuntimeError(f"Navigation failed: {result.stderr}")
+
+    return chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir
+
+
+def cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process: subprocess.Popen, chrome_pid: int) -> None:
+    """Clean up Chrome processes.
+
+    Sends SIGTERM to the chrome_launch_process and SIGKILL to the Chrome PID.
+    Ignores errors if processes are already dead.
+
+    Args:
+        chrome_launch_process: The Popen object for the chrome launch hook
+        chrome_pid: The PID of the Chrome process
+    """
+    try:
+        chrome_launch_process.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
+        chrome_launch_process.wait(timeout=5)
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+    try:
+        os.kill(chrome_pid, signal.SIGKILL)
+    except OSError:
+        pass
+
+
+@contextmanager
+def chrome_session(
+    tmpdir: Path,
+    crawl_id: str = 'test-crawl',
+    snapshot_id: str = 'test-snapshot',
+    test_url: str = 'about:blank',
+    navigate: bool = True,
+    timeout: int = 15,
+):
+    """Context manager for Chrome sessions with automatic cleanup.
+
+    Usage:
+        with chrome_session(tmpdir, test_url='https://example.com') as (process, pid, chrome_dir):
+            # Run tests with chrome session
+            pass
+        # Chrome automatically cleaned up
+
+    Args:
+        tmpdir: Temporary directory for test files
+        crawl_id: ID to use for the crawl
+        snapshot_id: ID to use for the snapshot
+        test_url: URL to navigate to (if navigate=True)
+        navigate: Whether to navigate to the URL after creating tab
+        timeout: Seconds to wait for Chrome to start
+
+    Yields:
+        Tuple of (chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir)
+    """
+    chrome_launch_process = None
+    chrome_pid = None
+    try:
+        chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+            tmpdir=tmpdir,
+            crawl_id=crawl_id,
+            snapshot_id=snapshot_id,
+            test_url=test_url,
+            navigate=navigate,
+            timeout=timeout,
+        )
+        yield chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir
+    finally:
+        if chrome_launch_process and chrome_pid:
+            cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid)
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/infiniscroll/tests/test_infiniscroll.py b/archivebox/plugins/infiniscroll/tests/test_infiniscroll.py
index 966f3071..eee44ce4 100644
--- a/archivebox/plugins/infiniscroll/tests/test_infiniscroll.py
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/infiniscroll/tests/test_infiniscroll.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ Tests verify:
 import json
 import os
 import re
-import signal
 import subprocess
 import time
 import tempfile
@@ -22,37 +21,19 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
+# Import shared Chrome test helpers
+from archivebox.plugins.chrome.tests.chrome_test_helpers import (
+    get_test_env,
+    setup_chrome_session,
+    cleanup_chrome,
+)
+
 
 PLUGIN_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent
-PLUGINS_ROOT = PLUGIN_DIR.parent
 INFINISCROLL_HOOK = next(PLUGIN_DIR.glob('on_Snapshot__*_infiniscroll.*'), None)
-CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK = PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome' / 'on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js'
-CHROME_TAB_HOOK = PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome' / 'on_Snapshot__20_chrome_tab.bg.js'
-CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK = next((PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome').glob('on_Snapshot__*_chrome_navigate.*'), None)
 TEST_URL = 'https://www.singsing.movie/'
 
 
-def get_node_modules_dir():
-    """Get NODE_MODULES_DIR for tests, checking env first."""
-    # Check if NODE_MODULES_DIR is already set in environment
-    if os.environ.get('NODE_MODULES_DIR'):
-        return Path(os.environ['NODE_MODULES_DIR'])
-    # Otherwise compute from LIB_DIR
-    from archivebox.config.common import STORAGE_CONFIG
-    lib_dir = Path(os.environ.get('LIB_DIR') or str(STORAGE_CONFIG.LIB_DIR))
-    return lib_dir / 'npm' / 'node_modules'
-
-
-NODE_MODULES_DIR = get_node_modules_dir()
-
-
-def get_test_env():
-    """Get environment with NODE_MODULES_DIR set correctly."""
-    env = os.environ.copy()
-    env['NODE_MODULES_DIR'] = str(NODE_MODULES_DIR)
-    return env
-
-
 def test_hook_script_exists():
     """Verify on_Snapshot hook exists."""
     assert INFINISCROLL_HOOK is not None, "Infiniscroll hook not found"
@@ -117,95 +98,18 @@ def test_fails_gracefully_without_chrome_session():
             f"Should mention chrome/CDP/puppeteer in error: {result.stderr}"
 
