Strange results when searching through the search bar on the Chrome web store page

[Samuel Reggreto]

Hello,

Around January 31, I observed a huge difference in search results when using the search bar on the Chrome Web Store page. The outcomes varied considerably depending on the user profile.  When I accidentally decided to check how my extensions were doing in the store, being logged into my wife’s account, I was horrified and could not immediately find my extensions. Despite consistently having my extensions in the top 20 of their niche. They appeared very low in the search results.

I'm curious about the changes in the Chrome Web Store's search results since January 31. The behavior has shifted notably, both when using the search bar and entering the extension name and pressing enter.

This change has impacted the number of extension impressions in the store and the count of extension page impressions, leaded to them decrease.

Could you provide insights into the current situation?

Thank you in advance.

[stev...@hotmail.com]

I noticed the same. 

Very frustrating as we worked hard to get our extensions in the top results and now they are so far down the list that they might as well not be there.

I did notice the previous order is still maintained in the search dropdown.

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

[Team AI]

Good day!

Moreover, if I search for an extension and apply an additional filter for ratings, it disappears completely from the search results.
A case in point: https://chromewebstore.google.com/search/%22SocialFocus%3A%20Hide%20Distractions%22?hl=en - despite the extension having an average rating of 5.0, applying an additional condition for 5* causes the search to return no results. I also have a vague impression that this affects most of the extensions added after upgrades of the CWS.

Best Regards!

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Samuel / Steve,

Would you be able to share the extension ID of the extension you were looking for and the query you used?

The team is keen to look at this and see if they can identify what is happening.

In general, definitely appreciate the feedback and sorry for your experience here. Search is hard and we are aware that there has been a lot of feedback lately. We're passing all of that on and the team is slowly making improvements which we hope will help.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

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[Team AI]

Good day!

The extension id is: abocjojdmemdpiffeadpdnicnlhcndcg,  but this is just one of many examples. In my opinion, the problem is global. If you want, I can search for more such examples.

Best Regards

[stev...@hotmail.com]

Thank you for following this up Oliver.

A good example is my extension Chrome Capture, extension id ggaabchcecdbomdcnbahdfddfikjmphe.

It use to be the number one result for the search "gif" (https://chromewebstore.google.com/search/gif) and top 10 for "screenshot" (https://chromewebstore.google.com/search/screenshot). In the attached image you can see the previous order in the search dropdown but not in the results on the search page.

My other extension Reelia, extension id ajhidbbpmnhjjffefekncbdbeopghnnn has similar issues.

Regards,

Steven.

[Karlik Mozamik]

There is an error occurring when applying average rating filters. Attached is an example extension. When searching by its ID, we get 1 result. However, upon applying the condition for the average rating, the extension disappears from the search results. Examples are provided in the attached images.

[Oliver Dunk]

Thanks all, the team has been slowly working through the feedback.

Karlik, this should now be fixed. It hasn't fully rolled out yet but hopefully will do over the next few days. Thanks for flagging it!

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[stev...@hotmail.com]

Hi Oliver,

Any update on the search issue? I see there are many conversations regarding this issue now:

https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/JMtfgiagcgY/m/VpJeeWHbAwAJ
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/nUUKcXmDmg0/m/oXmvPt1bBQAJ
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/kg90pnjUK0k/m/2O00c1fNCwAJ
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/JMtfgiagcgY/m/VpJeeWHbAwAJ
https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/g/chromium-extensions/c/FOEQ6cVoWR8/m/4FxIXsCkAQAJ

Cheers,

Steven.

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Steven,

As mentioned in a couple of those threads we're aware of the feedback.

There's a mix of situations here, but we're doing what we can to make improvements. I'm sorry that I can't say something more concrete, but know that the team is working on this and we are also making sure to pass on feedback as DevRel that this is an area of concern.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[stev...@hotmail.com]

I noticed this was improved/fixed for awhile however has now reverted back to the strange previous results.

Any insight is appreciated.

[stev...@hotmail.com]

Hi Oliver,

I was hoping to get an update as it has been over a month since the last one?

I have seen slight improvement however search still seems not quite right. Is the team still working on this?

Cheers,

Steven.

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Steven,

Yes, the team is continuing to work on this.

Appreciate your patience and glad to hear you are seeing some improvement.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[stev...@hotmail.com]

Thank you for the prompt response!

Glad to hear more improvements are on the way.

Cheers,

Steven.

[stev...@hotmail.com]

Hi Oliver,

I hope you're doing well. It's been over six months since others and I first raised this issue, but unfortunately, the problem persists.

My extension, Chrome Capture, used to be the top result when searching for "GIF." Now, it’s dropped to the 20th position. Based on the current search results, it seems that the only factor being considered is the presence of keywords in the title, with little to no weight given to the extension's quality, user base, or reviews and ratings.

This change has severely impacted the growth of my extension, and it's been discouraging enough to make me question the viability of Chrome extension development.

Could you please provide an update on this? Is the current search algorithm final, or are there still ongoing improvements?

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Cheers,
Steven.

[Steven M]

@Oliver Dunk?

[Oliver Dunk]

Hi Steven,

There are definitely still ongoing improvements and the algorithm isn't final :)

We do take things other than keywords into account. However, for a term as common as "GIF" getting the right results is tricky and it's likely to be something we tweak for a long time.

I hope that makes sense.

Oliver Dunk | DevRel, Chrome Extensions | https://developer.chrome.com/ | London, GB

[Steven M]

Hi Oliver,

Thank you for getting back to me.

I understand this might be a challenging example, but from my perspective, the situation seems to have worsened rather than improved since this issue was first raised.

For instance, when searching for terms like "GIF recorder" or "record GIF," this extension now ranks 10th, whereas it used to be 1st and when this was first raised it was 4th. Some of the extensions ranked higher in the results aren’t even related to recording GIFs.

In comparison, a Google search, which covers the entire internet, shows this extension as the second result.

Result for CWS search are similar for every example I have tried.

Thank you in advance for any effort which is spent investigating and improving it.

Regards,

Steven.