plebeian-signer/docs/store/PUBLISHING_GUIDE.md

Extension Store Publishing Guide

This guide walks you through publishing Plebeian Signer to the Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons.

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Table of Contents

1. Assets You Need to Create
2. Chrome Web Store
3. Firefox Add-ons
4. Ongoing Maintenance

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Assets You Need to Create

Before submitting to either store, prepare these assets:

Screenshots (Required for both stores)

Create 3-5 screenshots showing the extension in action:

1. Main popup view - Show the identity card with profile info
2. Permission prompt - Show a signing request popup
3. Identity management - Show the identity list/switching
4. Permissions page - Show the permissions management
5. Settings page - Show vault settings and options

Specifications:

• Chrome: 1280x800 or 640x400 pixels (PNG or JPEG)
• Firefox: 1280x800 recommended (PNG or JPEG)

Tips:

• Use a clean browser profile
• Show realistic data (not "test" or placeholder text)
• Capture the full popup or relevant UI area
• Consider adding captions/annotations

Promotional Images (Chrome only)

Chrome Web Store uses promotional tiles:

Size	Name	Required
440x280	Small promo tile	Optional but recommended
920x680	Large promo tile	Optional
1400x560	Marquee promo tile	Optional

Design tips:

• Include the extension icon/logo
• Add a tagline like "Secure Nostr Identity Manager"
• Use brand colors
• Keep text minimal and readable

Icon (Already exists)

You already have icons in the extension:

• icon-48.png - 48x48
• icon-128.png - 128x128

Chrome also wants a 128x128 icon for the store listing (can use the same one).

Privacy Policy URL

You need to host the privacy policy at a public URL. Options:

1. GitHub/Gitea Pages - Host PRIVACY_POLICY.md as a webpage
2. Simple webpage - Create a basic HTML page
3. Gist - Create a public GitHub gist

Example URL format: https://github.com/PlebeianApp/plebeian-signer/blob/main/docs/store/PRIVACY_POLICY.md

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Chrome Web Store

Step 1: Create Developer Account

1. Go to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/devconsole
2. Sign in with a Google account
3. Pay the one-time $5 USD registration fee
4. Accept the developer agreement

Step 2: Create New Item

1. Click "New Item" button
2. Upload releases/plebeian-signer-chrome-v1.0.5.zip
3. Wait for the upload to process

Step 3: Fill Store Listing

Product Details:

• Name: Plebeian Signer
• Summary: Copy from STORE_DESCRIPTION.md (short description, 132 chars max)
• Description: Copy from STORE_DESCRIPTION.md (full description)
• Category: Productivity
• Language: English

Graphic Assets:

• Upload your screenshots (at least 1 required, up to 5)
• Upload promotional tiles if you have them

Additional Fields:

• Official URL: https://github.com/PlebeianApp/plebeian-signer
• Support URL: https://github.com/PlebeianApp/plebeian-signer/issues

Step 4: Privacy Tab

• Single Purpose: "Manage Nostr identities and sign cryptographic events for web applications"
• Permission Justifications:
  • storage: "Store encrypted vault containing user's Nostr identities and extension settings"
  • activeTab: "Inject NIP-07 interface into the active tab when user visits Nostr applications"
  • scripting: "Enable communication between web pages and the extension for signing requests"
• Data Usage: Check "I do not sell or transfer user data to third parties"
• Privacy Policy URL: Your hosted privacy policy URL

Step 5: Distribution

• Visibility: Public
• Distribution: All regions (or select specific ones)

Step 6: Submit for Review

1. Review all sections show green checkmarks
2. Click "Submit for Review"
3. Wait 1-3 business days (can take longer for first submission)

Chrome Review Notes

Google may ask about:

• Why you need each permission
• How you handle user data
• Your identity/organization

Be prepared to respond to reviewer questions via the dashboard.

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Firefox Add-ons

Step 1: Create Developer Account

1. Go to https://addons.mozilla.org/developers/
2. Sign in with a Firefox account (create one if needed)
3. No fee required

Step 2: Submit New Add-on

1. Click "Submit a New Add-on"
2. Select "On this site" for hosting
3. Upload releases/plebeian-signer-firefox-v1.0.5.zip
4. Wait for automated validation

Step 3: Source Code Submission

Firefox may request source code because the extension uses bundled/minified JavaScript.

If prompted:

1. Create a source code zip (exclude node_modules):

   cd /home/mleku/src/git.mleku.dev/mleku/plebeian-signer
   zip -r plebeian-signer-source.zip . -x "node_modules/*" -x "dist/*" -x ".git/*"
   

2. Upload this zip when asked
3. Include build instructions (point to CLAUDE.md or add a note):

   Build Instructions:
   1. npm ci
   2. npm run build:firefox
   3. Output is in dist/firefox/
   

Step 4: Fill Listing Details

Basic Information:

• Name: Plebeian Signer
• Add-on URL: plebeian-signer (creates addons.mozilla.org/addon/plebeian-signer)
• Summary: Copy short description from STORE_DESCRIPTION.md
• Description: Copy full description (supports some HTML/Markdown)
• Categories: Privacy & Security

Additional Details:

• Homepage: https://github.com/PlebeianApp/plebeian-signer
• Support URL: https://github.com/PlebeianApp/plebeian-signer/issues
• License: Select appropriate license
• Privacy Policy: Paste URL to hosted privacy policy

Media:

• Icon: Already in the extension manifest
• Screenshots: Upload your screenshots

Step 5: Submit for Review

1. Ensure all required fields are complete
2. Click "Submit Version"
3. Wait for review (usually hours to a few days)

Firefox Review Notes

Firefox reviewers are generally faster but thorough. They may:

• Ask for source code (see Step 3)
• Question specific code patterns
• Request changes for policy compliance

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Ongoing Maintenance

Updating the Extension

For new releases:

1. Build new version: /release patch (or minor/major)
2. Upload the new zip to each store
3. Add release notes describing changes
4. Submit for review

Chrome:

• Go to Developer Dashboard → Your extension → Package → Upload new package

Firefox:

• Go to Developer Hub → Your extension → Upload a New Version

Responding to Reviews

Both stores may contact you with:

• Policy violation notices
• User reports
• Review questions

Monitor your developer email and respond promptly.

Version Numbering

Both stores extract the version from manifest.json. Your current setup with v1.0.5 in package.json feeds into the manifests correctly.

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Checklist

Before First Submission

• Create 3-5 screenshots
• Create promotional images (Chrome, optional but recommended)
• Host privacy policy at a public URL
• Test the extension zip by loading it unpacked
• Prepare source code zip for Firefox

Chrome Web Store

• Register developer account ($5)
• Upload extension zip
• Fill all required listing fields
• Add screenshots
• Add privacy policy URL
• Justify all permissions
• Submit for review

Firefox Add-ons

• Register developer account (free)
• Upload extension zip
• Upload source code if requested
• Fill all required listing fields
• Add screenshots
• Add privacy policy URL
• Submit for review

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Helpful Links

• Chrome Developer Dashboard: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/devconsole
• Chrome Publishing Docs: https://developer.chrome.com/docs/webstore/publish/
• Firefox Developer Hub: https://addons.mozilla.org/developers/
• Firefox Extension Workshop: https://extensionworkshop.com/documentation/publish/

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Estimated Timeline

Task	Time
Create screenshots	30 min - 1 hour
Create promotional images	1-2 hours (optional)
Host privacy policy	15 min
Chrome submission	30 min
Chrome review	1-3 business days
Firefox submission	30 min
Firefox review	Hours to 2 days

Total: You can have both submissions done in an afternoon, with approvals coming within a week.