Contributions Made to PrestaShop Addons
Required Conditions

Functional Contributions

All contributions made to PrestaShop Addons must be completely functional.

Contributors cannot consider PrestaShop or their clients to be their beta-testers. Modules and themes should be thoroughly tested BEFORE being submitted. A module containing too many bugs will be removed from PrestaShop Addons. Submitting too many modules containing bugs may result in a ban from selling PrestaShop Addons.

Finally, your modules and themes cannot have the same names as PrestaShop’s own original modules and themes, so as not to overwrite the default code.

No malicious code!

Note that it is absolutely forbidden to place ‘trackers’ in any modules or themes. By tracker, we mean a call to an external URL without the knowledge of the seller: remote image file or document, or automated form submission.  Obviously, it is also forbidden to send mail without the merchant’s knowledge or to dump database.

However, you are authorized to place links or forms that can be submitted voluntarily by the merchants.

Product Descriptions

Creating good product description pages is essential for both selling and facilitating the validation of your contributions!

Screenshots

Customers like to have concrete images of what they are buying. Inserting screenshots is the best method of making your module or your theme more attractive to customers.

The screenshots must show, in pictures, what your module is capable of doing. Try to get screenshots of the Back Office and the Front Office.

Moreover, to avoid any customer complaints or demands for refunds, your module’s screenshots must be taken using the PrestaShop default theme. Indeed, if the module does not allow customers to obtain the results shown in the screenshots, then customers will be able to demand a reimbursement.

Similarly, you cannot show screenshots of themes used on modules that are not provided.

Description

When you publish a module, its description must be as detailed and faithful to your module’s properties as possible. A good description increases the number of potential buyers. This is also equally valid of themes: specify what is provided in the archive, various compatibilities, or even make suggestions for use.

Add a dose of marketing! Highlight the benefits that will draw in PrestaShop merchants: a significant conversion rate, time-savings, ease of management, etc.

Feel free to highlight the technical performance of your module (such as speed or flexibility) or your theme (such as modules included or ergonomics).

A good module description can be defined as such:

• - You must announce the module or theme’s utility or functionality
• - You must explain what your future customer will win by using your module or your theme (customer benefits)

The description must be easily understood by all users; remember that some of your future buyers are novices who are not familiar with computer terms, and that some others may not speak your language.

If some sort of demonstration of your contribution is available (such as a video, or a written demonstration) on a non-commercial external website (one that does not sell modules) containing a link back to PrestaShop Addons, go ahead and enter its URL into your description.

Caution: If the module or theme proposed changes the core of the PrestaShop Solution, it must be clearly stated on the product description page! A ‘change’ is not only a modified file-- it can simply concern an additional file added to the PrestaShop core. This manipulation is highly discouraged and is not compatible with hosting packages.

 

Translations

On the product file pages, it is possible to specify the languages into which the contribution has been translated. In order for a contribution to be considered as translated into a language, you must have:

• - Translated all of the text, in its entirety, into the language (both the Front and Back Office)
• - Translated the Installation Guide and/or User Guide into this language.

If your module or theme can be used in different countries, we request that you submit it with descriptions written in these countries’ languages. It is also requested that you give a precise description in English (mandatory) without using automatic translation software.

Automatic Translation: You can use automatic translation tools only if you add the words."Automatic Translation" to the beginning of the description. When you translate in the fashion, obey the descriptive text format. If you don’t, your descriptions will not be clear or readable, and thus will likely be incomprehensible to your future clients.

 

Installation Guide/User Guide

It is necessary for every contribution to include an installation guide.

The file name must be explicit enough for one to understand that these are the instructions. It must be in a format able to be viewed by all (txt, pdf, but not docx).

This guide must enable every user, even those who have limited computer knowledge, to be able to install your module.

It must also describe how the module functions, in particular if your module is not very intuitive.

Validation

When you think that all of the above-mentioned conditions are met, you can submit your module or theme to be validated. The PrestaShop team will then check that your module works and that it can be made available on PrestaShop Addons. If your module or theme meets all of the requirements listed above, it will soon be added online. If it is not yet adequate, it will be placed online after some delay, during which, if appropriate, you will be asked to make some changes so that it conforms to the conditions.

This approach generates a speedier module/theme validation in order to increase your sales, for your contribution will reach a large number of customers. Proper operation and a good module/theme description enhance the module or theme’s status as a powerful contributor within the community.