Start building with Atlassian

Welcome to developing apps for Atlassian products. Customize a product's user interface (UI) or integrate through the REST API. This page describes the steps to build an app.

Step 1: Choose a product

Atlassian makes a variety of products that solve different problems. If you haven't decided which product you want to customize, then take some time to familiarize yourself with what they offer.

See our list of products and decide which you'd like to customize.

Step 2: Pick a deployment option

Atlassian provides products on three deployment options: cloud, server, and Data Center. Cloud products are hosted by Atlassian, whereas server and Data Center products are hosted by our customers. If you build an app for a cloud product, then you'll be responsible for hosting your app, whereas on a server or Data Center product the app will be hosted by the customer.

Cloud apps use a different framework from server and Data Center apps. You can't run the same app across different platforms without some adjustments.

At a glance

Cloud apps:

• Can be written in any language
• Hosted by the developer (you)
• Interact with the product through REST and JavaScript APIs
• Can access the public internet

Server apps:

• Use a Java backend
• Hosted by the customer (not you)
• Interact with the product through Java and REST APIs
• May not have access to the public internet

Data Center apps:

• Server apps that can run in a cluster
• Required to perform well with large user bases
• Subject to an additional approval process

See Cloud, server, and Data Center for developers for a more in-depth comparison of building apps for the different deployment options. Note that not all products are available on every deployment option.

Step 3: Set up

Each product has a set of documentation for developers. Read the getting started guide first. It will help you set up your development environment and build a simple app. Next, use the tutorials and guides to learn how to develop more complex apps. If you're integrating with another service, then explore what is possible with the REST APIs.

Check out the cloud or server and Data Center documentation for each product.

Step 4: Build an app

Now that your development environment is set up for the product and platform you're interested in, it's time to start building.

If you are extending the UI, our design guidelines and frontend components help your app maintain the look and feel of Atlassian products.

• Cloud design guidelines
• Server and Data Center design guidelines
• UI components from Atlaskit

Getting help

If you can't find the answers to your questions in our documentation, then try our developer community. We're always looking for ways to improve our docs, so remember to leave feedback on the pages you use. See Help and feedback for a full list of resources available to developers, like our status page, Marketplace support, and more.

Step 5: Share (optional)

Remember to celebrate your success with your team. If you've built an app that helps you work in Atlassian products, others might also benefit from your solution. See the Marketplace documentation to learn about listing your app in the Atlassian Marketplace.