How to Avoid Chrome Web Store 'Red Nickel' Rejection: What I Found After Auditing 18 Extensions

May 19, 2026 · 4:50 PM UTC ·5 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 29 views

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

The article discusses the author's experience with a rejection from the Chrome Web Store due to the use of the word 'Free' in their extension listing. Following this, the author conducted an audit of their 18 extensions to identify similar violations related to promotional language. The findings revealed that a significant number of listings contained prohibited terms, prompting the author to develop a framework to avoid future rejections.

Key facts

▪The author was rejected from the Chrome Web Store for using the word 'Free' in their extension listing.
▪An audit of 18 extensions revealed that 80% had at least one violation of the Chrome Web Store's promotional language rules.
▪The author categorized violations into four patterns, with image badges being the highest risk for rejection.

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Original publisher	DEV.to (Top)
Canonical URL	https://dev.to/_350df62777eb55e1/how-to-avoid-chrome-web-store-red-nickel-rejection-what-i-found-after-auditing-18-extensions-gbg
Publication time	Tue, 19 May 2026 16:50:36 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-19T17:04:57.940Z
Last seen	2026-05-19T17:04:57.940Z
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Indexing	May the item be indexed (stored, ranked, made findable)?	Allowed
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Basis: Derived from the published RSS/Atom feed. Contact: [email protected]. Reviewed: 2026-07-24.

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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand

try { if(localStorage) { let currentUser = localStorage.getItem('current_user'); if (currentUser) { currentUser = JSON.parse(currentUser); if (currentUser.id === 3680827) { document.getElementById('article-show-container').classList.add('current-user-is-article-author'); } } } } catch (e) { console.error(e); } SHOTA Posted on May 19 How to Avoid Chrome Web Store 'Red Nickel' Rejection: What I Found After Auditing 18 Extensions #chrome #javascript #productivity #webdev I got my Chrome extension rejected from the Chrome Web Store last week for a 4-letter word: "Free." Not a permission issue. Not a CSP violation. Not a manifest field. Just the word "Free" sitting in a small badge on my listing image.

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