Launch plan · Chrome extensions
Where to launch a Chrome extension
For a browser extension, the stores come first: people install from them, and each has its own account and review process. Launch boards and communities then send people to a store page that already works.
What to have ready
- The Chrome Web Store images: a 128 by 128 icon, one to five screenshots at 1280 by 800 or 640 by 400, and a 440 by 280 small promo tile.
- A dedicated email for the Chrome developer account, because it cannot be changed later.
- A single, clearly stated purpose and a privacy disclosure for the Chrome Privacy tab.
- A separate source package for Firefox if your code is minified.
- Time for Edge company verification, which can take days to weeks.
01
Before launch: publish to the stores
Register and publish before announcing anything, because every store reviews submissions.
Chrome Web Store
A one-time registration fee, and the account email cannot be changed later.
Account registration feeStep-by-step guide
Microsoft Edge Add-ons
No registration fee; company accounts can take days to weeks to verify.
Free submission
02
Launch week: one board, one community
Send launch traffic to the store listing, where people can install in one click.
Product Hunt
Free to launch; prepare a 240 by 240 thumbnail and two or more gallery images.
Free submissionStep-by-step guide
Peerlist Launchpad
Weekly launches opening on Mondays (UTC), judged across the whole week.
Fee not confirmedStep-by-step guide
03
First month: lasting discovery
Add the listings people search when they want a replacement.
AlternativeTo
Lists browser extensions against the tools they replace; links go in dedicated fields, not the description.
Free + paid options, paid from $5 priority reviewStep-by-step guide
DEV Community
A technical write-up of how the extension works reaches developers who install tools.
Free submission
Mistakes to avoid
- Requesting broad host permissions such as <all_urls> when the extension does not need them. Chrome reviews those more slowly.
- Announcing before the store listings are live.
- Using different names, icons or screenshots in each store.
How to tell if it worked
- Installs and weekly users per store, from each store's developer dashboard.
- Uninstalls in the first week, which show whether the listing matched what people got.
The launch tracker keeps each channel's cost and results in your browser, and launch receipts shows what other founders got from the same channels.
More tips
- Keep the same name, icon and screenshots across all three stores.
- Write the privacy disclosure before submitting; every store asks for it.
Fees, queues and rules change. Every channel page shows when it was last checked and links to the site's own pages.
See every channel for chrome extensionsQuestions about launching chrome extensions
How long does it take to publish a Chrome extension?
- Google says most extensions are reviewed within a few days, but it can take up to a few weeks, and new developers, new extensions and broad permissions take longer. You can hold an approved extension for up to 30 days and publish it on your launch day.
Should I publish to Firefox and Edge as well?
- Usually, yes. Listing on Firefox Add-ons is free and Edge has no registration fee, so the extra reach costs time rather than money. Firefox asks for a separate source package if your code is minified.