The Overzealous Security
Google Chrome takes the security of its extension ecosystem very seriously. If Google detects that an extension violates its Web Store policies—perhaps it contains malware, tracks users too aggressively, or was simply abandoned by the developer—Chrome will often flag it as dangerous. In many cases, Chrome goes a step further and automatically deletes or permanently disables the extension from your browser without asking for your permission. While this protects the majority of users, it is incredibly frustrating for power users or developers who are intentionally running older, unlisted, or custom-built extensions that Chrome’s automated systems falsely flag as malicious.
Protecting Custom Add-ons
To prevent the browser from overriding your choices and stop Google Chrome from automatically deleting or disabling extensions it deems unsafe, you must utilize the browser’s Developer Mode.
Chrome’s standard security checks cannot be bypassed for extensions installed normally through the Web Store. However, you can force Chrome to ignore security flags by running the extension locally. First, you must obtain the raw source code (the unzipped folder) of the extension you want to protect. Open Chrome, click the three vertical dots, and select Extensions > Manage Extensions. In the top-right corner, toggle Developer mode to On. Three new buttons will appear at the top left. Click Load unpacked. Navigate to the folder containing your extension’s source code and select it. Because Chrome views this as an active project you are developing locally, it will completely bypass the Web Store’s automated deletion checks, allowing the extension to run indefinitely.