CODEWITHSUNDEEP
google-chrome-extension
Leah Korganowski
Leah Korganowski

Reputation: 83

Google Chrome Store - Add-In Keeps Getting Rejected

I've been really getting frustrated with this, so am hoping someone has come across something similar and might be able to give some good advice to how I can proceed.

I developed a Google Chrome Add-In that is a bookmark tool for our company. When installed the user has the latest links (in interactive drop-down menus), for our company. It has already been published on the Chrome store to internal users only, with about 6 major updates already done.

Backend: -HTML & CSS -No JS or anything complicated, a very simple add-in

Problem: - I recently updated and added a few new bookmark links to the html file and some small design changes as well. - I uploaded the latest packaged version in the developer dashboard and tried to Publish it. - Every time I try to publish it goes into a "Pending" state. I am used to this, however, it is going for what I believe is a manual review (takes about 3-7 days each publish), and gets rejected with this statement:

Your item did not comply with the following section of our Program Policies:

"Spam and Placement in the Store"

Items should work and provide some functionality upon installation.

Items should provide the promised functionality that aligns with the description of the item.

Please review your item and make necessary changes so that it provides the function/service included in >the item’s description.

It's been rejected 3 times now. The first time I went through my code and made sure it was clean. Second and third times I've been adding to the description in the store and alternating the description in the manifest. As well this last time I went through the manifest again to make sure it is compliant, and it looks to be so. It's odd for me though because the description has never been an issue before, so not sure why I am being flagged.

Has anyone come across this and have any suggestions to make this pass? I am so scared to publish again as they suspend accounts that re-publish to often.

P.S. Contacted Google many times but have not heard back (not surprised)

Just in Case, store page listing information:

Name: CompanyName My Department's Bookmarks

Short name: Not specified in manifest

Manifest Description: Navigate throughout "departmentnames" core sites and have access to the Latest > News Spotlight.

Detailed Description: The "department" Bookmarks tool is a Google Chrome extension which has the "department" experience in one central area.

Why have the extension?

The "department" Bookmark tool saves you time and effort! Don't spend your time hunting for information any longer!

Key Components: - The entire "department" experience in one central area. - Latest news Spotlight: View and submit the latest "department" news for your fellow colleagues to see.

Description lists all the content within.

Manifest:

 {

   "manifest_version": 2,
   "name": "Company My Dept Bookmarks",
   "version": "1.81",

   "description": "Navigate throughout Dept  core sites and have access to the > Latest News Spotlight.",
 "icons": {  "default_icon": "icon.png" },

  "browser_action": {

           "default_icon": {

             "icon": "icon.png"

           },

           "default_title": "Dept Bookmarks",

           "default_popup": "popup.html"

         },
  "content_security_policy": "script-src 'self' https://ajax.googleapis.com; object-src 'self'"

 }```

Upvotes: 4

Views: 854

Answers (2)

Leah Korganowski
Leah Korganowski

Reputation: 83

Posting an answer to my problem because I did manage to get it back up in the Chrome Store!

Before publishing this latest update I did some cleaning of the files in my package and removed my "icon.png", which was referenced in the manifest file. I didn't think of this as being an issue because when posting to the Chrome store you are required to upload the icon separately. But this was cause the issue! I put it back in and it loaded in fine (something so small creating it to not work!).

I hope this answer can help anyone else having a similar issue, check all your files in your package to ensure they are present if they are noted in your manifest.

Upvotes: 2

jfarleyx
jfarleyx

Reputation: 785

I've had a similar experience with a corporate-only chrome extension, though for slightly different reasons. The extension required elevated permissions and interacts heavily with the UI's of the web apps the employees use.

I'll share a few tips that we used to get the extension approved, though it always undergoes a review that takes about 5 business days to be approved.

  1. Since the extension is only for corporate employees, it's "unlisted" in the chrome store. Using a Group Policy, we download the extension from the Chrome store and install it on employee's machines.
  2. We added screenshots containing our company logo and text that explains the extension is intended only for employees of our company and is not for use by the general public.
  3. In our manifest we explain what the extension does and reiterate that it is intended only for employees of our company and not for public use.

Those items seemed to satisfy Google for our scenario. That said, there are alternative distribution methods you could explore. Details are here: https://developer.chrome.com/apps/external_extensions

Best of luck!

Upvotes: 3

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