How to escalate a rejected Google extension?
I submit an extension (an adblocker) to Google Chrome's web store.Google keeps rejecting it for dubious reasons. The first rejection was claim it was "spam". When I appealed, the review came back that it contained "additional functionality" because it uses "modifies network traffic". Well of course it does! When I asked the reviewer how I could achieve the stated functionality of blocking ads without the use of "declarativeNetRequest" I simply received the same canned response.I submit a totally new update that simplified the code and included comments, and references to other open source projecs that use the exact same mechanisms. Again it was rejected. On this appeal I asked if it could be escalated to a senior reviewer who could possibly reply with more context. Same canned response and rejection.I can't help but think Google has some internal policy to give adblockers a runaround. It is obvious to me the stated rejections are not valid (Note that I'm also not new to this - I have several extensions that have been published for years with thousands of users) but have never encountered such gate-keeping before.It's a sad state of affairs even if not totally unpredictable. To be honest I'm surprised Google hasn't made it an official policy to prohibit adblockers. But they haven't - obviously there are other adblockers published to the store, and that's what makes this so frustrating.Anyway, fellow developers. Anyone run into a similar situation? And how did you resolve it? Thanks!
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A service to help developers appeal rejected Chrome extensions by escalating to senior reviewers or providing legal/strategic guidance.
The pain
The gap
Build angle
Strengths
- Real, documented pain point affecting multiple developers
- Founder has credibility (multiple published extensions with users)
- Clear evidence of inconsistent enforcement (other adblockers exist in store)
- Potential legal angle if Google is systematically blocking competitors
Risks
- Market size is tiny, only affects extension developers, subset facing rejections
- Google can change policies or review processes anytime, eliminating the problem or making it worse
- No defensible moat; any solution is easily replicated or made obsolete by Google
- Potential legal liability if you help developers challenge Google's decisions
- Revenue model unclear, developers won't pay much for uncertain outcomes
- This reads as a vent post, not a business idea; founder may just need to move to Firefox or accept the rejection
- The real issue (Google's bias against adblockers) cannot be solved by a third party
Fly Labs Method
Is the pain real, is there a gap, is it the right time, can one person build it.
Value Equation
Dream outcome and how likely it feels, against the time and effort it costs.
One-Person Business
Curiosity pull, identity fit, and a path from free value to paid for a solo creator.
Viral Frameworks
Hook strength, shareability, and how cheaply it can be tested.
Builder Lens
Evidence the problem exists, timing, defensibility, and a model that fits on a napkin.
Five lenses, one composite. How scoring works
The angle
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