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Build an App Template: Internal Guide for Wix Employees [DO NOT PUBLISH]

Warning: DO NOT PUBLISH THIS ARTICLE. WIX EMPLOYEES CAN VIEW IT IN INTERNAL MODE.

What is an app template?

A template in Wix is a starting point for app creation, designed to help users quickly build their apps by incorporating features such as extensions (dashboard pages, blocks widgets, plugins…), API calls, and more. These templates, built on Wix's frameworks—Self-managed, CLI, and Blocks—allow for flexible combinations to suit various development needs.

You can check out our existing templates here.

Steps to build an template

Copy this file to use it as a check list
Create an app (developer) -
As a first step, build an app with all the capabilities you want your template to include at the Dev Center. For example, add a dashboard component and a plugin, and create the actual extension you want your app developers to use.
Guidelines for building -
- Business solutions, consult the Extensions/API owner - Get feedback about the template idea before start development.
- A blocks templates -
  - Read the following article.
  - Don’t hesitate to be in touch with the blocks team.
- Code Quality -
  Your code is the product, It should be clear, well-structured, and easy to understand.
  - Check CLI Template
  - Check Blocks Template
- **Error Messages - ** Ensure your error messages clearly explain the cause of failure during app building, helping users understand and resolve issues efficiently.
- Business solutions - finish to build a template, get code review by the extensions / API owner
**Create content for your template (UX writer)**The template will be on the App Templates page, and we want it to be clear and appealing, so we need your UX writer to create great content.
All UX writing guidelines here.
- Title: Title Case. Describes the business case of the app. E.g., Custom Shipping Rates. The title is used in the template card and as the title of the page.
- Card Subtitle: Should fit in two-lines, ****~70 characters. Focuses on the tech behind the app, but ties in the use-case. E.g., Integrate shipping solutions with a dashboard and full SDK support.
- DevelopmentTools:
  - Choose one: DEV_CENTER (self-managed), BLOCKS, CLI
- Page Description: The description should focus on the tech behind the app (the tags). The business case is less important. Let potential devs know what they can find in this template and how it can help them get to know the Wix ecosystem. There aren’t formatting options at the moment. The description should be a string of text. 2-5 sentences.
- Tags:
  - Tags are the tech behind the app. Tags should directly reflect the technologies, APIs, SDKs, extensions, and other features included in the template. Only include tags that add meaningful information for a developer choosing a template.
  - Don’t include the Wix prefix (unless absolutely necessary, e.g, Wix Design System).
  - The tag names are used both as the tags in the card and as the links under the This app is built with: section on the template page. Each tag should be associated with a Wix Docs article.
- Related Templates:
  __ Choose which templates should be added here. If none are added, this section won’t display.____
**Create visualize for your template (UX / designer)**The template will be on the App Templates page, and we want it to be clear and appealing, so we need your UX to create stunning visuals.
All UX “App Templates Visuals” guidelines here.
- Thumbnail (URL):
- Images (URL) :
  - Image 1
  - Image 2
Create a deployment / development / how to build instructions (Tech Writer)
- Repository URL:
- Deployment Instructions: Link to MD file
- Build doc URL (optional): Here you can add a tutorial that explains how you built the app. Check this tutorial as an example
Create a Preview URL (Dev Center)
- Fill up app market listing:
  - Icon - use thumbnail
  - Description - Use the description you already created
  - Features
- Just send us your template id (app id) and we will create a present at the market for you.
- All we need from you is setting all the relevant market listing at the Dev Center
- Check this example for a preview url
**CLI template (extra)**don’t forget to share with us the following url to consume your template:
- NPM, URL
- YARN, URL
**Almost done! Share with us your template -**Fill all the template details in this doc, and reach out to us to expose it.
QA the template
- OS - test the template E2E