Publishing an App
After completing development, verifying best practices, and checking approval requirements, you may submit your app for Marketplace approval in the Developer Portal (opens in a new tab). This article takes you step-by-step through the submission form and provides descriptions for each field.
Before you begin
Your listing on the App Marketplace (opens in a new tab) plays a major role in your app's success. A good listing accomplishes three goals:
- Shows users how your platform or solution differs from competitive offerings
- Includes keywords so prospective users can find your listing in searches
- Sets up clear and accurate user expectations as to your solution's features and functionality
Before you begin completing the app registration, we recommend prepping the following assets:
- Company logos
- Screenshots and video content
- Case studies
We also recommend giving special attention to the following search indexed fields:
- App name
- App summary
- App category
Provide technical information
Provide the app's technical details to begin the app certification process. Specify the app type, multiple user support, callback URLs, and OAuth scopes, and provide detailed testing instructions.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple Users | Optionally allow your app to be accessible to store users other than the owner |
| App Type | Type of app; single-click recommended |
| Auth Callback URL | Requested when store owner or authorized user clicks install |
| Load Callback URL | Requested when user launches app |
| Uninstall Callback URL | Requested when store owner or authorized user clicks uninstall |
| OAuth Scopes | OAuth scopes the app requires |
| Test Instructions | Instructions needed to test the app thoroughly |
Add a summary
Next, we'll need some basic information about you.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Contact Name | Email address created when applying for your Partner ID |
| Partner Name | Name of your company; attributed on the detail page |
| Partner Website | URL to your homepage |
| Support Email | Business mail where users can get help with the app |
| Support Website | Used for Get Support button in Marketplace |
| Partner ID | Required for submission; assigned to partners after approval |
| App Name | Brand name given to app for titles and app content; should not include taglines or descriptors |
| App Logo | Primary app logo; should be 350 x 130px with a white background and dark branding with no taglines |
| App Icon | Shown on main app detail page and left nav in control panel once installed; should be 200 x 200px |
| Price | App's starting price; if offering free plan, choose Free; specify details in Other selection |
| App Summary | App tagline used in the marketplace category and search results; 128 characters max |
| Category | Marketplace category for app; used as search attribute; BigCommerce may re-categorize prior to launch |
Fill in details
Provide a helpful description with screenshots and a video to promote your app. We recommend bullet points followed by short paragraphs with headers. Aim for 200 words in total.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| App Details | Value proposition; avoid fluff or buzzwords; not be indexed for search; 200 words max |
| Videos | Videos highlighting purpose and value of your app |
| Case Studies | Case studies demonstrating how merchants have benefited from using your app. 4 max |
| Features | App's major features; include title and description for each; title is search indexed; rich text accepted; 5 max |
| Legal Terms & Privacy | App privacy policy and ToS links; legally required |
| International Optimization | Countries app optimized for and countries app does not support |
| Help Guides | Links to app's user and installation guides; highly recommended |
| App Screenshot | Screenshots of app UI in a BigCommerce store's control panel |
| Alternate Logo | Used if app featured in Marketplace carousel; should be 259 x 158px (or larger at ratio); color background and light branding; no taglines |
Add supported features
Indicate whether your app supports functionality for multi-storefront and multi-location inventory (opens in a new tab).
Review submission
Review the information added before submitting the app.
Submit your app for approval
Before submitting your app for approval, it is imperative to adhere to the recommended best practices listed below to ensure the integrity of the app marketplace and keep clients safe.
- Integrate with the BigCommerce JS SDK (opens in a new tab) for Java-based apps. The SDK effectively allows management of the user’s session, keeping it in sync with the control panel.
- At a minimum, design apps to be cookieless (to comply with Chrome and Safari privacy/ security policies) and instead use JWTs to pass information.
- Never pass sensitive data using query parameters.
After completing all information, then click Submit for Review to pay the review and listing fee and submit the app. Test the app before submitting it to avoid paying additional review fees.
If you have any questions about your submission, email AppStore@bigcommerce.com.
FAQ
Are all fields required?
For Marketplace approval, you'll need to fill out all fields on your listing with applicable content and links. These will be reviewed as part of the Marketplace approval process. The Case Studies field and Videos field are optional.
Am I able to preview the changes to my listing before publishing them?
Yes! With the updated fields in the Developer Portal, we're also adding the ability to preview how these changes will appear on the BigCommerce Marketplace. You will see the option to preview on a new step after Review when editing your listing.
Is there a draft status for these changes, or will saving make them live?
Any changes you save will take effect immediately, so make sure you're ready to push them out to the Marketplace before saving.
I've logged in to the Developer Portal, but I don't see my published listing. Where is it?
You may have logged in with the wrong account. Each listing can only be owned by one user, so it is likely assigned to another email address. If you're unable to track down the correct owner account for your solution, please reach out to appstore@bigcommerce.com.
I saved my changes, but my listing has not updated yet. What's the problem?
The changes will be effective immediately in your control panel app card, but the updates can take up to 24 hours to appear on the App Marketplace. Feel free to use this as a grace period to make edits as needed.
Next steps
Review the App Marketplace listing guide (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Resources
Sample apps
- Node / React / Next.js (opens in a new tab)
- Python / Flask (opens in a new tab)
- PHP / Silex (opens in a new tab)
- Ruby / Sinatra (opens in a new tab)
- Laravel / React (opens in a new tab)
Tools
- Node API Client (opens in a new tab)
- Python API Client (opens in a new tab)
- PHP API Client (opens in a new tab)
- Ruby API Client (opens in a new tab)
- Ruby OmniAuth Gem (opens in a new tab)
- BigDesign Developer Playground (opens in a new tab)
- Figma UI Kit (opens in a new tab)
Blog posts
- How to Test App Authentication Locally with ngrok (opens in a new tab)
- Building a BigCommerce App Using Laravel and React (opens in a new tab)
- BigDesign Tutorial (opens in a new tab)