 
-def setup_chrome_session(tmpdir):
-    """Helper to set up Chrome session with tab and navigation."""
-    crawl_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'crawl'
-    crawl_dir.mkdir()
-    chrome_dir = crawl_dir / 'chrome'
-    chrome_dir.mkdir()
-
-    env = get_test_env()
-    env['CHROME_HEADLESS'] = 'true'
-
-    # Launch Chrome at crawl level
-    chrome_launch_process = subprocess.Popen(
-        ['node', str(CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK), '--crawl-id=test-infiniscroll'],
-        cwd=str(chrome_dir),
-        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-        text=True,
-        env=env
-    )
-
-    # Wait for Chrome to launch
-    for i in range(15):
-        if chrome_launch_process.poll() is not None:
-            stdout, stderr = chrome_launch_process.communicate()
-            raise RuntimeError(f"Chrome launch failed:\nStdout: {stdout}\nStderr: {stderr}")
-        if (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
-            break
-        time.sleep(1)
-
-    if not (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
-        raise RuntimeError("Chrome CDP URL not found after 15s")
-
-    chrome_pid = int((chrome_dir / 'chrome.pid').read_text().strip())
-
-    # Create snapshot directory structure
-    snapshot_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'snapshot'
-    snapshot_dir.mkdir()
-    snapshot_chrome_dir = snapshot_dir / 'chrome'
-    snapshot_chrome_dir.mkdir()
-
-    # Create tab
-    tab_env = env.copy()
-    tab_env['CRAWL_OUTPUT_DIR'] = str(crawl_dir)
-    result = subprocess.run(
-        ['node', str(CHROME_TAB_HOOK), f'--url={TEST_URL}', '--snapshot-id=snap-infiniscroll', '--crawl-id=test-infiniscroll'],
-        cwd=str(snapshot_chrome_dir),
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-        timeout=60,
-        env=tab_env
-    )
-    if result.returncode != 0:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"Tab creation failed: {result.stderr}")
-
-    # Navigate to URL
-    result = subprocess.run(
-        ['node', str(CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK), f'--url={TEST_URL}', '--snapshot-id=snap-infiniscroll'],
-        cwd=str(snapshot_chrome_dir),
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-        timeout=120,
-        env=env
-    )
-    if result.returncode != 0:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"Navigation failed: {result.stderr}")
-
-    return chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir
-
-
-def cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid):
-    """Helper to clean up Chrome processes."""
-    try:
-        chrome_launch_process.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
-        chrome_launch_process.wait(timeout=5)
-    except:
-        pass
-    try:
-        os.kill(chrome_pid, signal.SIGKILL)
-    except OSError:
-        pass
-
-
 def test_scrolls_page_and_outputs_stats():
     """Integration test: scroll page and verify JSONL output format."""
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
         chrome_launch_process = None
         chrome_pid = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-infiniscroll',
+                snapshot_id='snap-infiniscroll',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             # Create infiniscroll output directory (sibling to chrome)
             infiniscroll_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'infiniscroll'
@@ -265,7 +169,12 @@ def test_config_scroll_limit_honored():
         chrome_launch_process = None
         chrome_pid = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-scroll-limit',
+                snapshot_id='snap-limit',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             infiniscroll_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'infiniscroll'
             infiniscroll_dir.mkdir()
@@ -317,7 +226,12 @@ def test_config_timeout_honored():
         chrome_launch_process = None
         chrome_pid = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-timeout',
+                snapshot_id='snap-timeout',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             infiniscroll_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'infiniscroll'
             infiniscroll_dir.mkdir()
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/istilldontcareaboutcookies/on_Crawl__20_install_istilldontcareaboutcookies_extension.js b/archivebox/plugins/istilldontcareaboutcookies/on_Crawl__20_install_istilldontcareaboutcookies_extension.js
index f2df6629..2a8053cd 100755
--- a/archivebox/plugins/istilldontcareaboutcookies/on_Crawl__20_install_istilldontcareaboutcookies_extension.js
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/istilldontcareaboutcookies/on_Crawl__20_install_istilldontcareaboutcookies_extension.js
@@ -17,11 +17,8 @@
  * - Works on thousands of websites out of the box
  */
 
