Get Started with the AppExchange Partner Program

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Define what the AppExchange Partner Program is.
• Define what the Partner Community is.
• Sign up for an AppExchange Partner Program account.
• Invite team members to your AppExchange partnership.
• List the different ways you can get questions answered.

What Is the AppExchange Partner Program?

If you use Salesforce, you know that almost everything can be customized to suit your needs. From basic UI tweaks to advanced under-the-hood changes, the Salesforce platform is built to adapt to your business challenges. But did you know you can share these customizations with Salesforce users and build a thriving business at the same time?

That’s where the AppExchange Partner Program comes in. The AppExchange Partner Program gives you everything you need—including knowledge, tools, and infrastructure—to take your ideas to market. As an AppExchange partner, you build on the Salesforce platform, which puts you ahead of the game even before your team starts developing.

You don’t have to be a veteran Salesforce user to become an AppExchange partner. All you need is an idea for the next killer solution—we’ll help you bridge the gap between idea and marketplace.

What Is the Partner Community?

The Partner Community is the online home of the AppExchange Partner Program. Foremost, it’s a meeting place—a community where AppExchange partners and Salesforce experts gather to share knowledge. It’s also a resource—a place where you can go to get training, support, and manage your AppExchange partnership. Here are some of the things you can do in the Partner Community.

• Learn how to plan, design, build, sell, and distribute your solution. A lot goes into taking an idea to market. And the Partner Community has a wealth of resources, like instructional videos and in-depth documentation, to guide you on that journey. If you’re looking to expand your Salesforce expertise, we also have an extensive online training catalog. The catalog includes certification prep courses, role-specific training for your team, and even information about the new Lightning Experience.
• Collaborate with other AppExchange partners who are building on the Salesforce platform. When we say community, we mean it. The Partner Community lets you meet and learn from AppExchange partners who have built successful businesses on the Salesforce platform. As you gain experience, you have the opportunity to share your knowledge with others.
• Engage with Salesforce experts. In the AppExchange Partner Program, you’re never on your own. Each week we host office hours in the Partner Community, which give you a chance to engage directly with our experts in sales, marketing, and security. It’s also where you can log support cases and communicate directly with our dedicated Partner Support team.
• Discover new features, products, and programs. We’re always looking for ways to make partners more successful. The Partner Community is how we share these developments and show you how to integrate them into your business.

Take your first step in joining the AppExchange Partner Program. It's easy and free. Simply follow the AppExchange sign-up instructions.

Invite Your Team to the Partner Community

As you develop, sell, and support your solutions, you’re likely to work with one or more team members along the way. After you’ve been accepted into the AppExchange Partner Program, it’s easy to invite a colleague to join you. If you’re an Administrator, follow these steps. If you’re not one, work with your Administrator.

1. Go to partners.salesforce.com.
2. Log in to the Partner Community using the credentials associated with your partner account.
3. Click Manage Users.
4. Click Invite New User.
5. Enter the email address of the person you’re inviting.
6. Assign Listings permission to the user to give them access to the AppExchange Partner Console to publish and manage listings.
7. Click Invite. We’ll send an email to that person inviting them to log in to the Partner Community.

That’s it! Repeat this process until you’ve invited all your team to the Partner Community. If you ever want to change permission settings, you can do so on the Manage Users page.

Stay Current with the AppExchange Partner Program

Delivering regular innovation is part of the Salesforce DNA, so we’re constantly looking for new ways to help AppExchange partners build a thriving business. To help you stay current, we offer several channels for you to learn about the latest technology, resources, and events.

Find Answers to Questions About the AppExchange Partner Program

What are the requirements and benefits for AppExchange partners? For up-to-date information about partner tiers and the requirements, see the  AppExchange ISV Track.

As you develop, sell, and support a solution, it’s normal to run into questions that you can’t answer on your own. Along with keeping you in the know about news and events, the Partner Community is your best resource for getting those tough questions answered.

Chatter

We have two Chatter groups dedicated to questions from AppExchange partners. Experts on the partner operations team and fellow AppExchange partners monitor these Chatter groups.

Update your Chatter settings so that you receive an email whenever someone posts to these groups. It’s a great way to learn about the technical and business aspects of an AppExchange partnership. And the groups contain valuable info that's guaranteed to save you time when you begin developing. To update your Chatter settings, go to the Collaboration tab in the Partner community.

Partner Support

If you’re having trouble answering a question using other Partner Community resources, log a support case. The Partner Support team can assist you with questions about your application to the AppExchange Partner Program, partner status, and order status. They can also help you enable the AppExchange-specific features that you use to run your business.

To log a support case in the Salesforce Partner Community, click the question icon and then click Log a Case for Help.

Resources

• AppExchange: ISV Onboarding Guide
• Salesforce: Partner Community
• AppExchange: AppExchange ISV Track