"The Chrome Web Store is broken" can mean three very different things, and each has a different fix.
1. The store page itself doesn't open
Try chromewebstore.google.com in a guest window. If guest works, a local extension, cached data or a corrupted profile is to blame. If guest also fails, look at network: DNS, a proxy rule that sends Google domains somewhere odd, or a captive portal.
2. The store opens but an extension page is "not available"
The listing may have been removed, restricted by region, or hidden for your Chrome version or OS. Check the developer's site for an alternative link, and confirm Chrome is up to date.
3. The "Add to Chrome" button fails
Common error codes like NETWORK_FAILED or DOWNLOAD_INTERRUPTED point to the download of the .crx file failing — usually a proxy or DNS issue for the update servers rather than the store page. Blocked by administrator means a policy: open chrome://policy and look for ExtensionInstallBlocklist. On a work or school device, that is intentional and you'll need IT.
Quick extras
Incognito won't help with installs, since extensions must be allowed separately there. Clearing the store's site data and restarting Chrome resolves a surprising number of stuck installs.
Managed devices and policies
On a company or school laptop, Chrome can be managed even when you're signed in with a personal account. chrome://management tells you whether a browser is managed and by whom. Policies such as ExtensionInstallAllowlist, ExtensionInstallForcelist and ExtensionSettings can allow only approved extensions, force-install others, or block the store entirely. None of these are network problems, and no amount of clearing cache will change them.
Profiles and sync
If one Chrome profile can install an extension and another cannot, compare their settings: Enhanced Safe Browsing, a supervised child account, or a sync policy can each change what's allowed. Creating a fresh test profile is a quick way to rule out profile corruption without touching your main data.
A short order of operations
Guest window first, then chrome://policy, then a new profile, then network checks. Most people do it the other way round and spend an hour on DNS when the answer was a single policy line.
Device-by-device steps are in our full article: https://roxi.cc/lxut52.html
Written by the small team behind Roxi.