Application Certification Requirements for Windows Phone
May 16, 2012
This section provides the policies and technical requirements that a Windows Phone application or game must meet to pass certification and to be eligible for listing in Windows Phone Marketplace.
A core principle that is applied in designing the certification process is that each individual policy or requirement is clear, objective, and testable. This transparency is designed to help developers easily design and test applications to meet these requirements.
The following list shows the pillars of the certification program:
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Applications are reliable.
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Applications make efficient use of resources.
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Applications do not interfere with the phone functionality.
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Applications are free of malicious software.
1.1 What You Need to Know About the Submission and Certification Process
When your application is ready for publication, it must go through the certification process before it is eligible for listing in Windows Phone Marketplace. Your application does not have to be signed before submission.
The certification process involves static validation and automated testing of your application to verify that it meets all the policies and requirements. The following list shows the five major categories of policies and requirements:
The following is a simplified illustration of the submission and certification process.
1.1.1 Process Outline
The following is a brief outline of the submission and certification process:
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Sign in to your account in App Hub.
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Create a new application submission.
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Upload the application XAP file.
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Enter the metadata for the application, such as title, description, category, and iconography.
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Select the distribution countries/regions and pricing.
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The XAP file is validated while you are entering metadata.
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If the XAP file validation succeeds, the submission process continues to Step 8; otherwise, the process terminates and you get a notification. Select the option to publish immediately after passing the certification process or to wait until you decide to publish.
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The XAP file is repackaged as described in Section 4.1.2.
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The repackaged XAP file is deployed to a phone for the certification testing. Certification involves the automated and manual verification of the meeting of the requirements that are described in Sections 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.
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If the application meets all the requirements, the repackaged XAP and assembly files are signed, and the application is eligible for publication according to the option selected in Step 8.
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If the application fails one or more of the requirements, you get a failure report and the application is not published.
Important Note:
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When you submit an application update for certification, it goes through the same process as the original application. |
1.1.2 Code Signing
Code signing occurs automatically once the application has successfully passed the certification testing without any failure. The application and repackaged XAP files are signed with the Authenticode® certificate assigned to you when you registered for App Hub membership. Any signatures in a submitted application or XAP files will be replaced and are not retained.
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Important Note:
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All applications must be signed with the Microsoft issued Authenticode certificate before they can be installed and run on commercially available Windows Phone devices. |
