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This FAQ answers some common questions about the Chrome Web Shop. If you don't find your answer here, cheque the full general extension FAQs, how to troubleshoot Chrome Web Store violations, or the chromium-extension group. For additional technical questions and word, we recommend Stack Overflow.

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Full general Questions

What is the Chrome Spider web Store?

The Chrome Spider web Shop is an open market for Google Chrome Extensions and Google Chrome Themes, where consumers may scan, install, and purchase items and install them in their browser. These items are built with web technologies and run inside of web browsers.

Why would someone install an extension instead of but using a bookmark or typing in a URL?

Users tin use extensions to add new features to existing spider web apps, go relevant data on pages and become timely notifications about certain events. Installing an extension too allows yous to grant it privileges such every bit unlimited local storage and background pages.

How will users find my extension?

The Chrome Spider web Store volition surface extensions in a variety of ways. Of course, each extension gets a folio in the store, which volition exist searchable via the store and other search engines. There volition be category lists in the store, as well as a variety of curated and algorithmically generated lists. Nosotros recommend that y'all broadly promote your extension, through marketing websites and other ways, so that users will find your extension even outside of the store.

Why am I being asked to pay a registration fee?

The registration fee helps to prevent fraud in the Chrome Web Store. You need to pay this one-fourth dimension fee before you lot tin can access the Chrome Spider web Store Developer Dashboard.

If yous are already using the developer dashboard but haven't paid this fee all the same, you must now pay information technology in order to continue accessing your developer dashboard. This i-fourth dimension fee is now office of the standard developer registration process.

Is there an approving procedure for extensions in the shop?

All extensions become through an automated review process and in some cases, an extension will exist published without further manual review. At that place may be some instances in which a manual review will be required earlier the extension is published based on our programme policies. In some cases, where sensitive permissions are requested, review times and/or approval times may exist longer.

What types of extensions are not allowed in the shop?

While we try to allow most extensions, a small number of extensions are explicitly disallowed in our Developer Terms of Service and Program Policies. Such extensions will be removed when they are brought to our attention.

How practice I study an calumniating extension?

To report an extension which violates our Terms of Service, locate the respective listing in the shop and use the "Report abuse" link.

How are items ranked in the shop?

Items in the store are ranked or featured in order to go far easier for users to discover high quality content. Ranking is performed past a heuristic that takes into business relationship ratings from users too as usage statistics, such equally the number of downloads vs. uninstalls over time.

What are "By Google" extensions?

Certain extensions on the Chrome Web Store are marked equally "Past Google". These extensions have been developed past Google and go through a rigorous review procedure. You may also search specifically for these extensions by checking the "By Google" checkbox on the search pages.

How are "Featured" items selected?

The Chrome Web Store team occasionally selects interesting listings every bit "Featured" listings. We're not accepting requests to be featured at this point, since that would quickly become unmanageable. Here are a few tips to increase the likelihood that we'll feature your listing:

Write a great piece of software
Make sure your listing looks really nice (prissy icon, good descriptions, well-baked screenshots and/or videos)
Promote your list independently then that it starts to ascent in the rankings

How can my extension be selected for a collection?

The collections are curated, and are not intended to be comprehensive. A drove is curated using the ranking criteria already listed and may exist selected to provide helpful results for certain circumstantial situations, such equally work-from-habitation extensions. Solicitations to be placed in a drove are non accepted.

How can I provide support for users of my extension?

First you must "Enable User Feedback" in your developer dashboard Account settings.

Enable User Feedback Support tab

You tin can manage user feedback using the User Support tab of your dashboard item or y'all can add together a give-and-take group link like Google Groups to the Support URL field.

Tin can I remove comments from my listing if I believe they are unfair?

No, you can't remove user comments. However, nosotros encourage you to answer to user feedback in the comments to show that y'all are addressing their concerns.

You may also report fake reviews via the Developer Support Form.

Is there a limit to the number of items I can accept on the Chrome Web Store?

Yous can upload as many items to the Chrome Web Store as yous similar, only by default, you are limited to having a total of 20 published items at any one fourth dimension. This limit applies to the sum of your Themes and Chrome Extensions as a total—it is not 20 of each item. If yous attain this limit, you may asking a limit increase. The Chrome Spider web Store staff will review your existing items and your programmer account history, and if approved, y'all will be granted an increment. Please note that if your developer account has been suspended in the past, or you lot have had items taken down previously for policy violations, or your items consistently receive low quality ratings, your request may exist denied.

Development

Can I obfuscate my code?

As of Oct 1st 2018, developers must not obfuscate code or conceal functionality of their extensions. This also applies to whatsoever external code or resources fetched past the extension package. For more information, please review our programme policies.

The following are some examples of code obfuscation:

Base 64 encoding
Grapheme encoding

How do I write an extension?

You can find all the information yous demand to develop extensions in the Documentation for Chrome extensions developers.

How can I push an update of my code to my users?

To Update your Chrome Web Shop item, visit the developer dashboard and click on the listing you wish to update. Once you lot upload a new version and click Publish, your update volition automatically be pushed out to users over the adjacent few hours.

Can I host my own extension?

You lot can host your own extensions in express cases, such as for Linux or ChromeOS users. Consider enterprise publishing or developer mode.

Creating a list

In what format should I upload my code?

To upload an detail to the Chrome Web Shop, submit a Cipher file containing the files used in your extension. Do not upload a .crx file; the submission will neglect.

How long volition information technology have for my listing to appear in the shop?

