Seeking Clarification on Single Purpose Policy and Search API for NTP Extension

[Prem Kumar]

Hello everyone,

I am facing an issue with my Chrome extension and need some guidance. My extension was recently flagged for violating the single purpose policy, with the following specifics:

Violation Reference ID: Red Argon
Issue:

• Making changes to both the browser New Tab Page (NTP) and the user's search experience.
• The email from Chrome Web Store mentioned that if an NTP extension includes a search experience, it must respect the user's selected settings by using the Chrome Search API.

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About My Extension

"Material You NewTab" is an open-source extension designed to enhance the appearance of your browser’s default home page and new tab. It provides users with a custom search engine switcher within the New Tab Page, allowing them to quickly switch between search engines like Google, YouTube, DuckDuckGo, etc.

• Key Features:
  1. Custom Search Engine Switcher: Allows users to toggle between search engines within the New Tab Page without changing any browser-wide settings.
  2. Respect for Chrome's Default Settings: The extension does not override or alter the user’s default search engine or settings. When the New Tab Page opens, the cursor starts in the Chrome browser's own search bar, with the user's selected search engine as per their settings.

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My Concern

Despite my extension’s approach, I received a policy violation notice citing that changes to both the NTP and search experience are a violation. I noticed other similar NTP extensions also include search functionalities without using the Chrome Search API or violating the policy, and they remain available on the Chrome Web Store.

This raises the following questions:

1. Is my extension truly in violation if it does not alter Chrome's default search settings and only provides an additional search UI within the New Tab Page?
2. Are there exceptions or nuances in the enforcement of the Search API requirement for extensions that don’t modify default search settings?
3. Is there a way to resolve this without separating functionalities or using the Search API, which I want to avoid?

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Supporting Links

• Extension Link: Chrome Web Store
• GitHub Repository: View Code
• Live Test Demo: Try it out

I would appreciate any advice or insights from the community regarding this issue. Thank you for your time and help!

Best regards,
Prem

[Uladzimir Yankovich]

1. Yes, you are violating the new policy.

2. Will get to everyone soon.

But overall, it is a good policy. It will drive out many scammers cooperating with Bing from the market.