In Safari on macOS 27, go to the website you want to change, click the Page menu button in the Smart Search field, and choose Describe Extension. Type what you want, and Safari either points you to a matching extension in the App Store or builds one you can try before you save it.
Safari on iPadOS 27 has the same option. Both use Apple Intelligence, and Apple’s guide says the result lets you “customize or add to any webpage you visit.”
What it’s for, and what you need
Apple’s macOS 27 release notes give one example: “adding a button to save your favorite recipes.” That’s the right scale. Think of a small change to a site you visit often, not a new app.
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Keep expectations in check. Apple doesn’t publish a list of what a described extension can or can’t do, and the result depends on what you type. Safari also checks the App Store before it builds anything, so an existing extension may already do the job.
The feature needs Apple Intelligence. Apple’s Mac page adds a short note: Apple Intelligence on macOS 27 “is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.” Apple Intelligence works with Siri and device language set to one of 16 languages, English among them. If your Mac isn’t on macOS 27 yet, check and back up your Mac before you install it.
Create an extension on your Mac
- Open the Safari app on your Mac.
- Go to the website you want to create an extension for.
- Click the Page menu button in the Smart Search field, then choose Describe Extension.
- Enter a description of what you want to create, or select one of the suggested categories. Safari checks the App Store to see if a matching extension already exists.
- Select an item in the list of matching App Store extensions, or click Create to make your own.
- Click the resulting extension to make changes to it, or click Try to try it out.
- While you’re trying it, click Edit to make more changes, or click Save to keep it.
Don’t skip Try. It shows the extension working on the page before it becomes part of your browser, and Edit lets you adjust the result without starting over.
Create an extension on your iPad
The iPad steps match the Mac’s, with taps and slightly different buttons:
- Open the Safari app on your iPad, then go to the webpage you want to create an extension for.
- Tap the Page Menu button, then tap Describe Extension.
- Enter a description, or select one of the suggested categories. Safari checks the App Store for a match.
- Choose an item from the list of matching App Store extensions. If there are no results, tap Create.
- Tap the resulting extension to make changes to it, or tap Try to try it out.
- While you’re trying it, tap Edit to make more changes, or tap the checkmark button to save it.
To delete a custom extension on iPad, tap the Page Menu button, tap Manage Extensions, select the extension, then tap Delete Extension.
Check what your extensions can see
A homemade extension is still an extension, and Apple’s Mac guide carries a warning that covers all of them: “Extensions may access the content of the webpages you visit. Check which extensions you installed and make sure you’re familiar with what they do.”
On a Mac, choose Safari > Settings, then click Extensions. Deselect an extension’s checkbox to turn it off, or select it and click Uninstall to remove it. To limit what one can reach, click the extension’s button in the toolbar and choose how much access it has. Apple says changes may take effect right away, or after you go to a new webpage or refresh the current one.
On iPad, tap the Manage Extensions button on the right side of the search field, then tap Manage Extensions to set permissions or turn extensions on or off for the site you’re on. More options are in Settings > Apps > Safari > Extensions.
For the rest of what changed in Safari and across the Mac, see our macOS 27 Golden Gate release coverage.
