Here's how to get your Windows Store app ready to submit to the Windows Store.
If your app isn't ready for submission, one of these links might help:
- Windows Store app development (Windows Developer Center home page)
- Getting started with Windows Store app development
- Developing basic Windows Store apps
- Planning Windows Store apps
App submission process
After you reserve your app's name and build your app's packages, open your Dashboard to upload them to the Store.
When you're ready to submit your app to the Windows Store, here's what to do.
- Access the Windows Store dashboard and click Submit an app. This takes you to the Release summary page, which lists the steps that get your app ready for Windows Store certification.
Note If you've already reserved an app name, you will see a tile on the Dashboard for that app. If that's the case, click the app tile instead of Submit an app.
- Click App Name to reserve the name of your app.
- Click Selling details to supply info such as your app's price, categories, and markets.
- Click Advanced features to configure features such as push notifications that your app uses.
- Click Age rating and ratings certificates to pick an age rating for your app and upload any ratings certificates.
- Click Cryptography to declare whether your app uses any cryptography.
- Click Packages to upload your app's packages.
- Click Description to provide a description for your app.
- Click Notes to testers to provide the certification testers with any info they might need to test your app.
- Click Submit for certification to submit your app. We will send you an email when the certification process is complete. You can also check on your app's certification status at any time.
Windows Store certification process
Let's walk through the certification process.
Upload
Your app begins the certification process when you upload it to the Store. During the upload process, we check your app's packages for technical compliance with the Certification requirements for Windows apps. If your app passes these tests, you'll see a successful upload message under the upload control on the Packages page.
If a package fails an upload test, you'll see an error message. See Resolving package upload errors for possible errors and their resolutions. Correct the error and upload the package again.
Preprocessing
After you upload the app's packages and submit your app for certification, the packages are queued for the automated tests.
Security tests
The first test checks your app's packages for viruses and malware. If your app fails this test, see Malware scanning in Resolving certification errors.
Technical compliance tests
Technical compliance is tested by the Windows App Certification Kit. For info about how you can test your app with this kit before you submit it to the Store, see How to test your app with the Windows App Certification Kit.
Content compliance
Content compliance is tested manually by a person. How long it takes the tester to complete this test depends on such factors as how complex your app is, how much visual content it has, and the tester's backlog of work.
Tip On the Notes to testers page, describe any steps or procedures that can help make it easier to test your app.
Release
At this point, your app either moves immediately to the signing and publishing phase or waits until the specific date you specified.
Note It might take some time for your app's listing to appear in search results. This is normal. Also, you can't change a release date after you submit the app to the Windows Store, but you can cancel the release, update the release date, and resubmit.
Signing and publishing
After your app passes certification testing, its packages are digitally signed to protect them against tampering after they have been released. When this phase begins, you cannot cancel your submission.
Note It might take some time for your app's listing to appear in search results. This is normal. Also, you can't change a release date after you submit the app to the Windows Store, but you can cancel the release, update the release date, and re-submit.
Certification report
After the certification process is complete, you get a certification report whether or not your app passes certification and is listed in the Windows Store.
If your app fails one of the certification tests, you will see that on the report. Resolving certification errors has more info about how to fix your app so you can submit it for certification again.
Build date: 3/19/2013
