# Publishing Extensions
Publishing an extension is an easy way to:
- recruit collaborators for a project
- increase your user base and, along with it, the potential for:
- contributed bug fixes
- new use cases
- feature requests and project funding
- bring positive attention to your organization
- share a useful feature or set of configurations with worthy nonprofit and
community organizations
While you could simply publish your extension to a web-based code repository
like GitHub, publishing through the
[CiviCRM Extensions Directory](http://civicrm.org/extensions) makes it easy for
others to find and download it. Moreover, CiviCRM-native extensions which undergo a
formal review can even be distributed in-application to CiviCRM sites running
version 4.2 or greater.
The following instructions assume you will be publishing a CiviCRM-native
extension (i.e., a CMS-agnostic extension). Instructions for CMS-specific
extensions are similar; differences are noted in [Notes for CMS-specific
extensions](#notes-for-cms-specific-extensions).
## Publishing a CiviCRM extension
CiviCRM's publishing process automates a number of tasks related to maintaining
your extensions. Just provide some basic information about the extension, and
the rest is taken care of for you! Subsequent releases will automatically be
detected, published, and submitted for translation.
### Prerequisites:
- The extension code is published in a public GitHub repository.
- The extension manifest (`info.xml`) is in the root of the repository.
- The extension manifest is
[valid](https://wiki.civicrm.org/confluence/display/CRMDOC/Extension+Reference#ExtensionReference-Tagsininfo.xml).
- The name of the extension repository (e.g., *https://github.com/civicrm/org.civicrm.legcase.git*)
matches the extension's fully qualified name (.e.g, *org.civicrm.legcase*) or
its short name as specified by the `file` tag in `info.xml` (e.g., *legcase*).
- Each release of the extension is "tagged" in the git repository with a
["PHP-standardized" version number string](http://php.net/manual/en/function.version-compare.php).
Version number strings may optionally be prefixed with a "v."
- Valid tag names: "v1.2.3", "1.2.3", "v1.2-beta3", "1.2-beta3"
- Invalid (ignored) tag names: "stable", "1.2-prerelease"
### Publishing an extension:
- [Register](https://civicrm.org/user/register) for an account on civicrm.org if you
do not already have one.
- [Login](https://civicrm.org/user) to civicrm.org and [create a new extension
node](http://civicrm.org/node/add/extension). If you see an "Access Denied"
message, you'll need to email [info@civicrm.org](mailto:info@civicrm.org)
with your user id and request permission to publish extensions.
- Fill out all required fields. Also provide the "Git URL" for the extension.
- Within a day, you will receive an email notifying you that the extension
was published on civicrm.org or that a problem with the extension manifest
(`info.xml`) prevented publication.
### Publishing subsequent releases:
- Update the extension manifest and push the changes to your GitHub repository.
At minimum you'll need to increment the version number.
- Create a git "tag" which matches the version in the manifest and push it, e.g.:
git tag -a v1.2.0
git push origin v1.2.0
- Within a day, you will receive an email notifying you that the release
was published on civicrm.org or that a problem with the extension manifest
prevented publication.
### Notes for CMS-specific extensions
CMS-specific extensions are developed for a single CMS / CiviCRM environment
(e.g. Drupal 7 + CiviCRM, Joomla 2.5 + CiviCRM, etc.), typically using the
extension framework of the CMS in question (for example, webform_civicrm is
packaged as a Drupal module which invokes Drupal hooks).
These extensions can be published on the CiviCRM.org extensions directory, but
CiviCRM does not provide in-application distribution for them. We recommend
publishing them to the CiviCRM directory and to the relevant CMS extension
directory (drupal.org, etc.) to take advantage of the distribution system
provided by the CMS.
To publish a CMS-specific extension, follow the steps outlined above for
[publishing an extension](#publishing-an-extension). (Note that the
[prerequisites](#prerequisites) do not apply, that the extension manifest will
be named and formatted according to the conventions of the CMS and not CiviCRM's
`info.xml`, and that you may choose not to supply a "Git URL.") On the resulting
release node, you will find a link "Add Extension Release." On this screen, you
will provide release information as well as a link from which the extension may
be downloaded.
If you develop new version(s) of your extension, you can submit additional
releases at any time.
## Automated distribution
The best way to reap the benefits of publishing your extension is to make it as
easy as possible for others to install it. With just a few clicks, CiviCRM site
administrators can view and install CiviCRM extension releases which meet
certain criteria. To be eligible for automated distribution:
- The extension must be published in the Extensions Directory.
- One of the extension's maintainers must [request an extension review
request](https://issues.civicrm.org/jira/secure/CreateIssue!default.jspa?selectedProjectId=10400&issuetype=10000).
- The extension manifest must flag the release as "stable."
- The extension manifest must include a link to online documentation.
- The extension manifest must flag the release as compatible with CiviCRM
version 4.2 or greater.
- The release must be CMS-agnostic, and it must install without errors or
notices from the Manage Extensions page of a site running a stable release
of CiviCRM. Errors installing in any of the supported CMSes are grounds for
holding an extension back from automated distribution.
- The extension must provide the promised functionality. Serious bugs and
errors found by a CiviCRM community extension moderator exploring the
functionality of the extension are grounds for holding an extension back
from automated distribution.
It is strongly recommended that you [write unit
tests](https://github.com/civicrm/org.civicrm.testapalooza) for the extension
and include them in the extension's repository. For an example, see the extension
[org.civicrm.exampletests](https://github.com/totten/org.civicrm.exampletests).
Once an extension release meets these criteria, the extension will be approved
for automated distribution by a CiviCRM community extension moderator.