Forge Marketplace versions stuck as PRIVATE – how to make them PUBLIC, and is REST API an option?

Forge
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Hi Community,

I’m developing Visual Progress Tracker for Jira (a Forge app on the Marketplace) and I’m running into a confusing situation around version visibility and the update flow.

My situation: I have 5 versions in my Marketplace vendor backend (4.2.0 through 4.7.0). Version 4.2.0 is PUBLIC, all newer ones are PRIVATE. The public app listing still shows 4.2.0. My customers who already have the app installed do appear to receive updates (since they’re minor versions), but the public listing page is outdated.

My questions:

  1. Do existing customers actually receive the PRIVATE minor version updates automatically, even though the versions are marked PRIVATE in the vendor backend? Or does a version need to be PUBLIC for the auto-deployment to customers to work?

  2. What version does a new customer get when installing? Do they get the latest deployed version (4.7.0) even though the public listing shows 4.2.0? Or are they limited to the last PUBLIC version?

  3. How do I make a version PUBLIC without triggering a full re-approval? The docs say routine minor version updates don’t need re-approval. But in the Marketplace UI, I don’t see a clear “make public” button that doesn’t ask me to fill in all the listing details again. Is there a simpler flow?

  4. Is the Marketplace REST API a viable option to publish/release versions for Forge apps? The v2 REST docs mention a /rest/2/addons/{addonKey}/release endpoint, but also state “Forge and OAuth2 apps cannot access this REST resource.” Is there an alternative REST approach for Forge apps to automate this, e.g. via the v3 Marketplace API? Has anyone successfully automated their Forge app version publishing via REST instead of the GUI?

Any experience or recommendations appreciated, especially from other Forge Marketplace partners who have streamlined their release workflow.

Thanks!
BR Janek