Overview
- This week Microsoft said it has added automated validation checks to the Edge Add‑ons review pipeline to triage repeatable issues created by a sharp rise in AI-assisted "vibe coding."
- The company also shortened how often it refreshes the store’s Featured badge to every 15 days so high-quality extensions gain recognition faster and developers get quicker feedback.
- Microsoft says it streamlined submission flows after a 2025 expedited review rollout left review times under strain, but it insists the bar for passing checks has not been lowered.
- Security and platform limits remain a concern because malicious add‑ons continue to slip through reviews and the Chromium-driven Manifest V2→V3 change will break some extensions, including uBlock Origin on Edge.
- Edge’s move to Chromium broadened extension compatibility and drove the current growth, and Microsoft says the changes aim to speed approvals and protect users while letting developers publish and update extensions more rapidly.