What does the web checker look at?
Only the extension's public Chrome Web Store listing: who the developer is, whether they registered as a business, how many people use it, when it was last updated and how to contact the developer. It reads the same page you would.
Is this a malware scan?
No. The checker doesn't download or run the extension and can't see its code or permissions. It shows the signals in the listing that tend to come before trouble, such as an abandoned extension or a developer with no contact details.
What does the extension add?
Extension Guardian watches the extensions you have installed and warns you when one changes owner, asks for new permissions, disappears from the store or was installed by another program. It can also keep chosen extensions off sites such as your bank.
Why do sold extensions matter?
An extension keeps its name, reviews and users when it changes hands, and Chrome installs the new owner's updates without asking. Several malware campaigns have started this way.
What data does it send?
In Chrome, the extension sends only the IDs of your installed extensions to our server, which reads their public store pages. Your list and every result stay on your device. The Firefox version asks Firefox Add-ons directly and never contacts our server. We use no analytics and don't log IP addresses.
Why is a server needed at all?
Chrome doesn't let extensions read Chrome Web Store pages, so a small server reads the public page instead. It keeps each result for up to 6 hours so it doesn't ask the store again for every request.
Does it cost anything?
No. It is free and open source under the MIT license, with no account and no ads.
What this page can't see
A store listing doesn't show what an extension can access on your computer, and it can't warn you later. Extensions get sold, and the next silent update can change everything.
Extension Guardian watches the extensions you have installed and warns you when one changes owner, gains new permissions or disappears from the store. Free, open source, no account.
Add to Chrome, it's free