> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ext.eplus.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ

> Common questions about public profiles, Arcade calculations, solutions, and privacy

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I need a Google Cloud Skills Boost account?">
    Yes, you need a Skills Boost profile to track your own badges and progress. The extension stores and analyzes the profile's public URL rather than your Google password.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why must my profile be public?">
    The extension reads badge and achievement data from a public profile URL. A private profile does not expose the information required for account creation and point calculation.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What should the profile URL look like?">
    Use a URL similar to `https://www.skills.google/public_profiles/xxxxx`. Copy it from the browser after opening the Public profile page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I track multiple profiles?">
    Yes. Add each public profile once, assign optional nicknames, and switch the active account from the popup. Each saved profile can be refreshed independently.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is the Arcade point calculation official?">
    No. It is a community estimate based on public badges and the extension's current configuration. Official Google program pages remain the source of truth for points, deadlines, tiers, eligibility, and rewards.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can the displayed points differ from my expectation?">
    Common causes include profile update delays, badges outside the current season, changed badge categories, facilitator rules, remote milestone configuration, or newly changed official program rules. Refresh the account first, then compare against the current official rules.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why is there no solution for a lab?">
    A matching guide may not yet exist, the lab title or course ID may have changed, or the solution index may be temporarily unavailable. Use the configured ePlus, web, or YouTube fallback search action.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the extension store my Google password?">
    No. The extension does not require your Google password. Authentication remains on Google Cloud Skills Boost; the extension uses the public profile URL you provide.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does the extension make network requests?">
    Yes. Updating profiles, loading current Arcade configuration or announcements, looking up solutions, and opening search results can use public profile, ePlus, Firebase configuration, and search-provider endpoints. Saved accounts and preferences are stored in browser extension storage.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I back up my saved accounts and settings?">
    Open Data Management and select **Export Data**. Keep the exported JSON file, then use **Import Data** in the destination browser profile.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How are updates installed?">
    Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons installations normally update automatically. GitHub release packages and unpacked source builds must be replaced and reloaded manually.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is this extension affiliated with Google?">
    No. Google Cloud Skills Boost Helper is an independent open-source community project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I report a bug or incorrect calculation?">
    Open an issue in the [Google Cloud Skills Boost Helper repository](https://github.com/ePlus-DEV/google-cloud-skills-boost-helper/issues). Include the extension version, expected result, actual result, and redacted screenshots. Do not post public profile URLs or other personal data; share them privately only when a maintainer requests them through a private channel.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


## Related topics

- [FAQ](/gmail-alias-toolkit/faq.md)