Browser Makers Agree on a Common Extension Format

Browser Makers Agree on a Common Extension Format

The major browser makers announced a shared format for extensions, so developers can write an add-on once and publish it everywhere.

Key takeaways

  • Fewer extensions will be missing on your favorite browser.
  • One codebase, one review checklist and one set of permissions.
  • Each browser keeps its own store and review process, so an extension can still be approved in one and rejected in another.

What changes for users

Fewer extensions will be missing on your favorite browser. Popular tools that only worked in one browser should start appearing in the others over the next year.

What changes for developers

One codebase, one review checklist and one set of permissions. Small developers gain the most, since maintaining several versions was a real cost.

What stays the same

Each browser keeps its own store and review process, so an extension can still be approved in one and rejected in another.