What is AppExchange?

The AppExchange is the faster and smarter way to extend Salesforce. As the Salesforce Store, AppExchange has over 5,000 solutions customized for Salesforce, to extend Salesforce to every department and every industry. It’s a proven ecosystem with millions of installs and 80K+ peer reviews to help you find the best match for your business. In addition, AppExchange gives you access to our partners’ industry expertise that they are sharing through the Salesforce platform.

Let's start with some commonly-asked questions.

What are the different types of AppExchange solutions?

AppExchange offers apps, Components, Lightning Data, Bolt Solutions, Flow Solutions, consulting partners, and developers to help you extend the power of Salesforce. (Check out the details on all of the different types of solutions in the post, All of the Different AppExchange Solutions, Defined). All solutions are prescreened by Salesforce to reduce risk so you and your teams can start using it faster.

Are AppExchange solutions mobile?

Yes, AppExchange has hundreds of Salesforce mobile-ready solutions. In addition, many partners offer custom mobile solutions. To find mobile apps, check out the All Apps page and filter by Mobile.

What are the best solutions for my department or industry?

AppExchange has ready-to-install solutions that can extend Salesforce into your industry. Whether you’re in Financial Services, Manufacturing, or Retail, there are several industry solutions for your business on AppExchange. There are actually 12 curated industry collection pages on AppExchange. Click on the Industry Collections area in the top navigation to check it out. If you don't see your industry, search for it using the top search bar, and navigate from there.

Where do I find free solutions?

Did you know that 40% of all apps on AppExchange are free? To find free solutions, go to the All Apps page and sort by "Free" using the filters on the left menu. Or you can use the All Apps menu to access the Free Apps collection.

What are Salesforce Labs?

Salesforce Labs solutions are developed by Salesforce employees. Best of all, they are free! Just look for that fun little beaker logo. Visit the Salesforce Labs collection and meet our Salesforce Labs Evangelist.

What is the difference between managed and unmanaged packages?

Solutions on AppExchange are distributed in managed or unmanaged packages. Packages are containers that hold the code and metadata associated with apps or components. Managed packages are maintained by the provider and can be upgraded by the customer. Unmanaged packages are templates where the underlying code can be seen and changed but not upgraded. Package type is listed on an AppExchange listing.

How do AppExchange solutions affect my organization limits?

To list a solution publicly on AppExchange, it must pass a security review. If a managed package passes the review, any custom apps, tabs, and objects it uses won’t count against the related limits in a customer’s organization. Additionally, a managed package that passes the review will not count against the contractual license limits of a customer’s organization. However, other limits — such as limits to the number of custom fields on an object — still apply. If the package is unmanaged, any resources it uses will count against the related limits in a customer's organization, regardless of whether it passes the security review.

How do I install an AppExchange solution?

Before installing an AppExchange solution into your production instance of Salesforce, it’s important that you verify the requirements and test the functionality of the listing. It's recommended that you take the steps below before installing a listed solution to your production organization.

1. Check edition compatibility: Verify that the custom solution that you want to install only includes components that are compatible with your Salesforce edition.
2. Check external services: If the custom solution you wish to install has a reference to an external service, make sure you have access to that service. An example is a solution that has links to Google Maps for account management. Access to Google Maps would be required for this service to work.
3. Test drive: Most solutions will have test drives available for use. As an admin or read-only user, you can take a test drive of the desired solution before installing to review the core functionality.
4. Installation into Developer Edition or Sandbox: Before installing the desired solution into your production organization, it’s recommended that you first install the solution into either a Developer edition org or a Sandbox edition org. Further testing the solution in either of these environments will allow you to test the solution beyond the constraints of a read-only user. Then you'll be able to create, edit, and delete records within this newly installed solution. None of these actions are available within a test drive. You can sign up for a free Development environment here.
5. If you are satisfied with the functionality of the desired solution, you can install it into your production organization.

Who has access after the solution is installed?

During the installation process, you'll be given the option of making the solution available to all users, some users, or just admins. If you make the solution only visible to admins, you can make it available to other profiles later.

Is there a limit to the number of solutions I can have?

Nope! While you do have limits on the number of custom tabs and objects, but not the number of apps.

Who is Appy the Bobcat?

Appy is your guide to all things AppExchange. She's here to help you navigate the AppExchange ecosystem to solve your business challenges. If she doesn’t know the answer, she'll connect you with the right people to solve your problems. No challenge is too great, so just ask.

How do I get more info from AppExchange?

Sign up for AppExchange communications, including weekly and monthly emails highlighting new and free solutions, as well as AppExchange best practices and tips for extending Salesforce to every department.If you have a question, tweet to us at @appexchange.

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