Wanted to publish my first Extensions and got hit by Bugs and Errors very hard...

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Hi,

so i coded a little extension mainly for some subreddit but also useful for others and then wanted to publish it to make access easier.

so i logged in to the devaccount, uploaded the zip, written the description, uploaded some screenshot that show for what it is and

wanted to publish it.

Then i had to pay $5 first, which i did and then i published it.

It said 'Published' but nothing was there if i tried to visit that extension page only a 404 error came.

I refreshed .... waited ... tried again ... refreshed ... waited .... tried again. refreshed... 404 error.

Then suddenly, after 10 Minutes i got a text ' Taken down' and 

'At least one of your items has been removed from the store because it did not comply with our policies or terms of service.'

???

Why? Nothing Special about that Extension, it only adds an entry to the Right-Click Context Menu if Text is selected and calls an URL with it.

So what exactly doesn't comply with the their policies or terms of service?

Well, i assumed it's a bug, so i clicked 'Add New Item' and did it again... Now i got an 'Pending Review' and nothing happens again?!

I also tried to delete a draft, but that also fails, i click 'Discard Draft' and confirm, nothing happens, i did it 30 times already, nothing happens

especially the Draft doesn't go away.

I also tried to delete the one where 'Taken down' came, but this also fails, i tried it 20 times already, it doesn't go away.

And i also got a lot of Error 500 while trying...

So what's the Problem? I mean i payed $5 to publish that really small and easy extension and all i get are bugs, error, problems, issues, no information about whats wrong and i still wasn't able to publish it?

So do i need to simply upload the CRX somewhere then? And if so will i get my $5 back please, because well i did not get the service i paid for.

Also not really a good first impression, but perhaps i did expect too much form Google i don't know... :(

Best Regards

Nirantali

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Ohh forgot here the ID's

Taken down: jfaclingjhpenmjnlcgiagihabfbilcb

Pending Review: hhhdojffmkbfojpkdonchcimdpmbbcjd

Both are the same.

[PhistucK]

When a web store item is taken done, you usually get an e-mail, explaining a bit why it was taken down and you can reply to it. Did you get an e-mail (check the spam folder as well)?

The behavior you detailed dos indeed sound safe and compliant, however, maybe the URL to which you send the text is not compliant with the policies, or maybe you minified your sources (I am not sure why, but the web store does not like those). If you load some scripts from an external URL, that can also trigger a takedown.

☆PhistucK

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[Nirantali Zorvax]

No, the only Email i got was from Google Payments.

I also now tried to at least publish it as unlisted so that i can provide a link in the subreddit and got 'Something went wrong when we tried to publish. Google has been notified.'.

Well i could post the source here, it's really small, dunno what minified means, but the only URL called is 'url: "https://store.steampowered.com/account/registerkey?key=" + info.selectionText' the Extension is to simply activate Steam Keys, like select key and click in Context Menu...

And after that URL is opened via createtab an automate script is injected with executescript that does mark a checkbox and click a button, that's all, but is very convenient.

Dunno perhaps they don't like the AppTitle: Activate Steam Key from Context Menu?

[PhistucK]

The name might be problematic. I think the usual guidelines for naming is to add "for (brand name)" instead of incorporating the brand name in the name of the item like you did.

Sounds reasonable, anyway. I am not sure what is the matter.

Try to fill the form to which the description of the chromium-apps/chromium-extension groups links.

☆PhistucK

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Well, thanks, but i think it's probably better and faster to simply post it on Github, because that whole Goggle thing seems to be bugged.

I now did upload it a third time, this time 'unlisted' and again got 'Pending Review' so it's not even possible to test it.

I really wonder why i needed to pay $5 if i can't even upload to test it, hilarious.

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Ok, created Github Repository and uploaded it here https://github.com/K4r0qtuYNE5G4qgZ/RightClickSteamKeyActivator

Meanwhile Google Webstore still says 'Pending Review' on both, really wasted $5 for nothing... :(

[PhistucK]

Why did you use a persistent background page rather than an event page (persistent: false)? It does not look like you need it to always run in the background - but only when the user selects your context menu option.

