Glossary Updates6 new terms added to the glossaries · October 11, 2026, 13:38 CEST
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Glossary · 4 · Platform SDKs and extensions

App marketplace

Also known as: Extension marketplace, App store, Extension store

In software platforms, an app marketplace is the distribution channel run by a platform operator through which third-party apps and extensions are published, reviewed, listed, installed and in many cases sold, under the operator's developer policies.

  • Platform SDK
  • Extension models

In one sentence

An app marketplace is a platform operator's channel for publishing, reviewing, listing and distributing third-party apps and extensions.

Example

A developer packages an editor extension with the platform's command-line tool, registers as a publisher and uploads it to the marketplace, where users find and install it from inside the editor.

How it applies

  • Platform SDKs: The marketplace is where the work done with a platform SDK reaches users. Publishing usually requires a registered publisher identity, a packaged extension with a valid manifest and acceptance of the operator's policies. Visual Studio Code, for example, publishes extensions to its marketplace with the vsce command-line tool and also allows sharing a packaged VSIX file outside the marketplace.
  • Review: Operators review submissions against their developer program policies. The Chrome Web Store reviews extensions on submission and existing items periodically, and can take enforcement action when it finds violations. A passed review means the item met the operator's policies at that time; it is not a security certification of the extension.
  • Listing and billing: Listings carry the name, description, screenshots, version history and ratings; some marketplaces also handle licensing, payment and revenue sharing. The listing text is product documentation and should match the extension's actual permissions and behavior.
  • Developer and hardware SDKs: Cloud and SaaS platforms run marketplaces for integrations; device ecosystems run them for apps on their hardware. In each case the marketplace adds a second contract next to the technical interface contract: the operator's policies and review rules.
  • Documentation: Document the publishing route (packaging, publisher registration, versioning, unpublishing) and the policies that govern it with a review date, because operators change both.

External references