Frequently Asked Questions
The AppExchange is the world's first on-demand application-sharing service. It provides a way to browse, test drive, install, and publish applications (apps) developed on the Force.com platform. Partners, developers, and anyone else who chooses to participate can offer their apps on the AppExchange directory. This directory gives Salesforce users an easy way to find and install apps in order to expand their use of the Force.com platform to new areas of customer relationship management (CRM) and beyond.
Anyone with a valid Salesforce user name and password, including trial users, can use the AppExchange directory to test drive apps. Salesforce administrators can install and deploy AppExchange apps in their own environments and make them available to their users.
AppExchange apps are created by our own in-house salesforce.com experts, members of our partner network, and individual Salesforce users who want to share apps and components they've created. A quality assurance team reviews each app before it is posted to the AppExchange directory.
Partners are responsible for supporting the apps they create. To find out how to request support for a specific app, check the support information provided with the details about the app on the AppExchange.
You'll notice that the AppExchange offers both apps and components for installation in salesforce.com deployments. A component typically provides a single feature that solves a business process challenge, such as enabling users to update close dates on a number of opportunities at the same time. An app is more complex and provides a set of features relevant to a related set of business processes. For example, an HR app may enable users to track job applicants, time off, and referrals. Components are typically added to an app and don't have a tab set of their own. In some cases, a component may be developed solely for the purpose of providing a specific example of how to solve a business challenge.
The Test Drive button gives you access to a fully functional read-only version of the app that interests you — without the need to download or install anything. In addition, the AppExchange directory features a rating system that lets users share their opinions about an app, just as they might review a product on a consumer Internet site. This allows the community to provide input about the quality of the apps listed.
AppExchange apps may include custom objects and tabs that will add to the total number of objects and tabs in your organization's Salesforce instance. Depending on the Salesforce edition you have chosen, you may reach a limit beyond which you will not be able to add additional custom objects and tabs. At that point, you will not be able to install additional AppExchange apps.
As its name suggests, the Unlimited Edition places no limit on the number of custom applications an organization can install in its Salesforce environment. Enterprise and Developer Edition accounts can include no more than 200 custom objects and 25 custom tabs. Professional Edition accounts are limited to 50 custom objects, 10 custom tabs, and 5 custom applications, while Team Edition accounts can include no more than 50 custom objects, 5 custom tabs, and 1 custom application. Salesforce accounts are limited to 5 custom tabs during the free trial period.
The package name that appears during Step 2 (Examine package contents) of the installation process corresponds to the name and version number entered by the developer during the packaging process. It may differ from the name entered by the publisher during the publishing process, which is displayed in the listing for the application on the AppExchange.
In a similar way, the publisher name shown during installation may not match the publisher name shown on the AppExchange. In Step 2 of the install process, the publisher name displayed corresponds to the company name of the Salesforce instance in which the package was originally built. If an app has been developed in an individual developer's edition account, for example, the name the developer entered under Company Info will appear during the installation process as the publisher name.
Salesforce administrators have a choice of options for determining who in their organization will see the apps they install. Users don't see apps until the admin chooses to deploy them.
Yes. Once you've installed an app, you can customize it to meet your organization's needs just as you would customize any application from salesforce.com.
With the Winter '07 release, AppExchange apps are easier to upgrade. Publishers can now upload their apps to the AppExchange as 'managed packages' that provide enhanced tracking and upgrading capabilities.
A managed app is an AppExchange app that can be upgraded from within the installer's instance. It differs from an unmanaged app in that some components are locked, ensuring a smoother upgrade process. To determine whether an app you plan to install takes advantage of these features, look for the 'managed app' icon on its listing page. Older apps that are not managed are also still available on the AppExchange. Please consult the app's publisher for versioning information on unmanaged apps.
If you are ready to install an upgrade to a previously installed app, you'll carry out three simple steps: click, upgrade, and deploy.
First, you'll click Get it Now on the upgrade version package. Next, you'll use the same familiar install wizard, which automatically detects that this install is an upgrade. Finally, you'll click Deploy to install the package just like you did before.
It depends. If you are upgrading between different versions of a managed app, you will not have any data migration issues. If you are migrating from an unmanaged app to a managed app, you may need to migrate data.
If you install an app and see a screen showing the package contents followed by a screen that says you are upgrading, you will not have any data migration issues. If you do not see a screen that states you are upgrading from an existing version of the app, you will have data migration issues and must contact the app publisher.
Yes, you can easily uninstall any AppExchange app. Log in to your salesforce.com customer application, then click Setup at the top of the salesforce.com home page. When the App Setup menu appears on the left side of the page, click Exchange, then click Installed Apps. On the Packages Installed from AppExchange screen, click Uninstall to the left of the name of the downloaded app that you wish to uninstall.
Check the checkbox next to "Yes, I want to uninstall this package and permanently delete all associated items," then click Uninstall.
A key feature of the AppExchange is its openness. Developers, partners, and customers are all welcome to share their apps via the directory. As is true of eBay and other exchange sites, this open model means that the community — not the directory itself — acts as the judge of the quality of its members. In the case of the AppExchange, this means that users should carefully evaluate the feedback, ratings, and reputation of its publisher, in order to assess its trustworthiness. In general, you should only install apps into your production deployment from publishers you and the community trust.
Each app listing on the AppExchange contains a profile of that app's publisher: the company, independent developer, or salesforce.com partner that provides that app. The credibility of the company that is the publisher of that app (based on size, number of customers, and other factors) also weighs into its trustworthiness. For example, an app published by a well-known public company should be considered more trustworthy than one provided by a new startup. Users should use the contact information listed with the app to contact the publisher directly with any questions.
All apps on the AppExchange have undergone a basic review by salesforce.com. Apps that feature the "AppExchange Certified Application" logo have been more thoroughly reviewed for both their quality and the trustworthiness of their publisher.
Testing an app provides a good way of evaluating its functionality, quality, and security without impacting your production deployment. AppExchange apps can be installed into the Salesforce Sandbox and personal instances, as well as trial and Developer Edition instances. If you are not a salesforce.com customer, you can get a free trial or Developer Edition account and test the AppExchange app of your choice.
The process of installing an app is equivalent to using the Setup area of Salesforce. Bringing an app into your deployment simply creates the custom objects, tabs, s-controls, and additional app components that would otherwise be created via the point-and-click Setup user interface. All elements of the installation are transparent and reversible — there are no "behind the scenes" or hidden changes to your deployment. Everything that is added is viewable. Depending on whether you've installed an unmanaged or managed package, some or all of the components can be manually deleted via Setup.
In some cases, yes. The access the publisher of an app has to data inside your deployment depends on how that app was built and whether it integrates with external services (such as an email marketing system or a third-party data service). Contact the publisher of the app to determine if this is true for a given app, and remember that when it comes to apps that have access to your data, you should pay close attention to the trustworthiness of the publisher.