shopify-events

Chrome Web Store Publishing Guide

This document contains all the steps needed to publish the Shopify Events Viewer extension to the Chrome Web Store.

Pre-requisites

Google account
$5 for one-time developer registration fee
Generated icon files (icon16.png, icon48.png, icon128.png)

Files Ready for Upload

File	Purpose
`shopify-events-extension.zip`	ZIP package for Chrome Web Store upload
`PRIVACY_POLICY.md`	Privacy policy (host this publicly)

Part 1: Developer Account Setup

Step 1: Access the Developer Dashboard

Go to https://chrome.google.com/webstore/devconsole
Sign in with your Google account
If first time: Pay the one-time $5 registration fee
Accept the Developer Agreement

Step 2: Complete Account Setup

Click your account icon → Account in the dashboard
Fill in required publisher information:
- Publisher display name (e.g., “Jay Chinthrajah” or your company name)
- Contact email (publicly visible)
- Privacy policy URL (see Part 2)
Verify your email address if prompted

Part 2: Host Privacy Policy

Before submitting, you need to host the privacy policy at a public URL.

Option A: GitHub Pages

Push this repo to GitHub
Go to repo Settings → Pages
Enable GitHub Pages from main branch
Your privacy policy will be at: https://YOUR_USERNAME.github.io/shopify-events/PRIVACY_POLICY

Option B: GitHub Raw Link

Use the raw file URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/YOUR_USERNAME/shopify-events/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md

Option C: Other Hosting

Convert PRIVACY_POLICY.md to HTML and host on your website or Notion.

Part 3: Submit to Chrome Web Store

Step 3: Add New Item

In Developer Dashboard, click “New Item” button
Upload shopify-events-extension.zip
Wait for initial processing

Step 4: Fill Store Listing

Language: English (United States)

Extension Name:

Shopify Events Viewer - Admin Activity Monitor

Summary (132 characters max):

View real-time admin events on any Shopify page. See orders, products, and customer activity with detailed timestamps and payloads.

Category: Developer Tools

Description: (copy the full text below)

SHOPIFY EVENTS VIEWER - Your Admin Activity Dashboard

Instantly see what's happening in your Shopify store. This extension displays real-time admin events directly in your browser, helping you debug issues, audit changes, and understand store activity at a glance.

KEY FEATURES

Real-Time Event Monitoring
See orders, products, customers, and inventory events as they happen. No more digging through logs or refreshing pages.

Smart Auto-Detection
The extension automatically detects when events are available and shows a convenient sidebar panel right in your Shopify admin.

Detailed Event Information
- Event type and action (Created, Updated, Deleted)
- Precise timestamps
- Human-readable descriptions
- Full JSON payload for technical debugging

Secure & Private
Uses your existing Shopify session - no separate login required. No data is collected or transmitted to third parties.

Lightweight & Fast
Zero impact on page performance. Events load instantly without interrupting your workflow.

PERFECT FOR

- Store Owners tracking order and inventory changes
- Developers debugging webhook issues
- Support Teams investigating customer issues
- Agencies managing multiple stores

HOW TO USE

1. Navigate to any Shopify admin page
2. Click the extension icon or use the auto-appearing sidebar
3. View events sorted by most recent
4. Expand any event to see the full JSON payload

REQUIREMENTS

- Active Shopify store with admin access
- Must be logged into Shopify admin

Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you!

Made for the Shopify community

Part 4: Configure Settings

Step 5: Privacy Practices

Go to Privacy tab
Answer the questionnaire:
- Single purpose: “Display Shopify admin events from the current page”
- Host permissions justification: “Required to access Shopify admin pages and fetch events.json endpoint”
- Data usage disclosure: Select “No” for all data collection options

Step 6: Distribution Settings

Go to Distribution tab
Visibility: Public (or Unlisted for testing first)
Regions: All regions

Part 5: Upload Assets

Required Images

Asset	Size	File
Store Icon	128x128 PNG	`icon128.png`
Screenshots	1280x800 or 640x400	See below

Screenshot Guide

Take these 5 screenshots (1280x800 recommended):

Popup with Events List
- Navigate to a Shopify orders page with recent activity
- Click the extension icon to open the popup
- Capture the popup showing multiple events with timestamps
- Caption: “View all admin events at a glance”
Expanded Event with JSON Payload
- Open the popup or panel
- Expand one event to show the JSON details
- Caption: “Drill into full event details and payloads”
Sidebar Panel in Shopify Admin
- Navigate to an orders or products page
- Show the auto-appearing panel on the right side
- Capture full browser window showing Shopify + panel
- Caption: “Sidebar panel integrates seamlessly with Shopify”
Badge Indicator Active
- Navigate to a page with events
- Show the extension icon in toolbar with badge visible
- Caption: “Badge shows when events are available”
Order Event Details
- Find a page with Order-related events
- Show specific order events
- Caption: “Track order activity in real-time”

Screenshot Tips

Use a clean browser profile (no other extensions visible)
Use sample/test store data (blur any real customer info)
Consistent browser window size (1280x800)
Light theme for better visibility
Include the purple/blue gradient header in shots

Part 6: Submit for Review

Step 7: Final Submission

Review all sections have green checkmarks
Click “Submit for Review”
Review typically takes 1-3 business days

Step 8: Post-Submission

Monitor email for approval or rejection feedback
If rejected, address issues and resubmit
Once approved, extension goes live automatically

Step 9: Post-Launch

Copy and share the Chrome Web Store link
Add the link to this README and any documentation
Monitor reviews and respond to user feedback

Checklist Summary

Account Setup

Pay $5 developer registration fee
Complete publisher profile
Verify email address

Assets

Verify icon files exist (16, 48, 128px)
Host privacy policy at public URL
Take 5 screenshots (1280x800)

Submission

Upload shopify-events-extension.zip
Fill store listing (name, summary, description)
Set category to “Developer Tools”
Complete privacy questionnaire
Upload 128px icon
Upload screenshots with captions
Set distribution to Public

Publishing

Submit for review
Wait for approval (1-3 days)
Share published Chrome Web Store link

Updating the Extension

To publish updates after the initial release:

Update version in manifest.json (e.g., “1.0.0” → “1.0.1”)

Create new ZIP:

zip -r shopify-events-extension.zip manifest.json popup.html popup.js panel.html panel.js content.js background.js icon16.png icon48.png icon128.png

Go to Developer Dashboard → Your extension
Click “Package” → “Upload new package”
Upload new ZIP
Submit for review