Configure the SharePoint Online App Catalog

Posted on by Bhupendra Singh by in Uncategorized

App Catalog is a special site collection that holds all apps. An App Catalog allows tenant admins to make internally developed custom apps available for users to install when they browse apps under the “From Your Organization” filter on the Site Contents page. Putting the catalog into its own site collection makes it easier for tenant administrators to limit permissions to the application. There can be only one app catalog site collection in a web application.

You can create an Sharepoint Online app catalog site collection in few simple steps:

  1. Sign into Office 365 as a global admin or SharePoint admin.
  2. Select the app launcher icon menu in the upper left and choose Admin to open the Office 365 admin center (if you don’t see the Admin tile, you don’t have Office 365 administrator permissions in your organization).
  3. In the left pane, choose Admin centers > SharePoint.SharePoint Training and Guide
  4.  Click on ‘More Features’ from the left navigation/pane.
    SharePoint Admin Center

  5. Now, click on the ‘Open’ button under Apps.
    SharePoint Admin Center Features
  6. Select apps in the left pane, and then select App Catalog.
    Apps Configuration
  7. Select Create a new Sharepoint app catalog site, and then select OK.
    App Catalog Settings
  8. On the Create App Catalog Site Collection page, enter the required information, and then select OK.
    Create App Catalog
  9. An app catalog site collection has been created.
    Site Collections
  10.  Once the App Catalog site collection is created successfully, click on the new link to the App Catalog site collection
    App Catalog
  11. By default, the following document libraries will be available in the App Catalog site:

    Once the App Catalog site collection is created successfully, you can simply add any app to the App Catalog. Adding an app to your app catalog is as easy as uploading any file to a SharePoint Foundation document library.

Note: Before you begin, make sure you have your custom developed app available as an .app file.

Let’s take a look at an example of the “Employee Directory” add-in.

  1. Once the App Catalog site collection is created successfully, click on the new link to the App Catalog site collection.
    Getting Start with App Catalog
  2. On the home page of the App Catalog site, select the tile labeled either Distribute apps for SharePoint or Distribute apps for Office.
    Getting Start with App Catalog
  3. Select New and browse to the app you want to upload or drag the app into the library.
    Creating New Document
  4. The app file has been added.
    Uploading in App Catalog
  5. Open the site collection where you want to add the app.
  6. Click on ‘Site Contents’ in the Quick Launch.
    Site Contents
  7. On the Site Contents page, click on App under the New option as shown in the image.
    Adding New Site Content
  8. Your Apps window will open.
  9. Click on From Your Organization.
    Apps You can add
  10. Select the app and then trust it.
    Employee Directory Settings
    Employee Directory Settings

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    The SharePoint Online App Catalog is a dedicated site collection used to store and manage custom apps, SharePoint add-ins, and SharePoint Framework (SPFx) solutions. Administrators upload app packages to the catalog so they can be deployed and installed across SharePoint sites within the organization.
    Yes. An App Catalog is required to deploy SharePoint Framework (SPFx) solutions in SharePoint Online. Developers upload the .sppkg package to the App Catalog, where administrators can approve and deploy the solution to specific sites or across the entire tenant.
    To create a Tenant App Catalog, open the SharePoint Admin Center, go to More Features, select Apps, and choose App Catalog. If an App Catalog does not exist, you will be prompted to create a new App Catalog site collection for managing organizational apps.
    A Tenant App Catalog allows administrators to deploy apps across the entire SharePoint tenant, while a Site Collection App Catalog limits app deployment to a specific site collection. Tenant catalogs are used for organization-wide apps, whereas site catalogs are useful for testing or limited deployments.
    The SharePoint App Catalog supports app package formats such as .sppkg for SharePoint Framework solutions and .app files for SharePoint add-ins. These packages are uploaded to the Apps for SharePoint library where administrators can manage deployment and permissions.
    A SharePoint tenant can only have one Tenant App Catalog site collection. However, administrators can enable multiple Site Collection App Catalogs for individual site collections to allow app deployment within specific SharePoint sites.
    Only Microsoft 365 users with Global Administrator or SharePoint Administrator permissions can create and manage the Tenant App Catalog. These roles ensure that only authorized administrators can control the deployment and availability of custom apps.
    Organizations use a SharePoint App Catalog to centrally manage and distribute custom apps and SPFx solutions. It provides governance, version control, and secure deployment of internal applications across SharePoint sites within the tenant.

    Bhupendra Singh

    About Author

    Bhupendra Singh

    Bhupendra is a Digital Transformation Expert and Microsoft 365 Consultant who helps organizations modernize the way they work using the Microsoft 365 suite of services. As a Microsoft Certified Teams Administrator Associate, with credentials in Microsoft 365 Fundamentals and the Microsoft Service Adoption Specialist assessment, he combines technical expertise with adoption strategies to drive meaningful business change.