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('fs');
-
 // Import extension utilities
-const extensionUtils = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
+const { installExtensionWithCache } = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
 
 // Extension metadata
 const EXTENSION = {
@@ -29,69 +26,17 @@ const EXTENSION = {
     name: 'istilldontcareaboutcookies',
 };
 
-// Get extensions directory from environment or use default
-const EXTENSIONS_DIR = process.env.CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR ||
-    path.join(process.env.DATA_DIR || './data', 'personas', process.env.ACTIVE_PERSONA || 'Default', 'chrome_extensions');
-
-/**
- * Install the I Still Don't Care About Cookies extension
- */
-async function installCookiesExtension() {
-    console.log('[*] Installing I Still Don\'t Care About Cookies extension...');
-
-    // Install the extension
-    const extension = await extensionUtils.loadOrInstallExtension(EXTENSION, EXTENSIONS_DIR);
-
-    if (!extension) {
-        console.error('[❌] Failed to install I Still Don\'t Care About Cookies extension');
-        return null;
-    }
-
-    console.log('[+] I Still Don\'t Care About Cookies extension installed');
-    console.log('[+] Cookie banners will be automatically dismissed during archiving');
-
-    return extension;
-}
-
 /**
+ * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
+ *
  * Note: This extension works out of the box with no configuration needed.
  * It automatically detects and dismisses cookie banners on page load.
  */
-
-/**
- * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
- */
 async function main() {
-    // Check if extension is already cached
-    const cacheFile = path.join(EXTENSIONS_DIR, 'istilldontcareaboutcookies.extension.json');
+    const extension = await installExtensionWithCache(EXTENSION);
 
-    if (fs.existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        try {
-            const cached = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cacheFile, 'utf-8'));
-            const manifestPath = path.join(cached.unpacked_path, 'manifest.json');
-
-            if (fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
-                console.log('[*] I Still Don\'t Care About Cookies extension already installed (using cache)');
-                return cached;
-            }
-        } catch (e) {
-            // Cache file corrupted, re-install
-            console.warn('[⚠️] Extension cache corrupted, re-installing...');
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Install extension
-    const extension = await installCookiesExtension();
-
-    // Export extension metadata for chrome plugin to load
     if (extension) {
-        // Write extension info to a cache file that chrome plugin can read
-        await fs.promises.mkdir(EXTENSIONS_DIR, { recursive: true });
-        await fs.promises.writeFile(
-            cacheFile,
-            JSON.stringify(extension, null, 2)
-        );
-        console.log(`[+] Extension metadata written to ${cacheFile}`);
+        console.log('[+] Cookie banners will be automatically dismissed during archiving');
     }
 
     return extension;
@@ -100,7 +45,6 @@ async function main() {
 // Export functions for use by other plugins
 module.exports = {
     EXTENSION,
-    installCookiesExtension,
 };
 
 // Run if executed directly
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/modalcloser/tests/test_modalcloser.py b/archivebox/plugins/modalcloser/tests/test_modalcloser.py
index 970bee94..1039d99c 100644
--- a/archivebox/plugins/modalcloser/tests/test_modalcloser.py
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/modalcloser/tests/test_modalcloser.py
@@ -22,38 +22,20 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
+# Import shared Chrome test helpers
+from archivebox.plugins.chrome.tests.chrome_test_helpers import (
+    get_test_env,
+    setup_chrome_session,
+    cleanup_chrome,
+)
+
 
 PLUGIN_DIR = Path(__file__).parent.parent
-PLUGINS_ROOT = PLUGIN_DIR.parent
 MODALCLOSER_HOOK = next(PLUGIN_DIR.glob('on_Snapshot__*_modalcloser.*'), None)
-CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK = PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome' / 'on_Crawl__30_chrome_launch.bg.js'
-CHROME_TAB_HOOK = PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome' / 'on_Snapshot__20_chrome_tab.bg.js'
-CHROME_NAVIGATE_HOOK = next((PLUGINS_ROOT / 'chrome').glob('on_Snapshot__*_chrome_navigate.*'), None)
 TEST_URL = 'https://www.singsing.movie/'
 COOKIE_CONSENT_TEST_URL = 'https://www.filmin.es/'
 
