Can I Publish a Stable Plugin While Keeping a Custom Release Channel Private?

JetBrains Marketplace
1

I have published the initial version of my plugin on the JetBrains Marketplace in a custom release channel. Currently, there are no releases on the stable channel. Users can install the plugin by entering the custom repository link or accessing the direct web link, which works as expected.

Now, I want to publish a stable version of my plugin that is publicly available and searchable on the Marketplace. However, I also want to keep the custom release channel hidden, meaning:

  • Users with the custom repo link or web link should still be able to access the custom release channel.
  • The general public should only see the stable version when searching for the plugin.

Is this possible? If so, how should I configure my plugin listing to achieve this?

2

Hello,

Yes, sure! You keep the custom release channel and release a public version (under a stable channel): Publishing a Plugin | IntelliJ Platform Plugin SDK

3

Thanks for your response!

I understand that the custom repository won’t make my plugin publicly visible in the Marketplace unless users have the direct download link or the custom channel link to install it via the IDE.

My concern is that once I publish the stable release, the plugin will become searchable in the Marketplace (which is fine), but the custom release channel will also appear as a separate tab alongside the stable version. Is there a way to make the custom channel visible only to a specific subset of users, so it doesn’t appear publicly when searching for the plugin?

An alternative approach would be to publish the stable version and hide the custom channel releases while providing select users with a direct download link. However, in that case, they wouldn’t receive automatic update notifications for the custom channel in the IDE. Is that correct?

4

Thank you for the details! You’re correct—once you release the stable version, the plugin will be searchable and all channels will be visible to users, as shown here:

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image1974Ă—912 164 KB

Currently, there isn’t an option to hide custom channels, but I’ve created a feature request for this functionality. While I can’t guarantee implementation, we will consider it.

Regarding hiding plugin versions in custom channels, yeah, your users won’t receive updates if they’re hidden.

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