Overview
Requirements for apps submitted for publication in the VARIO App Store.
Purpose
These Guidelines define the quality, implementation, submission, and review criteria that apps must meet to be published and remain available in the VARIO App Store.
They are intended to help App Providers:
prepare their app for review;
understand what VARIO evaluates during the review;
create a complete and accurate App Store listing;
identify which changes may require another review.
These Guidelines do not replace or repeat the legal, commercial, or technical provisions contained in the applicable agreements and technical documentation.
Contractual prerequisites
Before an app can be submitted for review, the App Provider must have entered into a valid VARIO App-Store-Rahmenvertrag, referred to in these Guidelines as the Framework Agreement.
Before an app can be published in the VARIO App Store, an app-specific Einzelvereinbarung, referred to in these Guidelines as the App-Specific Agreement, must also be in place.
Important: Contracting, app submission, review, and publication are separate steps. Signing the Framework Agreement or an App-Specific Agreement does not, by itself, constitute approval of a specific app for publication.
An app will only be published after:
all required app and listing information has been submitted;
the app can be reviewed under realistic conditions;
the app meets the applicable requirements;
VARIO has completed the review and approved the app for publication.
How the documents work together
The documents and resources governing the VARIO App Store serve different purposes:
Framework Agreement
The Framework Agreement governs the general legal and commercial relationship between VARIO and the App Provider.
App-Specific Agreement
The App-Specific Agreement contains the provisions and information applicable to a specific app.
VARIO Developer Docs
The Developer Docs describe the technical implementation of VARIO Cloud apps, including APIs, authentication, app manifests, permissions, webhooks, and available integration points.
App Store Guidelines
These Guidelines describe the quality, implementation, listing, and review criteria used by VARIO when assessing an app.
Capitalized terms used but not defined in these Guidelines have the meaning assigned to them in the Framework Agreement or the applicable App-Specific Agreement.
Scope
These Guidelines apply to all apps submitted for publication in the VARIO App Store.
Unless stated otherwise, the requirements apply to:
the initial app submission;
subsequent app versions and updates;
the App Store listing;
the documentation and review materials;
the app while it remains available through the VARIO App Store.
Review principles
VARIO assesses apps based on the following principles:
Useful and ready for production
The app provides a clear benefit for VARIO Cloud users and its core use case is fully functional.
Accurate and transparent
The app, its listing, and its documentation accurately describe the available functionality, requirements, costs, and limitations.
Properly integrated
The app uses the documented VARIO interfaces and integration mechanisms and behaves reliably throughout installation, use, updates, and uninstallation.
Proportionate access
The app requests only the permissions and data access required for its actual functionality.
Understandable to users
The app provides clear navigation, status information, error messages, and instructions for its intended users.
Reviewable by VARIO
VARIO receives all information, test access, documentation, and instructions required to review the app without relying on undocumented assistance.
Requirement levels
The following terms are used throughout these Guidelines:
Must or must not indicates a mandatory requirement for approval.
Should or should not indicates a recommended approach. A different implementation may be accepted if it provides an equivalent level of quality, usability, and reliability.
May indicates an optional approach or a decision that depends on the app and its use case.
Examples are provided to explain requirements. They are not exhaustive and do not limit VARIO's ability to assess comparable situations.
Development resources
The technical implementation of VARIO Cloud apps is documented separately in the VARIO Developer Docs.
The Framework Agreement and the applicable App-Specific Agreement are provided separately by VARIO.
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