(It is probably not the rejection cause, but, still)

☆PhistucK

On Fri, Sep 1, 2017 at 2:52 PM, Nirantali Zorvax <nirantal...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ok, created Github Repository and uploaded it here https://github.com/K4r0qtuYNE5G4qgZ/RightClickSteamKeyActivator

Meanwhile Google Webstore still says 'Pending Review' on both, really wasted $5 for nothing... :(

--

[Nirantali Zorvax]

I now tested it with (persistent: false) and the context menu option didn't show up after selecting text, so it must be (persistent: true) else it doesn't work.

[PhistucK]

Looks like they are supported in event page, with a slightly different way of coding.
From chrome.contextMenus -

"function (optional) onclick

A function that will be called back when the menu item is clicked. Event pages cannot use this; instead, they should register a listener for chrome.contextMenus.onClicked."

(Be sure to read the description of the other parameters, though)

☆PhistucK

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Well, i'm open to update/change if needed and if it makes sense, but if i have to go trough this issues every time i change a byte somewhere then

it's better to let like it is once it's published.

Also people are already installing it from the Github Repository now and it ironically seems Github is better suited for Chrome Extensions than the Goggle Chrome Extension Store,

at least for the ones that know how to install manually.

On Friday, September 1, 2017 at 5:49:12 PM UTC+2, PhistucK wrote:

Looks like they are supported in event page, with a slightly different way of coding.
From chrome.contextMenus -

"function (optional) onclick

A function that will be called back when the menu item is clicked. Event pages cannot use this; instead, they should register a listener for chrome.contextMenus.onClicked."

(Be sure to read the description of the other parameters, though)

☆PhistucK

On Fri, Sep 1, 2017 at 6:23 PM, Nirantali Zorvax <nirantal...@gmail.com> wrote:

I now tested it with (persistent: false) and the context menu option didn't show up after selecting text, so it must be (persistent: true) else it doesn't work.

On Friday, September 1, 2017 at 5:00:11 PM UTC+2, PhistucK wrote:

Why did you use a persistent background page rather than an event page (persistent: false)? It does not look like you need it to always run in the background - but only when the user selects your context menu option.

(It is probably not the rejection cause, but, still)

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[PhistucK]

The problem with the manual installation is that you get an annoying bubble every time you launch Chrome. No biggie, but annoying nevertheless.

However, getting to used to ignoring that bubble (like me, I admit :() can be a bit dangerous (some malicious application adds their extension to Chrome as an unpacked extension and the user just clicks through the bubble because they know they installed your extension manually so the bubble "must be safe" and their entire browsing history is now being monitored by an attacker or worse).

☆PhistucK

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[Nirantali Zorvax]

Yeah sure it's not so convenient for *normal* users but the ones that know how to do it manually usually also can handle such annoyances.

But it's also not like that extensions or applications from the store are all safe, there have been various malware infected android applications that came from

the store, so they are not guaranteed to be safe too.

I also understand that's why they now probably check them a bit better, but it still doesn't explain why mine was taken down without any explanation.

I still didn't get that email, but meanwhile got emails form the tickets i opened and apparently they asked the pertinent team to check my item, whatever

this now exactly means.

Also well yeah there certainly are black sheeps, but it's bad that honest devs get punished because of them.

Whatever caused my item to be taken down before even being published was poorly coded, because there really was nothing even potential harmful

in those scripts. I didn't even add an option page yet that would need to store something.

And like i said, if that happens on every update, then it's really not worth the trouble.

[Nirantali Zorvax]

The one that was 'Taken down' is now published; One of the 'Pending Review' is not 'Taken down'; The other 'Pending Review' is still 'Pending Review'.

But i uploaded the same .zip file for all three, i also told them it's the same.

Well, i now did add the link to the published one to Github and hope i can then delete the two dupe ones.

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Now the 'Pending Review' (unlisted ) one also was published.

Honestly, i don't get it, all three have the same zip and everything, only one had a updated description and website/support links.

The other two are 100% identical because i wasn't able to edit while 'Pending Review'.

I also now got a Email where they said 'Upon a subsequent review, we’ve reinstated your item and it is now available in the Chrome Web Store.'

That's it, i still not know why it was 'Taken down' initially, which would help me understand and perhaps prevent it from happening again.

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Yeah well, and it begins again like supposed!

