My extension recently got the Featured badge on the Chrome Web Store. (For context: it’s an exporter that turns ChatGPT conversations into clean docs like PDF / Word / Google Docs / Notion / Gmail, so you don’t have to copy-paste and break formatting.)
I’m not part of a big team and I didn’t do anything hacky — it was mostly about treating the extension like a product: clear value, tight UX, solid performance, and clean privacy posture.
Here’s what my process looked like, in a way you can replicate.
What I focused on
Start from the Badge criteria: User value, polished UX, fast + stable, clear privacy/minimal permissions.
Follow Best Practices: Trim confusing extras, cut permissions, simplify onboarding, optimize startup/memory, handle edge cases.
Treat the Store listing like a landing page: One clear sentence, screenshots that sell in 3 seconds, honest scope, no fluff.
Test like a reviewer: Different profiles/devices, slow/offline, errors/retries, extension conflicts, heavy pages.
Submit nominate with evidence: Problem → audience → how it meets criteria → what I improved. Then wait.
A checklist you can copy
If you want to aim for Featured, here’s a simple sequence:
Read the Featured-badge criteria and highlight what you can measure
Audit permissions and remove anything “just in case”
Make UX dead simple (especially first-run)
Optimize performance (startup, memory, background activity)
Document privacy clearly and honestly
Upgrade your listing: clear description + strong screenshots
Submit a nomination with a concise, criteria-mapped explanation
Keep shipping improvements while you wait
A few tips that helped
Bugs are a badge killer. Fix the boring stuff first.
Don’t chase the badge. Chase “this feels like a polished Chrome feature.”
Be transparent. If you collect nothing, say so clearly. If you do, explain why.
If you’ve been thinking about nominating your extension, go for it.
If you want, reply with what your extension does + your current permission list — I’m happy to suggest low-hanging improvements (UX/perf/privacy) that typically make the biggest difference.