Chrome Extension Kit

ARTICLE

What to Check Before Publishing to the Chrome Web Store

Chrome Web Store preparation checklist represented as panels.

A Chrome extension is not ready for the Chrome Web Store just because it works locally. The listing, permissions, privacy disclosures, screenshots, and support path are part of the product.

Start with the single-purpose test. A user should understand what the extension does in one sentence. A bundle of unrelated tools is harder to explain and harder to review.

Then check permissions against that purpose. Strong permissions such as all-site access, history, tabs, notifications, and clipboard access need a clear product reason. Remove anything unused. Move permissions to optional access when the feature can request them later.

Privacy disclosures must match reality. If the extension sends data to Polar.sh, Cloudflare Worker APIs, GitHub, analytics, or your own backend, document that flow accurately. Do not describe a feature as local-only if it validates a license through a server.

The listing should help users decide before installing. Use a specific title, short description, detailed description, screenshots, icon, support URL, and privacy policy. Clear explanation beats keyword stuffing.

For paid extensions, explain free and paid states. Users should know what they can inspect before purchase, what unlocks after purchase, and how they recover access on a new device.

Before submission, test fresh install, update, permission changes, missing license, expired license, network failure, server failure, and browser restart. These cases are where many paid-extension support requests begin.

References