A First Step into Publishing Chrome Extensions
This project was an opportunity for me to take my first step into publishing Chrome extensions. In fact, this is the first extension I’ve published that I find genuinely useful and that could help other people as well.
The Goal
This tool was originally created to solve a problem I personally faced: sending bulk emails. There were no easy, plug-and-play, free, and script-free tools that could be set up in less than two minutes to send emails through Gmail and Google Sheets. That’s why I decided to create this extension.
Challenges Encountered
Publishing the extension itself was not one of the challenges I faced. However, working with Google APIs turned out to be a real headache. Google requires verification and approval for the use of each project, which can take a long time. In addition, depending on the API being used, Google may require security certifications that can cost several hundred euros.
Because of this, I had to rethink the extension’s UX. I removed the Google Sheets list feature, which made file selection easier for users, and replaced it with a field where users manually enter the URL of their spreadsheet. This change was necessary because the Google Drive scope (used to list files) is quite restricted and requires multiple verification steps.