Just updated the previously published Item, small update for convenience and boom Taken down again, sorry this hilarious,

i mean they expect devs to update their Items and then you need to go trough this hell on every Update or what?

So i need again to file a form and everything again?

Please!!!!

[PhistucK]

Probably. :(

I guess your code falsely triggers their heuristics, unfortunately for you. :(

I am sorry this has been your experience. While I have not published a lot of items or updates recently, I did not experience those issues when I published anything.

☆PhistucK

--

[Nirantali Zorvax]

But what the hell does trigger it? They at least could explain, i never got any reason. I even asked them why it happened the first time, nothing.

Also to make it even stranger.

The publicly published one got Taken Down within a minute after Pending Review

the one unlisted published is still in Pending Review?!

So heuristics? No, i suppose a bug here.

Also i really not see what could trigger heuristics in a so small and simply extension, i mean it's on Github,  go check it, there is nothing.

And they did publish it after all, so whats this time? The same as last time? Well, i need to know, why they don't say a word?

I suspect a buggy check and that's why they don't say a word, because they don't know them self why, that's why. :(

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Because the Unlisted one is still published but Pending Review i now added that Link too to the Github,

so they at least can install the old Version.

The Public one is now Taken Down, Pending Review.

And well, the New Updated version is now available nowhere but on Github to install in Development Mode.

If this one is published, i really doubt i will update again.

Ok, so Google encourages to not update and bugfix stuff and once published simply let them stay as they are then...

Github > Google Webs Store

[PhistucK]

You are twisting things. I understand your frustration, but try to understand, even though it is a very annoying situation.

Clearly, the heuristics are wrong in your case and there is some miscommunication here regarding the reason for it being taken down (the heuristics are generally not revealed, obviously, but they can send a "does not compile to term 5.6" e-mail).

Because the heuristics are wrong, every time you upload a version, it goes through the same automated review process (which was not fixed yet, as fixes take some time, if anyone is even working on it at the moment) which rejects your update. A manual review (which you triggered by sending an e-mail) is needed for it to be accepted again. And until the code that triggers those heuristics is still there, I guess every update will suffer from this annoying flow.

Of course Google encourages non-malicious extensions and updates to bugs and security issues, but the store had/has a lot of malicious extensions and in order to protect the user, those very tight heuristics were put in place.

Yes, it has false positives sometimes and punishes the good ones as well, but it also tries to keep the bad ones away.

☆PhistucK

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[Nirantali Zorvax]

Yeah ok, but i still not understand what could trigger heuristics, i mean there is nothing in those .js even a bit suspicious.

Nothing is stored, no scripts loaded from other sites, no input boxes, no pop ups, no strange permissions needed.

- It only adds an entry to context menu

- appends selected text to an URL

- loads an script that clicks an checkbox and a button

Updated Version is essentially the same but now

- removes white space from selection

- checks pattern of selected text and only click button is it matches to allow

   manual correction of selected keys like those AAAAA-B?BBB-CCCCC  ?=B

   ones posted on reddit to avoid bots.

That's it, so what exactly triggers the heuristics?

Because the URL is 'https://store.steampowered.com/account/registerkey?key='  or what?

So anything that uses https://store.steampowered.com triggers a Take down or what?

If that's the case, i can't do anything anyway, it's the main function of that extension.

And there is not one line that could be recognized as even the most sligthly malicious,

i mean c'mon there are scripts that are a million more complex, i wonder how heuristics

checks those then.

And yeah, they at least could send an email with an reason, but they didn't, not last time and not this time.

Yes it is frustrating!

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Also nice stats, first a steep curve up on installations and total current users and a steep down on uninstallations.

Now a steep curve down on installations and impressions, if that would be a monetized item, it would mean lost sales for sure.

They at least could let the already published items up if they take down an update, i mean they already reviewed and published it them self,

so why both is taken down?

This simply doesn't make any sense at all!

[Nirantali Zorvax]

 I now converted (only needed two edits) and published the same Extension as Addon for Firefox and you know what?

The Mozilla Developer Dashboard is 1000 times better, provides more quality and reviewed/signed my Addon within an Hour and published it without any problem.

While one of the same Item is still Taken Down on Google Dashboard and one published as a older Version.

