Review Process
All public plugins go through a manual review before being listed in the marketplace. Understand what reviewers check and how to prepare your submission.
Overview
Before your plugin appears in the marketplace, it must pass a review. This process protects merchants from low-quality or insecure plugins, and gives your plugin credibility once approved.
Private plugins used only within your own stores are auto-approved on creation and do not require a review.
Submission Requirements
Your plugin must meet these requirements before you can submit for review:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Required — 3 to 50 characters |
| Description | Minimum 100 characters — explain clearly what your plugin does |
| Category | Must be a valid marketplace category |
| Permissions | At least 1 scope declared in the manifest |
| Plugin URL | Your plugin must be running and accessible |
How to Submit
- Run
whatalo deployto register your current version with the Developer Portal - Go to your plugin in the Developer Portal
- Click Submit for Review
- The review team is notified and begins evaluation
What Reviewers Check
Reviewers evaluate your plugin on the following criteria:
- Functionality — The plugin loads, responds to context, and behaves as described
- Scope usage — Declared permissions are actually used and not over-scoped
- Security — No suspicious network calls, no data exfiltration patterns
- User experience — The UI is usable and consistent with merchant expectations
- Policy compliance — Content and behavior comply with platform policies
Review Decisions
| Decision | Effect |
|---|---|
| Approved | Plugin is published to the marketplace. publishedAt timestamp is set. approvedScopes are recorded. |
| Rejected | You receive feedback with a reason. You can edit your plugin and resubmit. |
| Suspended (post-publish) | Plugin is removed from the marketplace. All active merchant installations are paused. You receive an email with the reason. |
Email Notifications
You receive an email for every review decision: approved, rejected, or suspended. Make sure the email address on your Developer Portal account is current.
Timeline
Reviews are processed manually by the platform team. Expect a response within a few business days of submission. Complex or borderline submissions may take longer.
After Approval
Once approved, your plugin is live in the marketplace. Merchants can discover, install, and start using it immediately. You can monitor installations and revenue in the Developer Portal.
If you need to make changes after approval, see Updates & Versioning.
Billing SDK Reference
Complete reference for all App Bridge billing methods. Query plans, manage subscriptions, and handle errors from inside your plugin.
Updates & Versioning
How to ship updates to approved plugins. Understand pending changes, scope consent, and how to use the deploy command in CI/CD.