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Having built many Chrome Extensions in recent years and accumulating more than 20k users, as well as helping customers build their own, we’ve developed a simple pattern to reduce your time to release and make sure your extension is approved.
This guide is a bit technical; you’ll potentially need the help of a developer for the following steps.

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Source Code

Complete source code is available on GitHub.
Following the README, you should have no difficulties building your own Chrome Extension.
Keep it simple and focus on moving most of the logic to an API. This reduces debugging efforts and the need for frequent updates to the Chrome Extension itself, which always requires a review from Google.

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Coding Tips

Overall proces:
  • The extension retrieves cookies (li_at, li_a), stores them in local storage, and uses them for authentication.
  • A process is already in place to update these cookies every hour using chrome.alarms.onAlarm.
Communication with the front-end:
  • The front-end sends a message to the extension (e.g., msg_fetch_cookies).
  • The extension responds by retrieving cookies and storing them in Chrome’s local storage first.
Always check the extension is installed before synchronizing cookies or launching actions. For example send msg_fetch_extensionId from your front and return from the extension the extensionId using chrome.runtime.id. Refer to the source code for examples.
Debugging the extension:
  • You can check logs in Google Chrome > Extensions > Manage Extension > Service Workers.
  • Use console.log to debug issues.
Remember to use proper storage & identification:
  • Store cookies by YOUR User ID (internal), Captain Data User ID, and Account ID to avoid mix-ups.
  • Use chrome.storage.local.set() to store data.

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Store Listing Tips

Store Listing Tab on Developer Dashboard

When preparing your Chrome Extension for submission to the Chrome Web Store, follow these tips to ensure approval:
  • Fill in the Store Listing Thoroughly: Pay special attention to the “Privacy” section.
  • Minimize Permissions: By following our coding tips and requesting only the minimal necessary permissions, you can avoid complications during Google’s review process.
Google reviewers do read the code, so keep it clean and straightforward!

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Updating Your Extension

To update your Chrome Extension:
  1. Change the version number inside the manifest.json file.
  2. Zip the updated files.
  3. Click on “Upload new package” in the Chrome Web Store dashboard under Menu > Package.

Update Your Extension's Version

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Need Help?

Don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team if you need assistance with building or submitting your Chrome Extension.