How to Remove Your Personal Contact from Browser Extension Store Listings

Publishing or maintaining a browser extension can accidentally expose your personal email address, phone number, name, or physical address in public store listings. This can invite spam, doxxing, and unwanted contact. The good news: each major browser store lets you update, remove, or replace contact fields and support channels without losing your listing. This guide walks you through what to look for, how to remove personal contact information from extension listings on major stores, and what to do if an old email or phone keeps resurfacing.

What Gets Exposed in Extension Store Listings

Extension marketplaces pull information from multiple places. Your personal details may appear in:

• Public listing fields: Support email, developer website, contact links, privacy policy URL, and sometimes a “Publisher” name.
• Developer profile: The display name, profile email, or organization details associated with your developer account.
• Package metadata: Manifest files, README, changelog, or in-app “support” links that point to personal emails or social profiles.
• Screenshots and descriptions: Images or text blocks that inadvertently include emails or phone numbers.

Before You Start: Create Privacy-Safe Contact Channels

Do not remove all contact paths. Stores often require a support channel. Instead, replace personal details with privacy-safe options:

• Support email alias: Use a domain-based alias (e.g., support@yourdomain.com) or a dedicated mailbox that doesn’t reveal your name.
• Issue tracker or form: Route users to a GitHub Issues page or a web form that hides your identity and filters spam.
• VoIP number (optional): If phone support is necessary, use a virtual number with call screening and no tie to your personal phone.
• Redacted domain WHOIS: Use registrar privacy to avoid exposing your physical address via your website’s WHOIS.

Step-by-Step: Chrome Web Store (Google Chrome)

Google’s Chrome Web Store pulls publisher data from both the item listing and your developer account. Update both.

1. Update the listing contact:
   • Go to the Chrome Web Store Developer Dashboard and select your item.
   • Open the “Store listing” section.
   • Replace any personal emails in “Support email,” “Developer website,” and “Privacy policy” with your new alias or page.
   • Remove phone numbers from the description, screenshots, or FAQs.
2. Update developer account details:
   • Open your developer profile settings.
   • Change the display name from a personal name to an organization or neutral publisher name, if applicable and compliant with store rules.
   • Use a non-personal developer email for account and verification contact.
3. Update manifest and embedded links:
   • Check manifest.json for fields like homepage_url or support links pointing to personal addresses.
   • Update in-extension menus or “Help” links that might open a mailto: to your personal email.
4. Rebuild and submit:
   • Upload the updated package if you changed any code or manifest references.
   • Resubmit the listing changes and wait for review.
5. Verify post-publication:
   • After the listing updates, sign out or use an incognito window to view the public page.
   • Confirm your personal contact no longer appears in the listing or screenshots.

Note: If your old email still appears in Google Search snippets, wait for reindexing or request removal of outdated cached results using Google’s Remove Outdated Content tool.

Step-by-Step: Firefox Add-ons (Mozilla AMO)

Mozilla’s addons.mozilla.org (AMO) uses your add-on’s listing fields and author profile.

1. Edit the add-on listing:
   • Sign in to AMO, open your add-on, and select “Edit Listing.”
   • Replace personal emails in “Support Email,” “Homepage,” or “Support Site.”
   • Remove personal contact from the long description and images.
2. Adjust author/publisher details:
   • Visit your AMO profile and change the display name to a brand or team name if permitted.
   • Use a dedicated, non-personal email for your AMO account and notifications.
3. Check add-on metadata:
   • Review manifest (manifest.json) and in-extension links for mailto: addresses.
   • Update any references to personal GitHub profiles if the profile exposes your email.
4. Submit and confirm:
   • Save your changes and submit for review if required.
   • Verify the live listing after publication in a logged-out browser.

Step-by-Step: Microsoft Edge Add-ons Store

The Edge Add-ons ecosystem closely mirrors Chrome extensions but has its own publisher profile and listing fields.

1. Update listing fields:
   • Open Partner Center, go to your Edge Add-on, and edit the listing.
   • Change any “Support contact,” website, and privacy policy that show personal contact.
   • Scrub personal contact from descriptions and images.
2. Check publisher account:
   • Review your Publisher Display Name and account email.
   • Switch to a neutral publisher name and non-personal support email.
3. Review code and manifest:
   • Update manifest and in-app links, then upload a new package if needed.
4. Republish and validate:
   • Submit updates and confirm that the public page no longer shows your personal details.

Step-by-Step: Safari App Extensions (Apple)

Safari extensions are distributed via the App Store. Personal contact often appears in the App Store Connect app record, support URL, and privacy policy.

1. Update App Store Connect metadata:
   • Change the “Support URL” and “Marketing URL” to brand pages or a form that shields personal details.
   • Ensure the “Privacy Policy URL” does not contain personal contact info.
2. Adjust seller information when possible:
   • If you originally published under an individual account, your personal name may display as the seller.
   • To change the seller name to a company, Apple requires a legal entity developer account; this may not be retroactively convertible without opening a new account. Consider creating a company account for future releases.
3. Update in-app links:
   • Replace mailto: links and any embedded personal contact in the extension UI.
4. Submit an app update:
   • Resubmit with updated metadata and verify the live store listing once approved.