 
-def get_node_modules_dir():
-    """Get NODE_MODULES_DIR for tests, checking env first."""
-    # Check if NODE_MODULES_DIR is already set in environment
-    if os.environ.get('NODE_MODULES_DIR'):
-        return Path(os.environ['NODE_MODULES_DIR'])
-    # Otherwise compute from LIB_DIR
-    from archivebox.config.common import STORAGE_CONFIG
-    lib_dir = Path(os.environ.get('LIB_DIR') or str(STORAGE_CONFIG.LIB_DIR))
-    return lib_dir / 'npm' / 'node_modules'
-
-
-NODE_MODULES_DIR = get_node_modules_dir()
-
-
-def get_test_env():
-    """Get environment with NODE_MODULES_DIR set correctly."""
-    env = os.environ.copy()
-    env['NODE_MODULES_DIR'] = str(NODE_MODULES_DIR)
-    return env
-
-
 def test_hook_script_exists():
     """Verify on_Snapshot hook exists."""
     assert MODALCLOSER_HOOK is not None, "Modalcloser hook not found"
@@ -118,76 +100,6 @@ def test_fails_gracefully_without_chrome_session():
             f"Should mention chrome/CDP/puppeteer in error: {result.stderr}"
 
 
-def setup_chrome_session(tmpdir):
-    """Helper to set up Chrome session with tab."""
-    crawl_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'crawl'
-    crawl_dir.mkdir()
-    chrome_dir = crawl_dir / 'chrome'
-    chrome_dir.mkdir()
-
-    env = get_test_env()
-    env['CHROME_HEADLESS'] = 'true'
-
-    # Launch Chrome at crawl level
-    chrome_launch_process = subprocess.Popen(
-        ['node', str(CHROME_LAUNCH_HOOK), '--crawl-id=test-modalcloser'],
-        cwd=str(chrome_dir),
-        stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
-        text=True,
-        env=env
-    )
-
-    # Wait for Chrome to launch
-    for i in range(15):
-        if chrome_launch_process.poll() is not None:
-            stdout, stderr = chrome_launch_process.communicate()
-            raise RuntimeError(f"Chrome launch failed:\nStdout: {stdout}\nStderr: {stderr}")
-        if (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
-            break
-        time.sleep(1)
-
-    if not (chrome_dir / 'cdp_url.txt').exists():
-        raise RuntimeError("Chrome CDP URL not found after 15s")
-
-    chrome_pid = int((chrome_dir / 'chrome.pid').read_text().strip())
-
-    # Create snapshot directory structure
-    snapshot_dir = Path(tmpdir) / 'snapshot'
-    snapshot_dir.mkdir()
-    snapshot_chrome_dir = snapshot_dir / 'chrome'
-    snapshot_chrome_dir.mkdir()
-
-    # Create tab
-    tab_env = env.copy()
-    tab_env['CRAWL_OUTPUT_DIR'] = str(crawl_dir)
-    result = subprocess.run(
-        ['node', str(CHROME_TAB_HOOK), f'--url={TEST_URL}', '--snapshot-id=snap-modalcloser', '--crawl-id=test-modalcloser'],
-        cwd=str(snapshot_chrome_dir),
-        capture_output=True,
-        text=True,
-        timeout=60,
-        env=tab_env
-    )
-    if result.returncode != 0:
-        raise RuntimeError(f"Tab creation failed: {result.stderr}")
-
-    return chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir
-
-
-def cleanup_chrome(chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid):
-    """Helper to clean up Chrome processes."""
-    try:
-        chrome_launch_process.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
-        chrome_launch_process.wait(timeout=5)
-    except:
-        pass
-    try:
-        os.kill(chrome_pid, signal.SIGKILL)
-    except OSError:
-        pass
-
-
 def test_background_script_handles_sigterm():
     """Test that background script runs and handles SIGTERM correctly."""
     with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
@@ -195,7 +107,12 @@ def test_background_script_handles_sigterm():
         chrome_pid = None
         modalcloser_process = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-modalcloser',
+                snapshot_id='snap-modalcloser',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             # Create modalcloser output directory (sibling to chrome)
             modalcloser_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'modalcloser'
@@ -265,7 +182,12 @@ def test_dialog_handler_logs_dialogs():
         chrome_pid = None
         modalcloser_process = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-dialog',
+                snapshot_id='snap-dialog',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             modalcloser_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'modalcloser'
             modalcloser_dir.mkdir()
@@ -313,7 +235,12 @@ def test_config_poll_interval():
         chrome_pid = None
         modalcloser_process = None
         try:
-            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(tmpdir)
+            chrome_launch_process, chrome_pid, snapshot_chrome_dir = setup_chrome_session(
+                Path(tmpdir),
+                crawl_id='test-poll',
+                snapshot_id='snap-poll',
+                test_url=TEST_URL,
+            )
 
