One the of the main advantages of the new WebExtensions API is that it is less likely to cause security or stability problems for users. This means we can review these add-ons faster, and we have adapted our review flow accordingly. For the past few months we have reduced review wait times for add-ons written using the WebExtensions API. Today we’re taking another big step in that direction.

Add-ons built on the WebExtensions API will now be automatically reviewed. This means we will publish add-ons shortly after uploading. Human reviewers will look at these pre-approved add-ons, prioritized on various risk factors that are calculated from the add-on’s codebase and other metadata. This change is now live, and we plan to continue augmenting it in the coming months.

These changes give developers a much improved upload and publishing experience, but also comes with more responsibility on their end. Issues that arise during review can still lead to rejection of a version or a whole listing. This will now happen after publication, rather than before. We’re in the process of editing a new Review Policy that will make the rules, exceptions, and consequences clearer for everyone.