Windows Store has an excellent option to pick your app’s release date. I have worked with several app publishers to use a future release date to test the entire submission process way early in the app development life cycle, and to reduce the last minute surprises. When your final build is ready for submission to align with your PR/Launch plan, you would be pleasantly surprised to have gone through this Pre-Store submission process earlier. Trust me, it’s a sure way to avoid last minute sweat and pressure. Checkout the following prerequisites and resources, to start your Pre-Store submission.
- Ensure that your Windows Store developer account is ready for app submission
- Choosing the right account type (individual or corporate). For corporate account, Symantec, a 3rd party vendor, needs to complete the Identity Verification.
- Opening a developer account (be sure to have a credit card for an annual subscription fee)
- Verify accounts (check your credit card statement to provide 3-digit code or the transaction amount)
- Getting paid (setup payout account and fill tax forms for paid apps)
- Reserve App name in your Windows Store
- Generate your Windows Store app package
- Ensure your app has required images (store logo, logo, small logo, splash screen, wide logo)
- Build must pass WACK (Windows App Certification Kit) test.
- Ensure that your app is associated with the Windows Store account
- Ensure that you can access your privacy policy via Settings charm in your app.
- Art work
- Screenshots (at least 1, maximum 8, with a description of 200 chars)
- Promotional images (highly recommended, upto 4)
- App details
- Notes to testers
- Ensure that you provide privacy policy details (explicit confirmation of being able to access it via settings charm, and provide the URL)
- Ensure that you provide the test account details (user name and password) if your app needs login credentials