             modalcloser_dir = snapshot_chrome_dir.parent / 'modalcloser'
             modalcloser_dir.mkdir()
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/twocaptcha/on_Crawl__20_install_twocaptcha_extension.js b/archivebox/plugins/twocaptcha/on_Crawl__20_install_twocaptcha_extension.js
index 8335a0d9..04b15d73 100755
--- a/archivebox/plugins/twocaptcha/on_Crawl__20_install_twocaptcha_extension.js
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/twocaptcha/on_Crawl__20_install_twocaptcha_extension.js
@@ -16,11 +16,8 @@
  * - Extension will automatically solve reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, Cloudflare Turnstile, etc.
  */
 
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('fs');
-
 // Import extension utilities
-const extensionUtils = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
+const { installExtensionWithCache } = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
 
 // Extension metadata
 const EXTENSION = {
@@ -28,76 +25,25 @@ const EXTENSION = {
     name: 'twocaptcha',
 };
 
-// Get extensions directory from environment or use default
-const EXTENSIONS_DIR = process.env.CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR ||
-    path.join(process.env.DATA_DIR || './data', 'personas', process.env.ACTIVE_PERSONA || 'Default', 'chrome_extensions');
-
 /**
- * Install and configure the 2captcha extension
- */
-async function installCaptchaExtension() {
-    console.log('[*] Installing 2captcha extension...');
-
-    // Install the extension
-    const extension = await extensionUtils.loadOrInstallExtension(EXTENSION, EXTENSIONS_DIR);
-
-    if (!extension) {
-        console.error('[❌] Failed to install 2captcha extension');
-        return null;
-    }
-
-    // Check if API key is configured
-    const apiKey = process.env.TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY || process.env.API_KEY_2CAPTCHA;
-    if (!apiKey || apiKey === 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE') {
-        console.warn('[⚠️] 2captcha extension installed but TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY not configured');
-        console.warn('[⚠️] Set TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY environment variable to enable automatic CAPTCHA solving');
-    } else {
-        console.log('[+] 2captcha extension installed and API key configured');
-    }
-
-    return extension;
-}
-
-/**
- * Note: 2captcha configuration is now handled by chrome plugin
+ * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
+ *
+ * Note: 2captcha configuration is handled by on_Crawl__25_configure_twocaptcha_extension_options.js
  * during first-time browser setup to avoid repeated configuration on every snapshot.
  * The API key is injected via chrome.storage API once per browser session.
  */
-
-/**
- * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
- */
 async function main() {
-    // Check if extension is already cached
-    const cacheFile = path.join(EXTENSIONS_DIR, 'twocaptcha.extension.json');
+    const extension = await installExtensionWithCache(EXTENSION);
 
-    if (fs.existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        try {
-            const cached = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cacheFile, 'utf-8'));
-            const manifestPath = path.join(cached.unpacked_path, 'manifest.json');
-
-            if (fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
-                console.log('[*] 2captcha extension already installed (using cache)');
-                return cached;
-            }
-        } catch (e) {
-            // Cache file corrupted, re-install
-            console.warn('[⚠️] Extension cache corrupted, re-installing...');
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Install extension
-    const extension = await installCaptchaExtension();
-
-    // Export extension metadata for chrome plugin to load
     if (extension) {
-        // Write extension info to a cache file that chrome plugin can read
-        await fs.promises.mkdir(EXTENSIONS_DIR, { recursive: true });
-        await fs.promises.writeFile(
-            cacheFile,
-            JSON.stringify(extension, null, 2)
-        );
-        console.log(`[+] Extension metadata written to ${cacheFile}`);
+        // Check if API key is configured
+        const apiKey = process.env.TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY || process.env.API_KEY_2CAPTCHA;
+        if (!apiKey || apiKey === 'YOUR_API_KEY_HERE') {
+            console.warn('[⚠️] 2captcha extension installed but TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY not configured');
+            console.warn('[⚠️] Set TWOCAPTCHA_API_KEY environment variable to enable automatic CAPTCHA solving');
+        } else {
+            console.log('[+] 2captcha extension installed and API key configured');
+        }
     }
 
