I Built a Chrome Dictionary Extension in 2 Weeks:

A developer built a Chrome dictionary extension in two weeks using the Free Dictionary API, publishing it to the Chrome Web Store and expanding to Firefox, Opera, and Brave. The extension, which is about 50KB and works offline, allows users to right-click any word to see its definition in a clean popup. The developer learned that publishing prep took longer than coding, and advises using Manifest v3 for new extensions.

TL;DR: Shipped a Chrome extension that fetches word definitions from a free API, published to Chrome Web Store, and now expanding to Firefox, Opera, and Brave. Here's what I learned. I spend a lot of time reading articles and documentation online. Sometimes I encounter words I want to quickly understand without losing my flow. Most dictionary extensions either clutter your toolbar or charge money. So I decided to build one myself. This wasn't meant to be a unicorn idea. It was meant to be useful, small, and shippable . A perfect learning project for understanding Chrome extensions, Total size : ~50KB. No dependencies. Runs offline once loaded. Right-click any word → "Look up in Dictionary" appears → Popup shows definition Simple. Works everywhere. Clean popup showing: Deep blue background, white text. Distraction-free. Used Free Dictionary API https://dictionaryapi.dev/ for data: Why this over OpenAI/Anthropic? For this use case, simplicity + reliability advanced features. This is where it got interesting. What I learned : Building took 1 week. Publishing prep took another week. The tricky part wasn't the code—it was getting the screenshots right, writing a description that passes Google's guidelines, and understanding what "sensitive permissions" mean. Firefox is stricter about privacy. They literally ask: "Does your extension collect user data?" Honest answer: No. This extension doesn't store anything. Result: Approved in 2 days. The extension logic? A few hours. Getting it published to 4 stores? A week. Screenshot requirements, description length limits, icon sizing, privacy policies for each store—it adds up. Plan accordingly. Manifest v2 older standard is deprecated. Manifest v3 forces better practices no inline scripts, explicit permissions . Learn v3 from the start if building extensions in 2026+. The Free Dictionary API has been running for years with zero cost. For side projects, this is perfect. You avoid vendor lock-in and zero payment friction. Most people never click toolbar icons. But everyone right-clicks. This one design decision probably increased discoverability 10x. v1.1 coming this week : Long-term ideas : But I'm shipping v1.1 first and waiting for user feedback before going further. Here's my advice: ✅ Do : ❌ Don't : This wasn't about building the world's best dictionary. It was about: That's worth more than any feature. For you : If you've been thinking about building a browser extension, this is your sign. It's easier than you think. For me : Next up is a stock announcement tracker for Indian markets Q3 goal . Similar journey: ship → iterate → publish. Want to try the extension? Get it on Chrome Web Store https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/english-dictionary/lkimphibmbmlcmoepjcehlngobhfbfeb?utm source=item-share-cb What's your first browser extension idea? Drop it in the comments. 👇 Tags : ChromeExtension WebDevelopment IndieHacking Shipping