The item won't appear in the web store until it has successfully completed the review process. (Although the detail's unique ID is generated every bit soon equally you lot upload your first naught file.) For farther details, see Chrome Web Store Review Times.

Extensions which are published to the same domain equally the publisher accost may be approved more than rapidly. Larn more about enterprise publishing.

How can I remove my list from the store?

Visit the programmer dashboard. Click the detail you desire to remove from the store, then that the edit page for that item appears. And then click the "more than options" icon in the top right-hand corner and select Unpublish. Your listing volition no longer exist visible in the store.

Screenshot of how to unpublish an item

What are the screenshot and text requirements for the store?

See Supplying Images for guidelines on supplying images for the store. Read more on how to create a great list.

How tin I export an extension from the store?

Currently we practise not support exporting a list's sources or private key from the shop.

Why did I receive a "Cannot parse the manifest" error when uploading my extension?

The manifest file needs to be in JSON format. Almost probable, you've included a comment in the manifest file that is non recognized by the Chrome Web Shop's JSON parser. Try removing any comments from the manifest file and try re-uploading.

I've verified my domain, and I take a wildcard URL like *://example.com, merely the Chrome Web Store is notwithstanding asking me to verify my domain. What gives?

If you lot apply a wildcard like *://case.com, make sure you have verified both http://example.com and https://instance.com.

When I attempt to upload to the Chrome Spider web Store, I become this error: "(Server rejected) An error occurred: please try again afterward." What gives?

This mistake occasionally occurs if you've been logged into the Chrome Spider web Store for a long time. If you sign out of your Google Account and so sign back in, you should exist able to upload your extension.

Tin can I control the regions where my extension is listed?

Aye, in the Distribution Tab y'all tin specify which countries will see your item list in the Chrome Web Store.

How exercise I localize my listing in the store?

There are three points where you need to localize your extension for listing in a region that isn't your home market.

Your extension bundle. See Internationalizing Your Extension for information on localizing your extension's presence inside Chrome.
Your detailed clarification
Your screenshots

How do I localize my detailed clarification?

You first need to internationalize your extension and specify a "default_locale" attribute in your manifest. Once y'all upload your internationalized extension, a choice box will appear at the acme of your extension list, assuasive you to switch between languages that yous support and change the detailed clarification.

How do I show dissimilar screenshot images per region?

Visit your extension page in the Chrome Web Store Developer Dashboard, change the currently selected language to your desired selection (for case "en-GB") and upload a screenshot equally normal. Once the image is uploaded you will be presented with an option to "Show this item in all locales" or "Show this item only in the 'en-GB' locale". Select the latter to bear witness the screenshot to only users of the "en-GB" Chrome Web Shop.

My detail'due south condition says "pending review." What does this mean?

This means that y'all've submitted your detail for publishing and it is currently in the queue to be reviewed. The detail will not appear in the store until it passes this review.

How long volition it take to review my item?

Review times vary; some reviews complete in a few hours, others take many days, and in some cases a review can accept several weeks. Some reasons that an item could crave more extensive review include:

The detail is suspected to contain or to exist distributed by malware or unwanted software.
The detail is suspected to violate one of the developer programme policies.
The item may take already been previously removed for a legal or policy violation, and has been resubmitted.
The item requests powerful permissions that require in-depth review.

Annotation that all detail submissions—whether for a new item or an update to an existing one—are subject area to the same review procedure.

If your item'southward status says "pending review" for more than iii weeks, you should contact support.

Why isn't my extension showing upward on search?

Information technology depends. In that location are several reasons why your item may not exist showing up in search.

You just published your extension. Information technology might have a few hours before nosotros index it.
Your extension manifest version is out of engagement. Upgrade your particular to a electric current valid manifest version.
Your extension is not listed in the region you are searching in. Check your geographical distribution in the Distribution Tab.

My extension has been removed from the Chrome Web Store. What should I practice?

Extension removals count equally strikes against the good standing of your developer account. Multiple or egregious policy violations may result in termination of your developer business relationship.

For all policy violation extension removals, you will receive a removal notification email with more details in the developer account listed as the owner of the extension. You lot can also find this data in the Status Tab of your detail.
Please make the advisable changes so your extension complies with all Developer Plan Policies, Branding Guidelines and Terms of Services. For boosted assist, see the Troubleshooting violations FAQ.
In one case yous have remedied the violation y'all can resubmit via your developer dashboard.
Please practise not re-publish a removed extension until the policy violation has been remedied. If yous have boosted questions, follow the instructions in the CWS Complaint Handling FAQ.

My Chrome Web Store account has been suspended. What should I do?

If you believe your developer account was wrongly terminated, you can appeal here. We volition only reinstate accounts if an error was fabricated, and a re-review finds that your account does not violate the developer terms. For more information, check the CWS Complaint Handling FAQ.

How practise I link my Play and Chrome Spider web Store item so that the "Bachelor for Android" link appears on my item particular page?

We regularly run a script that looks for verbal matches between the item proper noun and the developer email address in Play and CWS. If in that location is an verbal friction match, the "Bachelor for Android" link will automatically evidence up on your item item page the next time the script runs. At this point, there is no fashion to enter the information into your list.

Additional Troubleshooting

If you go along experiencing problems with your Chrome Web Shop item, please contact u.s. with whatsoever additional details regarding the trouble.

How can I raise P2B concerns?

European developers can raise concerns about clarity of terms, policies, or other Platform To Business related issues past contacting CWS support.