How to Update Paid Chrome Extensions Banned by Google
I admit, I haven’t come across a paid Google extension for a long time. They do exist , however, and some of them are really useful, like StopTheMadness (an extension that keeps sites from disabling keyboard shortcuts or context menus). If you’ve found (and purchased) paid Chrome extensions, you should be aware that they may not receive updates for an unknown period of time.
This is important because you probably want to make sure your extension is bug-free and as functional as possible if you paid for it. But Google temporarily disables publishing of any Chrome extensions that use payments from the Chrome Web Store. According to developer advocate Simeon Vincent :
“Earlier this month, the Chrome Web Store team discovered a significant increase in fraudulent transactions using paid Chrome extensions aimed at exploiting users. Due to the scale of abuse, we have temporarily disabled the posting of paid items. This is a stopgap measure designed to stem this influx as we seek durable solutions to address a broader pattern of abuse.
[…]
We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible, but at this time we do not have a timetable for resolving the issue. We are sorry for the inconvenience. “
If you’ve paid for a Chrome extension, I recommend contacting its developer on their website and social media to see what plans they have to update their extensions, if any. While they can appeal the disclaimer emails from Google when they submit new versions of their extensions, there is no guarantee that they will receive their updates. As one developer wrote in response to Vincent’s post:
“In response to the rejection letter, I wrote several times about two of my paid extensions that had existed in the Store for over a year. I have not received any response and the extensions are still pending. “
Most likely, you will have to download the new version of the extension to your browser, which I usually don’t recommend doing – browser security and all. However, as long as you download the legitimate version of the extension directly from its developer, the risks are minimal. And once the developer of your extension is more successful in pushing updates to the Chrome Web Store or Google relaxes the temporary ban on paid Chrome extensions, you can revert to using the regular, auto-updating version of the extension.
In general, you probably don’t need to pay for Chrome browser extensions unless you have a direct business need for them. Chances are there are tons of other extensions and services out there that will do whatever you’re trying to do for a low cost.
For example, consider the Timed Test or Flash Cards extensions. A quick search pulled up a lot of the alternatives , and I’m sure you could find something even better if you spent more than 20 seconds researching it. That’s not to say all paid extensions are rubbish, but make sure you approach them with a grain of salt before paying for features that might be in better shape elsewhere – for free.