Every publicly available app in the Google Workspace Marketplace is reviewed by Google’s Marketplace team. Google Workspace Marketplace app developers must adhere to the Marketplace's listing requirements, program policies, and Developer Agreement, which requires developers to clearly present the terms under which they offer their services. The Marketplace team regularly reviews the most popular apps. However, you’re ultimately responsible for installing and using apps.
How Google evaluates Marketplace apps
Before an app can be published publicly on the Marketplace, the Marketplace team reviews the app to make sure it meets our criteria, including the following:
- The app meets the Marketplace publishing requirements. The criteria include that the app works as described in the listing and has a good user experience.
- The app complies with the Google Workspace Marketplace program policies.
- The app passes a brand verification.
- The app complies with the Google APIs Terms of Service and Google’s API Services User Data Policy.
- If the app requests access to certain sensitive user data (sensitive scopes), such as reading events from your Google Calendar or sending a Gmail message on your behalf, the app must pass OAuth API verification. This review evaluates why the app needs access to that data, and how the data is used by the app.
- If the app requests broad or privileged access to user data (restricted scopes), such as all of your Gmail messages, the app must pass a security assessment, which must be renewed annually.
If you use Google Workspace for work or school, you might have access to internal apps. Internal apps are private apps developed by your organization for use only by people in that organization. Google does not review internal apps.
Evaluate a Marketplace app listing
To evaluate an app, open the app listing in the Marketplace (http://workspace.google.com/marketplace). The listing answers the following questions to help you decide if the app is what you need and its developer is trustworthy.
Who made the app?
Click either the link at the top of the listing or the Developer link to open the app’s home page, which gives more information about the developer and the app.
What does the app do?
The overview tells you what the app does and provides screenshots of how it works.
What are the app’s privacy policy and terms of service?
At the bottom of the overview, click the corresponding links to learn how the app collects, uses, and protects your data, and what rights and responsibilities you have as a customer.
When you or your administrator install an app, you agree to the app’s terms of service as part of the process. These documents include the following information and policies:
- How long an app keeps your data (the data retention policy).
- How an app handles your data. Does the app copy your data to the developer's systems? Can the app change or delete your data? If so, do you trust the developer and app to do those things?
Does the app handle my data using industry security standards?
Look for the security badge , which indicates that the app passed an independent security review. Learn more about how an app earns the security badge.
How do I get support?
The developer is responsible for supporting their app. At the bottom of the overview, click the Support link to find out how to get help with the app.
What data access does the app have after it’s installed?
Click the Permissions tab to see a list of the data and the Google apps the app will access, and what actions the app can take on that data.
- If an app can view, see, manage, or download your data, the developer can expose your data to other parties. Be sure to read the privacy policy and Terms of Service.
- If an app can edit, create, or delete your data, the app can change or permanently delete your data. Weigh the benefits of the app against the scope of data access the developer requests.
What do other users think about the app?
Click the Reviews tab to read what other users have written about the app. By default, reviews are sorted by most helpful, as rated by other app listing viewers. You can change the sorting to by most recent.
Note:
- Google doesn't verify reviews or ratings.
- Google removes ratings that violate our review policies. For example Google doesn't allow phone numbers, email addresses, or links to other websites in reviews.
- Reviews and ratings may apply to previous versions of the app. They aren’t refreshed when the developer releases a new version.