So Firefox now has v1.2 while Chrome still has the outdated 1.1 with crap screenshots and the unlisted v1.2 was Taken Down.

Seriously hilarious how bad Googles Developer Dashboard is compared to Mozillas and Google even wanted $5 that i'm able to publish

my free Extensions while Mozillas was absolutely free.

Sorry but if i have to pay $5 i expect a bit more quality and faster handling, Google should look how Mozilla does it and learn!

I hope Chrome Users will also get the v1.2 in the next days.

Also another Thing that Mozilla made way better is the separation the actual Addon and the information (descriptions, screenshots etc.)

while i can edit everything even for different languages without republish, Chrome wants a republish if i only change some typos, hilarious,

especially with all the bugs like identical Items where one gets Taken Down and the other published.

Mozilla Developer Dashboard > Google Developer Dashboard

[PhistucK]

I know that Google prefers automation, which is why the fee is in place (you pay in order to be seen as more reliable/not malicious, not for support, in my opinion - it is a one time fee that sometimes deters malicious authors). Mozilla might be doing it manually usually, which is not at all the goal of Google (again, as far as I understand).

I agree that the experience is better there (though you do get a significantly narrower audience).

☆PhistucK

--

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Well, Google does it manually too it seems, you now everything gets randomly Taken Down, needs tons of tickets, then gets reviewed manually taking ages.

And they take $5 for it.

I don't care for audience, i care that it is available and i want the newest versions to be available and that fast please.

Also they don't say the $5 is for being seen and audience, they say it's for maintaining quality, may i ask which quality then exactly mean?

Current Status:

Mozilla: v1.2 public, reviewed, signed and published with newest quality screenshots. The reviewer even sent me a thank you for your contribution Email!

Chrome: v1.1 unlisted Taken Down; v1.1 public with old poor screenshots published; v1.2 unlisted with newest high quality Screenhots Taken Down,

               awaiting manual review since a day now; v1.2 draft update waiting for the published one, but i fear to click publish changes because of the

               Goggle Lottery-RNG that could Take Down the only available and published v1.1 again like happened before.

               Also No Emails from reviewers, No EMail with Reason for Take Down, No Emails with Informations, Frustrations, No Thank you Email!

               Needs tons of effort and tons of tickets everytime to finally get it done.

I think it's clear which one was the better experience!

I also did publish it on the Mozilla AMO because Users wanted it as Firefox Addon, i didn't use Firefox for years now, but it was done within an hour

and without any frustrations, it was a good experience, so good that i really think about switching back to Firefox again.

On Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 6:30:09 AM UTC+2, PhistucK wrote:

I know that Google prefers automation, which is why the fee is in place (you pay in order to be seen as more reliable/not malicious, not for support, in my opinion - it is a one time fee that sometimes deters malicious authors). Mozilla might be doing it manually usually, which is not at all the goal of Google (again, as far as I understand).

I agree that the experience is better there (though you do get a significantly narrower audience).

☆PhistucK

On Tue, Sep 5, 2017 at 7:13 AM, Nirantali Zorvax <nirantal...@gmail.com> wrote:

 I now converted (only needed two edits) and published the same Extension as Addon for Firefox and you know what?

The Mozilla Developer Dashboard is 1000 times better, provides more quality and reviewed/signed my Addon within an Hour and published it without any problem.

While one of the same Item is still Taken Down on Google Dashboard and one published as a older Version.

So Firefox now has v1.2 while Chrome still has the outdated 1.1 with crap screenshots and the unlisted v1.2 was Taken Down.

Seriously hilarious how bad Googles Developer Dashboard is compared to Mozillas and Google even wanted $5 that i'm able to publish

my free Extensions while Mozillas was absolutely free.

Sorry but if i have to pay $5 i expect a bit more quality and faster handling, Google should look how Mozilla does it and learn!

I hope Chrome Users will also get the v1.2 in the next days.

Also another Thing that Mozilla made way better is the separation the actual Addon and the information (descriptions, screenshots etc.)

while i can edit everything even for different languages without republish, Chrome wants a republish if i only change some typos, hilarious,

especially with all the bugs like identical Items where one gets Taken Down and the other published.