Other Platforms: Opera Add-ons and Niche Stores

Opera and smaller stores generally follow similar patterns: a publisher profile, a listing page, and metadata drawn from your package.

• Opera Add-ons: Edit the listing’s support contact and your developer profile display name. Remove personal contact from descriptions and images.
• Niche enterprise catalogs: Look for a “support contact,” “documentation link,” or “vendor info” field and switch to aliases or ticketing forms.

Search and Purge Personal Contact Beyond the Listing

Even after you update the store record, your personal email or phone may remain elsewhere:

• Repository and docs: README, Wiki, CHANGELOG, CONTRIBUTING, and issue templates may contain your personal contact.
• Issue tracker history: Old issues or PRs might show your email in signatures or commit metadata.
• Release notes and blog posts: Remove personal contact or replace with aliases; add a note that the support channel has changed.
• Screenshots and videos: Re-upload media without visible personal details.
• Press, mirrors, and scrapers: Third-party sites may quote your old listing; request updates or removals where possible.

How to Escalate: Takedown and Support Requests

If your personal details persist due to caches, mirrors, or policy constraints, you can submit formal requests:

• Store support tickets: Open a case with the extension store’s support and explain you need to remove exposed personal information due to privacy and safety concerns. Include URLs and screenshots.
• Caching and search removal: Use search engine tools to remove outdated snippets that continue to expose your contact.
• Content removal from mirrors: Contact site owners or hosting providers with a polite request, citing privacy concerns and updated official listing info.
• Legal name exposure: Where a store requires your legal name as publisher and you face safety risks, ask support about available accommodations. Some platforms allow changing the display name or converting to an organization account.

Pro Tips to Prevent Re-Exposure

• Centralize support: Use one public endpoint (support@domain or a form) across all stores and documentation.
• Automate scanning: Grep or search your codebase and docs for personal strings (emails, phone numbers, usernames) before every release.
• Use role accounts: Create roles like publisher@, security@, and legal@ to avoid personal identities in any channel.
• Mask your domain ownership: Enable WHOIS privacy and remove address details from public pages.
• Image hygiene: Review screenshots for profile pop-ups, email clients, or OS notifications that reveal personal info.
• Changelog discipline: Keep release notes free of personal contact; link to the support page instead.
• Organization accounts: Where possible, publish under an organization rather than an individual.

What If You No Longer Control the Listing?

If you transferred an extension or left a team, your personal contact might remain in the listing or codebase.

• Contact the current publisher: Provide specific URLs and request removal of your details. Most reputable publishers will help.
• Contact the store: If the publisher is unresponsive and your privacy is at risk, open a store support ticket with evidence you are the affected person and include prior ownership context if applicable.
• Security vulnerability path: If your personal email is used for vulnerability disclosure, propose a security@ alias to replace it.

Privacy and Identity Risks to Consider

Public emails and phone numbers in store listings can lead to targeted phishing, social engineering against your accounts, SIM-swap attempts, and unwanted harassment. If your contact has already circulated widely, consider layered protection:

• Harden accounts: Use a hardware security key or app-based MFA on developer, email, and registrar accounts.
• Set email rules: Filter and log messages to your support alias to spot spoofing and phishing.
• Monitor for misuse: Keep an eye on unusual sign-ups, password reset emails, and credit alerts that could indicate broader identity targeting.
• Consider credit and identity monitoring: If your personal identifiers have been exposed for a while, ongoing monitoring can help you spot fraud early. A practical option is the resource on privacy, credit monitoring, and identity protection here: SmartCredit for privacy, credit monitoring, and identity protection.

Verification Checklist

Use this quick checklist to confirm your personal contact is gone:

• Public listing shows only role-based or alias contact.
• Developer/publisher profile no longer exposes your personal name or email (where policy allows).
• Manifest and in-app “Help/Support” links updated; no mailto: with your personal address.
• Descriptions, FAQs, and images scrubbed of personal details.
• Repository docs and issue templates updated.
• Search results no longer show old snippets, or you’ve submitted removal for outdated cache.
• Third-party mirrors updated or contacted for redaction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will removing my personal email affect user support?

Not if you provide a reliable alternative. Replace, don’t delete. A ticketing form or role email preserves support while protecting your identity.

How long do updates take to appear?

Store updates can appear within minutes to a few days. Search engines and mirrors may take longer. Expect one to three weeks for broad propagation.

Can I change the publisher name from my legal name to a brand?

Some stores allow a display name change; others require converting to an organization account. Review each platform’s policy and consider publishing under a company entity for future releases.

What if my email is hard-coded in old versions?

Ship an update that removes it, deprecate the old version if possible, and note the new support channel in the changelog. If users report issues via the old email, set an auto-reply pointing them to the new channel.

Conclusion

Removing your personal contact from browser extension store listings is a multi-step process: update the listing and publisher profile, scrub your code and documentation, and push consistent, privacy-safe contact channels everywhere users expect support. After publishing changes, verify in a logged-out browser, monitor search caches, and follow up with stores or mirrors if old data persists. With a clean support alias, clear documentation, and periodic audits before each release, you can protect your identity while keeping your users supported and informed.