Extension has descriptive name and short_name in manifest

A missing or generic name like "Extension" or "App" fails Chrome Web Store review outright — the store rejects submissions where the name field is absent or indistinguishable from the category. Beyond rejection, a non-descriptive name tanks organic discoverability; Chrome Web Store search indexes the name field directly, so a vague name means users searching for your specific functionality simply won't find you. The chrome-cws-naming policy enforces this at submission time, making a bad name a hard gate, not a soft warning.

Set a specific, descriptive name in manifest.json (32 characters max for the store) and add short_name if the full name exceeds 12 characters. Both must be distinct.

{
  "name": "Tab Manager Pro",
  "short_name": "Tab Mgr",
  "manifest_version": 3
}

Avoid single-word names like "Helper" or "Tool" — Chrome Web Store reviewers flag these as non-descriptive. Your name is also your primary search signal, so make it match the words users type.

• ID: manifest-naming

• Severity: critical

• What to look for: Examine the manifest.json file. Count every naming field present (name, short_name). The name should be the full descriptive name (32 characters or less in Chrome Web Store). The short_name is optional but recommended for extensions with longer names. Both should be distinct, descriptive, and accurate.

• Pass criteria: Both name and short_name are present (or just name if extension name is under 12 characters), both are non-empty, and they are descriptive (not just "Extension" or "App"). Quote the actual name and short_name values found. Report even on pass: "name='[value]' ([N] chars), short_name='[value]' ([M] chars)."

• Fail criteria: name is missing, empty, or generic (e.g., "Extension", "My App"). Or name and short_name are identical when both are present. Do NOT pass if the name is a single generic word like "Tool", "Helper", or "Extension".

• Cross-reference: For broader metadata and listing quality across app stores, the App Store Metadata & Listing audit covers naming, descriptions, and keyword optimization in depth.

• Skip (N/A) when: Never — every extension must have a name in the manifest.

• Detail on fail: Specify what was found. Example: "Manifest name is 'Extension' (too generic), no short_name provided" or "name and short_name are identical ('MyExt')".

• Remediation: The name field is what appears in the Chrome Web Store listing. Make it descriptive and concise:

  {
    "name": "Tab Manager Pro",
    "short_name": "Tab Manager",
    "manifest_version": 3
  }
  

  Keep name under 32 characters. Use short_name (12 characters max) if your full name is longer.