Packaging Overview
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Once all of your custom components are added to the package, go to the AppExchange Package page and click Upload to AppExchange.
You've reached the last step before your app is actually uploaded to the AppExchange directory. Now all you have to do is assign a package version and set security for your package.
NOTE: An uploaded version of your package cannot be altered once it has been placed on the AppExchange. It can only be deleted.
On the Upload Package page, fill out the version number and description fields to document this version appropriately. You can make as many versions of your app as you desire. Each version of your package is referred to as an app and has its own unique entry on the AppExchange.
If you are creating a managed package, select Beta if you want to upload this version to a smaller audience for testing purposes. Choosing this option applies the "Managed - Beta" state to your package.
NOTE: Installs of a Managed - Beta package cannot be upgraded to the Managed - Released version of the package, and should ONLY be used for testing purposes. For this reason, Managed - Beta packages can only be installed in Developer Edition and Salesforce Sandbox orgs.
Finally, you may also choose to add a password (it must be 5 characters or more) to your app to restrict its installation to those with whom you choose to share the password.
WARNING: If you add a password, make a note of it as the password is hard coded into the package. There is no way for the system to recover your password and no reminder tool to help you remember if you lose or forget the password.
When you complete the version and security information, click Upload to AppExchange to upload your app to the AppExchange directory.
When the status of your package upload has changed to Uploaded, the five buttons that were previously inactive are now active: Register, Create Test Drive, Edit Security, View Contents, and Delete. These buttons are described in Table 2.
| Button Name | When You Click the Button, This Happens |
|---|---|
| Register | An entry, or package description, for your uploaded app is created on the AppExchange and the current version is made available for download from the AppExchange directory. |
| Create Test Drive | Starts the process of making a read-only demo account (Test Drive) to host your AppExchange app. When you create a test drive, you are given a reference URL that you can distribute to others who as restricted read-only users, can browse your app, review its capabilities, and test out its features. For more information, see the article and presentation Creating Your Application Test Drive . |
| Edit Security | Lets you can change the security settings for accessing your app by re-setting or removing the password. |
| View Contents | Displays the package item list (application component manifest). |
| Delete | Lets you delete this version of your app from the AppExchange. Your app entry is available on the AppExchange until you delete it. |
At this point, you've packaged a version of your app and have uploaded it the AppExchange directory, but no one else has access to it yet. In order to make your packaged app available to others for download, you'll need to register it on the AppExchange, where it will be available for unlisted sharing only. To make it available as a public listing, you'll need to complete the Publishing process.
On the AppExchange Upload page, when you click on Register, your app is immediately registered on the AppExchange and a welcome message appears. The welcome message includes:
- App Title. Your app's name and current version
- Developed By. Your developer login name
- Reference URL. A direct link to your app on the AppExchange
Click on Reference URL in the welcome message to view your newly-registered app entry on the AppExchange. An entry is a record in an AppExchange directory viewable only by the package's AppExchange developer and publisher. By clicking on Continue in the welcome message, you can begin the publishing process, which is described in detail in the AppExchange Publishing Guide.
You'll also receive an email notification of your AppExchange reference URL. You may forward this email to others so they can access and beta test your app.
The entry for your app is now available for unlisted sharing on the AppExchange. Users with whom you have given your reference URL may now install your app into their accounts by clicking Get It Now on your app's Application Preview page.
At this time, your entry describes an unlisted app on the AppExchange. This means it's not publicly available on the AppExchange directory, nor is it available through the AppExchange keyword search feature. You control your app's availability solely by distributing the reference URL. If you wish to have your app made publicly available on the AppExchange directory, you must complete the Publishing process. During publishing, you'll submit your app for evaluation by the AppExchange Application Review Board.
However, you may choose not to publish your app, and continue to manage your app's unlisted entry on the AppExchange, for example, by expanding on the information describing your app. This entry update will not make any changes to your actual app, only to the description on the AppExchange page. You can also log into the AppExchange as a system administrator and use the AppExchange reference URL to install your new or newly-versioned app, and to deploy it to your organization's users.
To update your app's entry information, log in to the AppExchange. On the Manage My Apps tab, click Edit to the right of the desired app. A page displaying all the AppExchange information about your app appears. After you make and save your changes, you'll be redirected to the unlisted share page for your AppExchange app to view your changes.
If you have questions regarding the packaging process or any aspect of AppExchange, please contact appexchangeinfo@salesforce.com.