Mozilla Developer Dashboard > Google Developer Dashboard

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[PhistucK]

Yep, $5 for maintaining quality is exactly what I noted - malicious authors tend not to pay any fee, so it deters them a bit. I hardly believe they make real money due that fee. It is simply not the goal of that fee, in my opinion.

Again, there is no argument here that the Mozilla experience is better. You are preaching to the choir.

And while you have this awful experience, there are many Chrome extensions and applications, so I guess they accept the small amount of backlash (and manual interventions in those cases) from authors like you if it works for the majority of the cases. I am not claiming that this is a good way of dealing with it (I think manual reviews are more appropriate), but that is just probably why they do it this way.

☆PhistucK

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[Nirantali Zorvax]

Sorry, but did you once look at the Mozilla Developer Dashboard?

You know what my Girlfriend said as i showed her the Google Developer Dashboard?

'This looks so ugly, like DOS, so cheap.'

The Mozilla Developer Dashboard looks really nice compared and offers higher quality and better functionality.

I can even delete uploads or the whole Item including all versions there, where Google lacks this function.

But whats really better is that they separate the actual addon from the (Description, Screenshots etc.)

I can upload an addon and easily edit all the other stuff without the need of re-reviewing.

I can easily add other language info without the need of re-reviewing the add-on itself again.

Googles is so bothersome compared to it, doesn't work, looks ugly; Noticed an little typo in the description? Bad luck,

you have to participate on the Taked Down/Published Lottery again. Again need sending some tickets only because

you edited the description or added new screenshots. Hilarious!

On Mozilla everything is made for a good experience, you even see a queue when yours will get reviewed,

while on Googles you not even get an Email as confirmation, let alone if it was Taken down or something.

Seriously Googles is like a lottery black box, you send two identical Items in and who knows perhaps both

get Taken Down, perhaps only one of them, or both pass, who knows what the RNG-Bot will pick today.

No Argument that Mozilla experience was better? Seriously?

Hey the first impression and experience is what matters most and Mozilla clearly won!

It's like with stores, you never forget bad experiences even if it becomes better later, they are never forgotten.

Whatever, some Users now asked for a Opera Version, let's see how the outcome is there.

If it's as fast as Mozillas, the newest version will be available on Mozilla and Opera already while Google still

hasn't it published, that would be the ultimative embarrassment for Googles thing for sure.

And having the newest Version available is also a matter of quality.

[PhistucK]

I think you might have misunderstood me. I meant that we are in agreement that the Mozilla experience is better, which is why there is no argument.

Forgive me for skipping most of your mail due to our apparent agreement. :)

☆PhistucK

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[Nirantali Zorvax]

Oh sorry about that, thought it was the opposite.

I'm probably biased from the bad experience with Googles Dashboard and Review Process now... ;)

[pyve...@gmail.com]

Hello there,

I also agree with the fact that the developer dashboard is far from ideal. I've had to deal with it recently for my Night Video Tuner extension, and I must say that it looks a lot like what the Play Store console was about five years ago. Some of the categories in the Chrome Web Store also don't seem to make much sense, the "New & Updated Extensions" doesn't actually contain a single "new" extension. This does not really encourage new developers nor extensions.

Can't complain about the update delays though. New versions of my extension have always been published swiftly, contrarily to Opera which has been making me wait for weeks. I have open-sourced the extension on GitHub as well, I feel like it's a decent workaround to all these dashboard shortcomings.

Pyves

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Hi there,

yeah Operas has very long delays, they answered me it's because of long queues, i'm already waiting for days for Moderation now.

But at least once it has been signed&published there, Chrome users then can finally get v1.2 from Operas Store, because you only need to

rename else it's 100% compatible.

Googles is definitely worse, no emails, no answers to tickets since days, v1.1 public punlished (28 Users after a week); v1.1 unlisted (3 Users) Taken down; Update v1.2 unlisted still in draft awaiting manual review. Also still no answer why v1.1 public was published while v1.1 unlisted got Taken Down, they are 100% identical!

Meanwhile on Mozillas v1.2 was reviewed within an hour and published without any trouble (83 Users within days).

Nirantali

[Nirantali Zorvax]

Little correction!

Wow, v1.2 unlisted just (minutes before) turned published now on Googles Dashboard!

Nirantali