Originally published on ExtensionLaunch.
If you want to promote a Chrome extension on Reddit, the hard part isn't getting seen. It's not getting your post deleted (or your account banned) within the first ten minutes. Here's a six-step checklist, a post template you can copy, and the tracking setup that tells you which subreddit actually drove installs.
Why Reddit works so well for extensions
Reddit is organized by topic, not by followers. A brand-new extension with zero audience can land in front of every person who cares about a problem, as long as it's in the right community.
Extensions are also low-friction: a reader can go from your post to an installed tool in under a minute.
The catch: volunteer moderators remove most self-promotion, and posts written like marketing copy die fast. Sound like a member of the community, not a campaign.
What the rules actually say
Two of Reddit's site-wide rules matter here:
- Rule 2 asks you to participate authentically in communities you have a personal interest in, and not to spam or manipulate content.
- Rule 5 asks you to be authentic and not to mislead people or impersonate anyone.
Notice what's missing: there's no ban on talking about your own product. The bans are on spam, manipulation and deception.
The rules that decide what you can post are each subreddit's own. They range from "no self-promotion, ever" to weekly showcase threads, required flairs, or a promo day.
About the "10% rule" (9:1 normal activity to promotion) you'll see quoted everywhere: the current Reddit Rules page doesn't mention any ratio. Use it as a gut check, not as permission. A sub that bans promotion bans it at 1% too.
The 6-step checklist
1. Use your real account. A fresh account whose first move is a link looks exactly like a spammer. If you're new to Reddit, start a few weeks before launch: join the target communities, see what gets upvoted and removed, answer questions you know. Never use alt accounts to post "I found this cool extension" or to upvote yourself.
2. Go where your users ask for help, not just where makers hang out. Maker subs are friendly but full of other builders. Search Reddit and Google for:
-
extension for+ your use case (e.g. "extension to block shorts") -
is there a way to+ the task your extension does - the name of the tool you replace +
alternative
Note which subs ask these questions and how tool recommendations are received there. That list is your launch plan.
| Subreddit type | Who reads it | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Topic communities | Your actual users | Answering "is there an extension for this?" |
| Browser / productivity | People who install extensions | A useful post or a reply in a recommendation thread |
| Maker / side project | Other builders | Launch-day post, early feedback, beta testers |
| Extension dev | Extension makers | Feedback on listing and onboarding |
3. Read the sidebar, then message the mods. Check whether promo is allowed, whether links are OK in comments, minimum account age or karma, and required formats like a [Showcase] tag or text-only posts. If anything is unclear, message the mods: what it does, that you built it, how it's priced, and whether a post would be welcome. A "no" from a mod is a ban you avoided.
4. Write like a maker, not an ad. Title: plain problem or outcome. "I built a Chrome extension that hides YouTube Shorts and keeps the rest of the feed" beats "Introducing FocusTube: the ultimate productivity solution".
5. Answer existing threads. Posts are a launch spike; helpful comments keep working for months. Answer the question first (even if a built-in Chrome setting solves it), mention your extension only when it fits, say "I made this one" in the same sentence, and name competing tools when they fit too.
6. Stay for the comments. Block out the first few hours. Reply to everything, thank people for bug reports, and don't argue. If someone says it's not useful, ask what they expected. If three people ask for the same setting, ship it and reply in the thread when it's live.
A post template that survives moderation
I kept losing an hour a day to [problem], so I built a small Chrome
extension that [what it does, one sentence].
How it works:
- [main feature]
- [second feature]
- [what it does NOT do, e.g. "no account, no data leaves your browser"]
[10-20 second GIF or short demo video]
It's free / free tier + $X one-time upgrade. Full disclosure: I'm the
developer, so blunt feedback on what's missing or confusing is welcome.
Chrome Web Store: [link with UTM tags]
Rules of thumb: show it working, disclose you built it, explain any broad permissions before someone asks, and use one link. Post to one subreddit at a time, a few days apart, adapting the text each time.
Track which subreddit drives installs
Tag every store link:
https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/your-extension/EXTENSION_ID?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=launch-r-productivity
The Chrome Web Store Developer Dashboard breaks store page views down by utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign. Use a different campaign per subreddit and compare page views with installs over the next few days. A small sub whose visitors install beats a big one that only clicks.
Mistakes that get makers banned
- Alt accounts, vote rings, fake recommendations
- Pasting the same post into ten subs on launch day
- Asking for upvotes (including from your Discord or mailing list)
- Cold DMs to people in a competitor's thread
- Giveaways in exchange for Chrome Web Store reviews (also a store policy problem)
- Deleting and reposting a flopped post
If a community bans promotion entirely, Reddit Ads are the honest route: clearly labeled, targeted by interest, no rules broken.
Key takeaways
- Reddit's site rules ban spam and deception, not self-promotion. Subreddit rules decide the rest.
- Promote from your real account, disclose you're the developer, and never use alts or vote requests.
- Target communities where users describe the problem, not only maker subs.
- One story-style post, one demo, one link, one subreddit at a time.
- UTM-tag every link so the dashboard shows which sub converts.
The full guide, with sources and an FAQ, is here: how to promote a Chrome extension on Reddit without bans. And once the Reddit spike fades, a permanent listing in the ExtensionLaunch browser extension launch directory keeps people finding you.
What's the best subreddit you've found for a dev tool or extension, and what did your first post there look like?
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