Opera Extensions API and the Proposed chrome.history.query Cursor Pagination: Compatibility Question

Answer

As of the latest Opera stable release, the chrome.history.query API with cursor‑based pagination has not been implemented. Opera typically mirrors Chrome’s Manifest V3 additions after they stabilize, but adoption is not guaranteed.

Confirmed facts

• Opera’s extension APIs track Chromium/Chrome closely; new Chrome Manifest V3 features usually appear in Opera a few releases later unless Opera explicitly opts out.
• The chrome.history.query proposal (cursor token + nextCursor field) is still under discussion in the Web Extensions Community Group and is not yet in stable Chrome or Chromium.
• If Opera adopts the proposal, the API will be exposed to Manifest V3 service workers exactly as specified: chrome.history.query({text?: string, maxResults?: number, cursor?: string}) => Promise<{items: HistoryItem[], nextCursor?: string}>.

Likely explanation

Given Opera’s history of following Chrome’s API surface, it is reasonable to expect that once the proposal reaches Chrome stable, Opera will incorporate it in a subsequent release. However, Opera may deviate for policy or performance reasons, so the outcome remains uncertain.

Steps if the API becomes available

1. Check the Opera extension documentation or release notes for chrome.history.query.
2. In your Manifest V3 service worker, call the API with a cursor token to retrieve a batch of results:

let cursor = undefined;
async function fetchHistoryBatch() {
  const result = await chrome.history.query({text: '', maxResults: 1000, cursor});
  processItems(result.items);
  cursor = result.nextCursor;
  if (cursor) { setTimeout(fetchHistoryBatch, 0); } // yield to stay under CPU limit
}
fetchHistoryBatch();

3. Process each batch quickly (e.g., < 50 ms CPU) to stay within the ~30 s service‑worker CPU budget, yielding between batches.

Fallback strategies if the API remains unavailable

• Split requests into time‑windowed chrome.history.search calls (e.g., one day per request) and combine results.
• Cache previously fetched entries and update incrementally using the onVisited and onRemoved events.
• Use the last visited visitId as a resumable marker, noting that IDs may have gaps or change across sync, making this approach fragile.

Missing diagnostic detail: Has Opera enabled the chrome.history.query flag in its Developer or Beta build? Knowing this would confirm near‑term availability and change the recommendation.