If you’re publishing apps on AppSource or working closely with Business Central, you’ll want to stick around.

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What’s the Deal with AppSource Extension Previews?

So, Microsoft has rolled out some improvements to AppSource mid-last year, specifically around the preview state for extensions. Now, when you submit your app and it passes validation (hooray!), it doesn’t just go public immediately. Instead, it enters this new preview state.

Preview State?

Yep! Think of it as a staging area. In this state, you, as the publisher, have more control over your app’s release. You can:

  • Keep it in preview: Test it out, make sure everything’s running smoothly.
  • Share a preview link: Send it to selected customers or team members.
  • Install it yourself: Perfect for internal testing in your own sandbox environments.

It’s like having a soft launch before the big premiere. You get to iron out any kinks and gather feedback without going fully public.

How Does It Work?

Setting Up Your Preview

  • Define a Preview Key: In Partner Center, under your app’s preview audience settings, you can set a custom preview key (also referred to as a flight key in some docs). If you don’t set one, the system generates one for you.
  • Generate a Preview Link: This link includes your tenant ID, app ID, and the preview key. It looks something like this:https://businesscentral.dynamics.com/?tenant={TenantID}&appId={AppID}&version={Version}&previewKey={PreviewKey} Replace the placeholders with your actual values, and boom—you’ve got a link to share.

Sharing with Customers

Want to give a sneak peek to select customers or partners? Just send them the preview link. They can install the preview version in their sandbox environments (more on that in a bit).

Important Notes

  • Sandbox Environments Only: Currently, preview apps can only be installed in sandbox environments. This is to manage risk and ensure production environments stay stable.
  • Higher Version Numbers: Your preview app’s version number must be higher than the latest public version.
  • Breaking Changes Allowed: Between preview versions, you can introduce breaking changes. This flexibility lets you react to feedback and refine your app before the public release.

Why Should You Care?

Gather Real-World Feedback

Getting your app into the hands of actual users before it hits the public is invaluable. You can:

  • Identify Bugs Early: Catch issues that might not surface during internal testing.
  • Understand User Experience: See how users interact with new features.
  • Make Informed Improvements: Use feedback to make meaningful changes.

Smooth Transition to Public Release

By the time you’re ready to go public, you’ll have:

  • Tested Compatibility: Ensured your app works seamlessly in real-world environments.
  • Enhanced Quality: Improved stability and performance based on user feedback.
  • Increased Confidence: Feel secure knowing your app has been vetted by actual users.

Flexibility in Development

The preview feature isn’t just about testing; it’s also about development agility.

  • Multiple Previews: You can have simultaneous preview versions with different keys. This allows for segmented testing or A/B testing with different user groups.
  • Backporting Features: With the recent changes, you can backport features to hotfix versions. This wasn’t possible before and is a game-changer for maintaining older app versions while still advancing new features.

A Heads Up on Hotfixes

Speaking of hotfixes, let’s touch on that.

  • Hotfix Versions: You can now issue hotfixes for apps targeting older versions of Business Central without hindering your ability to release new versions.
  • Validation Against Latest Version: Microsoft now validates hotfixes against the latest app version. This means you can ensure compatibility and compliance more effectively.

Keeping an Eye on Telemetry

With all these versions floating around, monitoring becomes crucial.

  • Telemetry Signals: Microsoft has enhanced telemetry to indicate whether an extension is a preview. Dimensions like ExtensionAvailability and ExtensionPreviewKeyProvided help you track what’s installed where.
  • Monitor Installations: Stay on top of who has installed your preview versions and how they’re performing.

What About Upgrading?

  • Updating Previews: Users can update to higher preview versions using the preview link.
  • Moving to Public Versions: Once your app is public, users can update their sandbox environments accordingly.
  • Automatic Updates: During environment updates, preview versions will update to newer public versions based on the set preferences—just like standard apps.

Final Thoughts

The introduction of AppSource extension previews is a significant step forward. It provides:

  • Greater Control: Manage your app’s release cycle more effectively.
  • Improved Quality Assurance: Test and refine in real-world scenarios.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Work closely with select customers to deliver better solutions.

So, if you’re an app publisher or a partner, it’s time to dive into these preview features. Start leveraging them to deliver high-quality apps that meet your customers’ needs right out of the gate.

Useful Resources

Feel free to reach out if you’ve got any questions or want to share your experiences with AppSource extension previews. Happy developing!

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AppSource