Marketplace Apps: Private Exchange Publishing, Enablement Requirements, and Review Process

[bogdan_serban]

Hello,

I'm looking for clarification regarding Databricks Marketplace Apps and Private Exchanges, as the currently available documentation appears to be inconsistent.

From the Marketplace API documentation, it appears that App is a supported Marketplace asset type (ASSET_TYPE_APP) https://docs.databricks.com/api/marketplaces/v1/get-listing, and Marketplace APIs also support concepts such as private listings, Private Exchanges, and listing visibility (PUBLIC/PRIVATE). Additionally, Marketplace APIs appear to treat Apps as first-class Marketplace assets alongside other listing types.

However, the provider-facing documentation for creating Marketplace listings currently documents asset types such as tables, volumes/files, models, notebooks, and MCP servers, but I have not found corresponding guidance for publishing an App through the Marketplace provider workflow. Likewise, the Private Exchange documentation generally discusses private listings and data products, but does not explicitly state whether App listings are supported within the Private Exchange model.

Could you please clarify the following:

1. Can a third-party provider publish an App asset type as a private listing within a Databricks Marketplace Private Exchange?
2. If App private listings are supported, is this capability available through the standard self-service Marketplace provider experience, or does it require account-level enablement, allowlisting, feature flags, or participation in a specific program?
3. If enablement is required, what is the correct process to request access to App listing capabilities?

The reason for the question is that the Marketplace APIs appear to expose App-related marketplace functionality, while the public provider documentation does not clearly describe whether Apps are included in the documented Private Exchange publishing flow. I'd appreciate confirmation of the supported model and links to any relevant documentation.

Thank you.

[Louis_Frolio]

Hello @bogdan_serban , you found a documentation inconsistency, and you're reading things correctly. Let's talk about what's publicly documented today and be upfront about where the documentation falls short.

First, some context. Apps became a first-class Marketplace listing type with the Public Preview announced in June 2026. The consumer side is well documented: third-party apps are grouped under Apps in the Marketplace, every submitted app goes through a comprehensive security review before it can be published, and installed apps run on the consumer's compute so their data stays in their workspace.

The provider side is where things get thin, exactly as you describe. The API models ASSET_TYPE_APP, supports PRIVATE listing visibility and exchange IDs, and includes APP as a Marketplace file type. But the documented listing wizard covers tables, files and volumes, models, notebooks, and MCP servers, with no app creation flow, and the Private Exchange docs describe private listings generically as data products.

To your three questions:

1. App listings in a Private Exchange. I can't confirm this from public documentation, so I won't. The API schema appears capable of representing an App listing tied to a private exchange, but API surface area often ships ahead of the documented provider workflows, especially during a Public Preview. The enum alone shouldn't be treated as proof the capability works end to end, or that it's enabled for your provider account.

2. Self-service vs. enablement. Also not publicly confirmed in either direction. The documented route to becoming a Marketplace provider is the Databricks Data Partner Program, and the self-service signup in the provider console is described for private exchange data sharing specifically, not apps. The apps launch also went out with a defined set of launch partners, which usually signals coordination with Databricks during a preview period. So my honest read is that provider onboarding plus the mandatory security review are involved, and there may be preview enablement on top of that which just isn't documented yet. I can't point you to a page that says so, though.

3. The process. If the App option isn't showing up in your Provider console, the fastest path is a Databricks Support case or your account representative. Ask them specifically:

   1. Is third-party App listing supported for your target cloud and region?
   2. Can an App be published as a private listing within a Private Exchange?
   3. Is the capability self-service, or does it require provider-account enablement or an onboarding program?
   4. What app packaging, security review, and submission requirements apply?

   Include the API reference you already found, your intended listing visibility (PRIVATE), the target exchange, and the exact point where the Provider console workflow diverges from the API model. That framing helps them distinguish a documentation gap from a genuine product or entitlement limitation.

The bottom line: this is partially confirmed but not publicly documented end to end. Apps are clearly part of the Marketplace product model and the consumer experience, and the API can represent what you want to do, but the private exchange publishing path for apps needs a Databricks-side answer. If your account team confirms the supported model, posting it back here would help others asking the same thing.

References:

• Apps on Marketplace announcement: https://www.databricks.com/blog/announcing-apps-databricks-marketplace
• Marketplace API reference, Get a listing: https://docs.databricks.com/api/marketplaces/v1/get-listing
• Third-party apps and the security review (consumer docs): https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/marketplace/get-started-consumer
• Create a Marketplace listing: https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/marketplace/create-listing
• Create and manage private exchanges: https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/marketplace/private-exchange
• Become a Databricks Marketplace provider: https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/marketplace/become-provider

Regards,
Louis