     return extension;
@@ -106,7 +52,6 @@ async function main() {
 // Export functions for use by other plugins
 module.exports = {
     EXTENSION,
-    installCaptchaExtension,
 };
 
 // Run if executed directly
diff --git a/archivebox/plugins/ublock/on_Crawl__20_install_ublock_extension.js b/archivebox/plugins/ublock/on_Crawl__20_install_ublock_extension.js
index b8a0219c..deb1ada7 100755
--- a/archivebox/plugins/ublock/on_Crawl__20_install_ublock_extension.js
+++ b/archivebox/plugins/ublock/on_Crawl__20_install_ublock_extension.js
@@ -18,11 +18,8 @@
  * - Uses efficient blocking with filter lists
  */
 
-const path = require('path');
-const fs = require('fs');
-
 // Import extension utilities
-const extensionUtils = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
+const { installExtensionWithCache } = require('../chrome/chrome_utils.js');
 
 // Extension metadata
 const EXTENSION = {
@@ -30,69 +27,17 @@ const EXTENSION = {
     name: 'ublock',
 };
 
-// Get extensions directory from environment or use default
-const EXTENSIONS_DIR = process.env.CHROME_EXTENSIONS_DIR ||
-    path.join(process.env.DATA_DIR || './data', 'personas', process.env.ACTIVE_PERSONA || 'Default', 'chrome_extensions');
-
-/**
- * Install the uBlock Origin extension
- */
-async function installUblockExtension() {
-    console.log('[*] Installing uBlock Origin extension...');
-
-    // Install the extension
-    const extension = await extensionUtils.loadOrInstallExtension(EXTENSION, EXTENSIONS_DIR);
-
-    if (!extension) {
-        console.error('[❌] Failed to install uBlock Origin extension');
-        return null;
-    }
-
-    console.log('[+] uBlock Origin extension installed');
-    console.log('[+] Ads and trackers will be blocked during archiving');
-
-    return extension;
-}
-
 /**
+ * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
+ *
  * Note: uBlock Origin works automatically with default filter lists.
  * No configuration needed - blocks ads, trackers, and malware domains out of the box.
  */
-
-/**
- * Main entry point - install extension before archiving
- */
 async function main() {
-    // Check if extension is already cached
-    const cacheFile = path.join(EXTENSIONS_DIR, 'ublock.extension.json');
+    const extension = await installExtensionWithCache(EXTENSION);
 
-    if (fs.existsSync(cacheFile)) {
-        try {
-            const cached = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(cacheFile, 'utf-8'));
-            const manifestPath = path.join(cached.unpacked_path, 'manifest.json');
-
-            if (fs.existsSync(manifestPath)) {
-                console.log('[*] uBlock Origin extension already installed (using cache)');
-                return cached;
-            }
-        } catch (e) {
-            // Cache file corrupted, re-install
-            console.warn('[⚠️] Extension cache corrupted, re-installing...');
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Install extension
-    const extension = await installUblockExtension();
-
-    // Export extension metadata for chrome plugin to load
     if (extension) {
-        // Write extension info to a cache file that chrome plugin can read
-        await fs.promises.mkdir(EXTENSIONS_DIR, { recursive: true });
-        await fs.promises.writeFile(
-            cacheFile,
-            JSON.stringify(extension, null, 2)
-        );
-        console.log(`[+] Extension metadata written to ${cacheFile}`);
+        console.log('[+] Ads and trackers will be blocked during archiving');
     }
 
     return extension;
@@ -101,7 +46,6 @@ async function main() {
 // Export functions for use by other plugins
 module.exports = {
     EXTENSION,
-    installUblockExtension,
 };
 
 // Run if executed directly