Distribution

Choose between private and public distribution modes. Private plugins are auto-approved. Public plugins require review and appear in the marketplace.

Distribution Modes

Every plugin has a distribution field that controls who can install it.

Private Plugins

Installable only within your own stores by default
Auto-approved on creation — no review required
Ideal for internal tools, custom integrations, and plugins under active development
Not discoverable in the marketplace, by search, or by direct link to non-owners
Can be promoted to public distribution later
Can optionally grant install access to specific people via invitations

Private Access Modes

A private plugin controls who — besides you — may install it through its private_access_mode:

Mode	Who can install	Default
`owner_only`	Only you, the plugin owner	Yes
`invitation`	You, plus holders of a valid email-bound invitation	No

Switching to invitation mode is explicit and never happens automatically. See Private Invitations for the full flow.

Public Plugins

Listed in the marketplace, visible and installable by all merchants
Requires review and approval before going live
Searchable and discoverable by all platform users
Subject to platform policies and ongoing compliance

Plugin Statuses

Status	Description
`draft`	Plugin created but not yet submitted for review
`pending_review`	Submitted — awaiting review team decision
`approved`	Live in the marketplace (public) or approved for private use
`rejected`	Review failed — review notes are provided. You can edit and resubmit.

A suspended plugin (post-publish policy violation) is removed from the marketplace and all installations are paused. The status remains approved internally but the plugin is not publicly accessible.

Going Public

To convert a private plugin to a public listing:

Go to the Developer Portal → your plugin
Click Publish to Marketplace
Distribution changes to public and a review is triggered automatically
Once approved, the plugin appears in the marketplace

You do not need to redeploy — the version already on record is what the review team evaluates.

Publishing is the only way distribution changes. A plain "Save" of your plugin's metadata (name, description, category, pricing, etc.) never changes its distribution or status — those move only through publishing and review.

Creating a Plugin

When you create a plugin through the Developer Portal or CLI, you set the distribution at creation time:

# CLI — prompts for distribution during setup
whatalo init

Or via the Developer Portal creation form, where you select Private or Public during initial setup.

After Approval

When your public plugin is approved:

It appears immediately in the marketplace under its category
Merchants can search for it by name, category, or keyword
Installation, subscription, and revenue tracking begin from the Developer Portal dashboard
You can continue iterating — see Updates & Versioning

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