Versioning in Connect vs Forge
Having a Connect app, you may be used to certain changes to your app that require Admin approval and some changes that don't. We've previously referred to these as Major and Minor updates.
The way these updates function in Connect and Forge is different, so when you register your Connect app on Forge, we want to be clear about what changes do and don't trigger an update that requires Admin approval.
How the naming changes
The key difference is that Minor updates in Forge don't require Admin approval, while in Connect they do.
Although this might at first seem like a relaxation of the type of updates that require Admin approval, some of the types of updates that were previously considered Minor in Connect are considered Major in Forge.
How the approvals change
To avoid being confused by the terminology of Major vs Minor, we can instead review the impact by looking at what types of updates require Admin approval.
A Preview program that enables Connect apps to be eligible for a minor version update when moving to Forge, if the Forge version of the app does not request elevated permissions compared to the Connect version, is available. Apps enrolled in this preview program can be updated without Admin approval if they meet the new Preview criteria for minor version updates.
To enroll in the preview, see Automated app updates for Connect apps adopting Forge (Preview).
Whether an update requires Admin approval when moving from Connect to Forge depends on whether your app is enrolled in that Preview program.
Comparison of Connect and Forge admin-approved updates
|
Type of update |
Requires Admin approval in Connect? |
Requires Admin approval in Forge? |
|---|---|---|
|
Descriptor specific different apiVersion number |  |
N/A in Forge |
|
Increases or changes to scopes | | |
|
Licensing updated between Free and Paid | | |
|
Adding, updating or removing Connect Macros or Webhooks |  | |
|
Adding, updating or removing Forge modules | | |
|
Modifying content permissions CSP options | N/A in Connect | |
|
Modifying external permissions CSP options and URLs | N/A in Connect | |
|
Changing a provider client ID | N/A in Connect | |
|
Adding or removing a provider | N/A in Connect | |
|
Changing the baseUrl of a Remote | | |
|
Adding of a new Remote | N/A in Connect | |
How will updates change?
The first update to Forge may or may not require Admin approval (major update)
Currently, even without changing anything else in your app, publishing your existing app as a Forge app will trigger a major version upgrade that must be installed by Admins.
If you prefer to minimize the number of major version app upgrades for your customers, we recommend the following options:
- Bundling up a Forge upgrade with the introduction of your first Forge module, or
- Enrolling in the Connect to Forge minor version upgrades Preview program mentioned earlier on this page.
If your app meets the eligibility criteria for a minor version update, it is possible for your first app update from Connect to Forge to be a minor version update that does not require Admin approval.
Once your app is registered with Forge, the enabled and disabled Connect lifecycle events will no longer be sent.
Automatic updates (after the first update)
Once your app has adopted Forge, automatic updates (those that do not require admin approval) will roll out at the same speed as automatic Forge updates (within minutes). Existing Connect apps took up to 33 hours to roll out to all customers.
Once your app is registered with Forge, the installed Connect lifecycle event will no longer be sent during automatic updates.
Next steps
Once you're aware of the limitations and differences when adopting Forge, you're ready to start adopting Forge in your Connect app.
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