Publishing process for Teams apps extensible across Microsoft 365
Publishing process
The publishing process for a Teams app extensible across Microsoft 365 is similar to the publishing process for a standalone Teams app. The publishing process extends throughout the app's development lifecycle. As a developer you must familiarize yourself with the app publishing guidelines as early as the design phase. Review the Microsoft commercial marketplace policies and Teams store validation guidelines during the design phase of your app's life cycle. This helps you align your app with these guidelines from the beginning, avoiding any costly rework post app submission.
Before you submit your app for publishing, the following steps can help you increase the possibility that Microsoft approves your app for publishing. Pre-submission steps include running automated tests, compiling test notes, creating a store listing, among other important tasks to help expedite the review process:
Create your Partner Center account well in advance.
Review the Microsoft commercial marketplace policies and Microsoft Teams store validation guidelines again to confirm your app's alignment with the marketplace and Teams store requirements.
Use Teams Developer Portal to validate your app package and identify and correct any package errors. Ensure to rectify any bugs that you encounter through self-testing of your app prior to submission.
Complete publisher verification before you submit your app.
Your app submission package must include:
- A thoroughly verified app package.
- Working admin and non-admin user credentials.
Test instructions detailing app functionality and supported scenarios.
Set up instructions if your app requires more complex configuration to access its functionality.
A provisioned demo tenant with admin access if your app requires complex configuration. This can help the validators skip the configuration steps.
It's highly recommended to add a link to a demo video that demonstrates the key user flow for your app.
App testing must include the following:
- Sideload the app in Team, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 and test the end-to-end user flows for your app. Ensure that:
- The functionalities work as expected.
- All the links in the app are functioning properly.
- User experience isn't blocked anywhere, and all limitations are clearly highlighted.
- No user interface bugs such as content truncation or overlapping exist.
- Test your app across desktop, web, and mobile clients to ensure that it's responsive across form factors.
App publishing can be a tedious process, but with careful planning and thorough preparation, it can be smoothly navigated. By following these guidelines, you'll be well-equipped to develop and publish your Teams app that extends across Microsoft 365 clients successfully and efficiently.