As the branding entails, the new badges will be a UI element shown for developers with extensions on the Chrome Web Store. And there will be two badges in total. Namely, a “Featured” badge and an “Established” badge. Both will be shown only for developers who meet best practices for design, safety, and user experience. Summarily, that’s only for developers who build useful extensions that don’t violate Chrome Web Store policies.
What do the different Chrome Web Store badges indicate for users?
There are also a few differences between the two badges. The Featured badge shows up on extensions that follow the practices and are selected by the Chrome Web Store team. So those badges will work similarly to how featured apps work in the Google Play Store, in favor of those that follow policies. The team will also be taking into account how clearly the Web Store listing describes the app. That likely includes its purpose, any potential costs, and any data it may use or need access to. The Established publisher badge, on the other hand, won’t be hand-selected by Google’s team. Instead, it will be awarded to verified publishers. And specifically to those that have a proven positive track record with Google services and developer policies. That means that those publishers who have broken Web Store rules likely won’t ever qualify. Or that it will take a long time for them to earn qualifications. Conversely, any developer that’s been verified by Google on the Chrome Web Store should be able to earn the Established publisher badge in time. Just so long as they follow best practices and rules. In terms of end-users, the badges effectively ensure that the Web Store is clear about developers that can most likely be trusted. And, of course, developers that have been awarded the badges will be more prominent. Ranking better in Web Store searches and when users filter extensions. Stacking atop other additions to the Web Store over the past several years. Additionally, Google has said that it may feature some of those extensions in promotions on the Chrome Web Store and elsewhere on the web.
