How it works
Find the copies, skip the noise
Copycat extensions reuse your name, your store description, your icon and sometimes your code, and they take your users with them. broext checks the three big stores every day and only alerts you when there's evidence of copying.
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1
Paste your store link
Add your extension from the Chrome Web Store, Edge Add-ons or Firefox Add-ons. We find your listings in the other stores so we never flag you as your own copy.
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2
We scan every day
Each day we search all three stores for listings that look like yours, then compare names, descriptions, icons and published code.
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3
You get the evidence
New copies arrive by email with the evidence side by side. Once we confirm you own the extension, we draft a takedown request for the store.
What we look for
No single signal proves copying. We score listings on several signals and show you exactly which ones matched.
Copied code
We download the published package of each suspect listing and fingerprint its files, ignoring common libraries such as jQuery. Matching files are the strongest sign of copying.
Copied store description
We compare descriptions phrase by phrase. A listing that reuses half your wording is not a coincidence.
Matching icon
We compare icons by their visual fingerprint, so a recoloured or resized copy of your icon still matches.
Lookalike names
Same name, or tricks such as "Dark Reaber", "0" for "o" or "rn" for "m". For common names like "PDF Tools", a name match alone is never enough.
Pretending to be official
Listings that call themselves "official" or "by" your brand without being published by you.
Publisher and website
Publishers using your brand in their name, or websites on lookalike domains.
Copies vs. similar
Why you won't drown in alerts
Popular categories are crowded. A dark-mode or PDF extension has hundreds of honest competitors. If you watch your own extension, we only call a listing a copy when there is evidence of copying: shared code, a copied description or a matching icon. Listings that are merely similar are kept in a separate tab and never trigger an email.
Example: a dark-mode extension with 7 million users
We found 5 copies on Edge and Firefox. Each one reused its store description word for word, and two also took its exact name. None had more than 200 users. We kept 15 other dark-mode extensions as "similar" and sent no alerts about them.
Example: a page-to-PDF tool with a common name
We found 22 similar extensions with overlapping names and features, and no copies, because none shared its code, wording or icon. So we sent no alerts.
Questions
Do you need access to my code or my developer account? +
No. Everything we compare is public: store listings and the extension packages the stores publish. There's no SDK and nothing to install.
Which stores do you cover? +
The Chrome Web Store, Microsoft Edge Add-ons and Firefox Add-ons. Many copies appear in a different store from the original, so we search all three.
How often do you scan? +
Every day. New copies usually show up within a day of being published, and you get one email listing them.
Will you file takedowns for me? +
On developer plans, we draft the takedown request with the evidence and you send it, because only you can say it's your work. On Brand plans we can file requests with your approval.
How do you know I own the extension? +
If your account email matches the email on your store listing, or uses your extension's website domain, we confirm it automatically. Otherwise we check it by hand. Takedown drafts unlock once ownership is confirmed.
Is a finding proof that someone copied me? +
No. A finding is an automated signal with evidence for you to review. Many cases are clear, but you decide what to do. Nothing on broext is legal advice.
What does it cost? +
Watching 1 extension is free, with no card needed. The Developer plan is $19/month for up to 3 extensions, and you can cancel any time.
I publish an extension and you've labelled it a copy. What can I do? +
Email [email protected] with the listing link. We review every request promptly, and we correct or remove anything that is wrong.
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Found a copy already? Read how to report a copycat extension on each store.