Getting an app on the Salesforce AppExchange (now branded AgentExchange) follows a four-step process: join the Salesforce Partner Program, build your app as a managed package, pass the security review, and create your listing in the Partner Console. The build is the longest and most expensive step, and it is the one a no-code platform can remove. End to end, expect roughly 5 to 9 months by the traditional route.

Pro Tip

TL;DR: To list on the Salesforce AppExchange, join the Partner Program, build a managed package, pass the security review ($999 per submission for paid apps), and publish through the Partner Console (Salesforce Trailhead). The security review takes about 4 to 5 weeks officially; the whole journey runs 5 to 9 months. No-code generation removes the build, the slowest step.

It takes four things, in order: partner status, a managed package, a passed security review, and a published listing. Each is a gate, and skipping any one stops the process.

1. Join the Salesforce Partner Program. Sign up at the Partner Community, accept the Partner Program Agreement, and receive a Partner Business Org (PBO). Joining is free.

2. Build your app as a managed package. Paid distribution requires a managed (not unmanaged) package, with a registered namespace (Salesforce ISVforce Guide).

3. Pass the AppExchange security review. Salesforce reviews every listed app. Paid apps pay $999 per submission; free apps pay nothing (Salesforce Trailhead).

4. Create and publish your listing in the AppExchange Partner Console.

The marketplace is large enough to be worth the effort. It hosts more than 7,000 apps with over 10 million installs, and Salesforce reports 91% of its customers use AppExchange apps (Salesforce AppExchange).

You start in the Salesforce Partner Community. You complete a due-diligence questionnaire, the application passes through Partner Operations and Legal, and you accept the Partner Program Agreement. You then receive a Partner Business Org, the home base for your packaging, licensing, and listing work. Use a business email, not a personal one, since the agreement requires a registered business entity.

A managed package is the upgradeable, namespaced bundle customers install. Paid apps must be managed, not unmanaged, because only managed packages support licensing and upgrades. Second-generation packaging (2GP) is the current recommended approach.

Pro Tip

Our finding: This is the step that stalls most first-time builders, because it needs Apex, Lightning Web Components, and 2GP packaging skills. It is also the step a no-code platform removes entirely by generating the package from a description.

If you do not have Salesforce developers, you have two real options: hire a development company (a $25,000 to $150,000+ engagement) or generate the managed package with a no-code platform. Appnigma AI does the latter, producing the package and preparing it for the security review without an engineering team.

Every app must pass Salesforce's security review before listing. It combines automated scans (Salesforce Code Analyzer, Checkmarx, OWASP ZAP) with manual review. The most common failure is missing CRUD/FLS enforcement, which Salesforce names as the top rejection cause (Salesforce Developers).

The fee is $999 per submission for paid apps and is charged again on each resubmission, so a failed review is a repeat cost. Free apps are reviewed at no charge. Generated code reduces failure risk because the common issues (CRUD/FLS, with sharing, SOQL injection) are enforced by default.

The AppExchange Partner Console is where you build the public listing, run and track the security review, and manage analytics and marketing. You connect your Partner Business Org to the console, add listing assets (title, description, screenshots, demo org), set pricing, and publish. The older Publishing Console flow now routes into the Partner Console.

Plan for 5 to 9 months end to end by the traditional route. The build dominates that timeline, while the review is a smaller, more predictable window.

Because the build is the largest block, removing it with no-code generation is what compresses the timeline most. Generation takes minutes, leaving the review wait as your main gate.

Yes. Nothing in the four-step process requires you to write the code yourself, only that a valid managed package exists. A no-code generation platform produces that package, which is why founders, RevOps leads, and admins can complete the journey without hiring. For the full walkthrough, see our guide on building a managed package without a Salesforce developer.

Join the Salesforce Partner Program, build a managed package, pass the security review ($999 per submission for paid apps), and publish your listing in the Partner Console (Salesforce Trailhead). Free apps skip the review fee but still need to pass the review.

About 5 to 9 months end to end by the traditional route. The security review itself takes roughly 4 to 5 weeks officially, often 6 to 9 in practice. The build is the longest stage, which is why no-code generation shortens the timeline the most.

Yes. You must join the Salesforce Partner Program and accept the Partner Program Agreement before you can submit for review or publish a listing. Joining is free; fees and revenue share apply when you sell.

Yes. The process requires a valid managed package, not that you hand-write it. No-code platforms like Appnigma generate the package and prepare it for the security review, so non-developers can complete the listing.

Salesforce began rebranding AppExchange as AgentExchange at TrailblazerDX 2026, unifying apps, agents, and Slack apps into one marketplace. The listing process is unchanged; you will see both names during the transition.

About the author. Sunny Chauhan is the founder and CEO of Appnigma AI, a no-code platform that generates Salesforce AppExchange-ready managed packages. He guides B2B SaaS teams through the build, review, and listing process.

To get an app on the Salesforce AppExchange (now AgentExchange), join the Partner Program, build a managed package, pass the security review ($999 per submission for paid apps), and publish in the Partner Console. The journey takes 5 to 9 months, with the build as the longest stage. Appnigma AI removes the build by generating the managed package from natural-language prompts.

• How to build a managed package without a Salesforce developer

• Requirements to publish a paid app on AppExchange

• How long does it take to get on the AppExchange

• Salesforce app development cost

1. Salesforce Trailhead, AppExchange Partners Publishing module

2. Salesforce ISVforce Guide, managed packaging and Partner Console

3. Salesforce Developers, Top 20 Vulnerabilities in the AppExchange Security Review

4. Salesforce AppExchange, marketplace stats (7,000+ apps, 10M+ installs, 91% adoption)

5. Salesforce Ben, AppExchange to AgentExchange rebrand, April 2026