Why I Built a Tool to Diagnose Chrome Extension Rejections

I've been building indie software tools for the past year. Most of them are Chrome extensions.

Last month, I was scrolling through Reddit's r/ChromeExtensions when I saw a post that stuck with me:

"My extension got rejected again. Google just says 'violates policies.' I have no idea what's wrong. Should I just give up?"

The replies were all the same: "Check your permissions. Add a privacy policy. Try again."

But here's what bothered me: nobody really knew what the actual problem was. Everyone was just guessing.

That's when I realized — this isn't a skill issue. It's an information problem.

The Developer's Nightmare

Think about it from a developer's perspective:

You spend weeks building a Chrome extension. You think it's solid. You submit it to Google Web Store.

48 hours later: Rejected.

Google's email: "Your extension violates Chrome Web Store policies. Please review our policies and resubmit."

That's it. No specifics. No "it's the webRequest permission" or "your description is misleading." Just... rejected.

So what do you do?

• Read 50 pages of Chrome Web Store policy documentation (which one applies?)
• Check Reddit threads from 2021 (still relevant?)
• Delete random permissions (will this actually fix it?)
• Resubmit and hope (probability of passing: unknown)

This cycle can repeat 3-5 times. Each time, you lose:

• 48 hours waiting
• Opportunity cost (could've been building something else)
• Confidence (is my code just bad?)

And here's the kicker: there's no appeal process. You can't argue with Google. You just... try again.

Why This Matters (Especially to Indies)

For enterprises, this is an annoyance. They have DevOps teams and compliance experts.

For indie developers like me, this is a real blocker.

Your Chrome extension is distribution channel + credibility + revenue. Without it, you're stuck.

I started tracking rejections in the community. The numbers surprised me:

• 40% of first-time rejections are due to "overly broad permissions"
• 25% are missing privacy policy or misleading descriptions
• 20% are due to unclear functionality
• 15% are edge cases or genuinely confused rejections

The first three categories? They're 100% preventable if developers knew exactly what Google was looking for.

The Idea

I thought: What if there was a tool that could diagnose rejection reasons in seconds?

A tool that:

1. Takes Google's vague rejection email
2. Analyzes your manifest.json and extension description
3. Tells you exactly which policy you violated and why
4. Suggests specific fixes with code examples
5. Generates a professional appeal letter

Not a guessing game. Actual diagnosis.

Building Chrome Extension Doctor

I spent the last 3 weeks building exactly that.

Here's what it does:

Step 1: Upload Your Info

• Paste Google's rejection reason
• Paste your manifest.json
• Briefly describe your extension

Step 2: AI Diagnosis

• Analyzes against Chrome Web Store policies
• Identifies high/medium/low risk issues
• Explains why each one is a problem
• Suggests specific fixes

Step 3: Generate Appeal

• Creates a professional appeal letter
• References specific Google policies
• Lists all your improvements
• Ready to send to Google

The whole process takes 30 seconds instead of 3 hours of researching.

Why I'm Sharing This

I could've just kept this as a side project. But I realized: this is exactly the kind of tool indie developers need.

It solves:

• ✅ Information asymmetry (Google doesn't explain rejections)
• ✅ Time waste (hours of research → 30 seconds)
• ✅ Emotional frustration (someone actually helps)
• ✅ Increased success rate (you fix the real problem, not guessed problems)

What's Next

I'm launching Chrome Extension Doctor this week.

It's built on:

• Frontend: Pure HTML/CSS/JS (no framework bloat)
• Backend: Cloudflare Workers + Claude API
• How to use: Free trial included, no credit card required

The tool is live and ready to try. The first 50 users will help me refine it. Your feedback will shape what comes next.

The Bigger Picture

This is part of a larger experiment I'm running: solving specific pain points for indie developers.

Each tool is:

• Tiny in scope (solves ONE problem)
• Fast to build (weeks, not months)
• Validated by real users
• Actually profitable

Chrome Extension Doctor is #3 in this series. #1 and #2 are already making money.

If this works, I'll build more tools in this vein. Because I believe:

The best indie products aren't trying to replace enterprise software. They're solving the micro-problems that affect thousands of solo developers.

For You

• If you've ever built a Chrome extension, you know this pain
• If you've been rejected, you know it could've been easier
• If you believe in helping indie developers, let's chat

Have you been rejected by Google's extension store? What was your experience?

Comment below. I'm reading every reply.

Next week, I'll write a deeper dive into how the tool works and share a live demo.

P.S. — If you're an indie dev building your own stuff, I'd love to hear what other tools would make your life easier. Reply in the comments.