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Chrome Extension
Safety Checker

Answer 7 quick questions about any extension before you install it. Get an instant risk score and a plain-English safety verdict.

Check any Chrome extension

Answer these questions about the extension you're evaluating. Find the answers in the Chrome Web Store listing.

1 Who is the publisher?
2 How old is the extension? (Published date)
3 How many users / installs does it have?
4 What is the rating and review count?
! Does it request access to your browsing history or bookmarks?
6 How many total permissions does it request?
7 Where are you installing it from?
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Assessment breakdown

What Permissions Are Normal vs Dangerous

Chrome extensions list their permissions in the Web Store before you install. Here's how to read them quickly.

Normal for SEO / productivity tools
Read and change data on websites you visit
Storage (save settings)
Tabs (open the current tab)
Contextual menus (right-click options)
Notifications (productivity tools only)
Identity (sign in with Google account)
Suspicious for SEO / productivity tools
Read your browsing history
Read and change your bookmarks
Manage your apps, extensions, and themes
Communicate with cooperating native apps
Read and change data on all sites (from a .crx file)
Clipboard read (any extension that isn't a clipboard tool)

How to Read a Chrome Web Store Listing

Before installing any extension, spend 60 seconds reviewing these signals in the Chrome Web Store listing.

SignalSafeCautionRed Flag
Publisher verification Blue verified badge Named company, no badge Anonymous developer
Install count 100,000+ 1,000–100,000 Under 1,000
Rating 4+ stars, 100+ reviews 3–4 stars or few reviews Under 3 stars or no reviews
Extension age Over 1 year 3–12 months Under 3 months
Last updated Within 6 months 6–18 months ago Over 18 months ago
Privacy policy Detailed, company-hosted Generic template Missing or broken link
Installation source Chrome Web Store Edge Add-ons or Mozilla AMO .crx file or third-party site

Verified Safe SEO Extensions

These extensions are published by established, identifiable companies with verified publisher status in the Chrome Web Store. Safe to install.

ExtensionPublisherVerifiedInstall count
Ahrefs SEO ToolbarAhrefs Pte. Ltd.✓ Verified trader360,000+
SEOquakeSemrush✓ Verified trader3,000,000+
MozBarMoz✓ Verified trader500,000+
Keyword SurferSurfer SEO✓ Verified trader200,000+
GrammarlyGrammarly, Inc.✓ Verified trader10,000,000+
WappalyzerWappalyzer✓ Verified trader1,000,000+
1Password1Password✓ Verified trader3,000,000+
Dark ReaderDark Reader Ltd✓ Verified trader5,000,000+

Frequently Asked Questions

Key signals: verified publisher (blue badge), 10,000+ installs, 4+ star rating with many reviews, extension published over 6 months ago, reasonable permissions (no browsing history or bookmark access), and installed from the official Chrome Web Store. Use the checker above to quickly assess any extension.
For SEO and productivity tools, dangerous permissions include: "Read your browsing history", "Read and change your bookmarks", "Manage your apps, extensions, and themes", and "Communicate with cooperating native applications". Normal permissions like "Read and change data on all websites" are expected for on-page analysis tools.
Malicious extensions with broad page-reading permissions can capture form data including passwords. This is why installing only from verified publishers matters. Legitimate extensions from Ahrefs, Moz, Grammarly, and similar established companies do not misuse this permission — but it is why you should never install extensions from .crx files or third-party websites.
No. Installing Chrome extensions from .crx files or third-party websites bypasses Google's review process entirely. Malicious extensions are distributed almost exclusively through non-Web-Store channels. Always install from chromewebstore.google.com, addons.mozilla.org, or the Mac App Store (for Safari). If a site asks you to enable developer mode to install an extension, do not install it.
Go to chrome://extensions → click Details on any extension → scroll to the Permissions section. You'll see a plain-English list of what data it can access. See our full permissions guide for a complete walkthrough.

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