Chrome Web Store team has published a series of updates to our Developer Program Policies page designed to encourage the development of high quality products, prevent deceptive behavior, and ensure informed user consent. Here's a summary of the updated policies.
Listing requirements
Consistency and transparency are paramount to maintaining user trust and satisfaction, and one of our key priorities is to maintain accurate and functional listings on the Chrome Web Store. Our policy has always required certain parts of your listing to be up to date, such as your product's description. Moving forward, all elements within a product listing must be up to date and fully operational. This change addresses common issues, such as broken videos and non-functional elements, that users might encounter on a product's listing page.
Moreover, it is crucial that the behavior of your extension matches the descriptions provided both in the product listing and in the developer dashboard.
Quality guidelines
We are clarifying our Quality Guidelines to ensure a seamless user experience. Specifically, new tab page extensions are now explicitly prohibited from altering a user's search experience unless they use the chrome.search API. This clarification aims to prevent any unexpected or unwanted changes to a user's browsing experience, ensuring that any modifications are clearly communicated and controlled. For more information on the Quality Guidelines policy, see our updated FAQ.
Deceptive installation tactics
To further protect our users, we are updating our policies regarding deceptive installation tactics. This update specifies that all advertisements, marketing materials, and referral pages fall within the scope of our policies. Additionally, every call-to-action button must clearly state that an extension is being installed. This requirement is designed to eliminate any ambiguity, ensuring users are fully aware when they are installing an extension. For more information on the Deceptive Installation Tactics policy, see our updated FAQ.
What this means for you
As developers, it's essential to review and align your extensions with these updated policies.
Here's what you can do to comply:
- Audit your listings: Check all elements of your product listings to ensure they are current and fully functional. Verify that your extension's behavior is accurately described and consistent across all platforms.
- Review new tab extensions: If you develop new tab page extensions, ensure they comply with the updated guidelines and use the chrome.search API appropriately.
- Update installation processes: Update your ads, marketing materials, and referral pages to clearly indicate when an extension is being installed. Make sure all call-to-action buttons explicitly state this to avoid any deceptive practices.
Thank you for your attention to these important updates. We're grateful for all you've done to build for the Chrome Web Store, and we're here to help you navigate the changes as we continue to make it even better. We're excited about what lies ahead, and as always, we welcome your feedback.