AllyOtter

From our own listing run, plus AppSumo's published docs

AppSumo: what it takes to get approved.

Working, paid SaaS/software and other digital products (courses, templates, plugins, Chrome extensions) aimed at entrepreneurs/SMBs that can be sold as a discounted (often lifetime) deal redeemed by codes or AppSumo's licensing API; not PLR/white-label/resale, affiliate, physical or consumer-only products.

Networks change their rules. Every point below links to its source and the date we read it; check it the day you submit.

Who it suits

Deal-seeking entrepreneurs, SMBs and agencies (AppSumo cites 1.5M+ email subscribers and a ~20K affiliate/ambassador network).

Fees

No listing or upfront fee. Main-marketplace revenue share is 'negotiated based on your product category and expected performance' (not published). Radar tier (self-listed, per Radar Promotion Agreement): seller keeps 90% of Net Revenue from the seller's own Partner Promotion Link; all other sales tiered marginal seller share 25% ($0-50k), 30% ($50k-100k), 40% ($100k-200k), 50% (>$200k). Net Revenue is after refunds, chargebacks, discounts, taxes, processing/merchant fees. Payouts via Ramp; transaction/FX fees may apply.

Becoming a seller

Setting up the product

What reviewers check on the sales page

Affiliate page and affiliate info

None required from the seller: AppSumo runs its own affiliate/ambassador network. On Radar the seller gets a Partner Promotion Link in the Partner Portal; sales through it earn the seller 90% of Net Revenue.

Delivery

Buyer purchases a code or license on AppSumo. Codes: seller uploads codes; buyer redeems on the seller's static or dynamic (one-click, code embedded) redemption URL. Licensing API v2: OAuth redirect URL (GET, acts as signup/login) plus webhook URL (POST) saved in the Partner Portal; events purchase, activate, upgrade, downgrade, deactivate (refund/cancel), migrate (add-ons, parent_license_key); reply HTTP 200 with the event and "success": true; test webhooks carry "test": true on save; verify X-Appsumo-Signature = HMAC-SHA256(API key, X-Appsumo-Timestamp + body). License keys are generated only by AppSumo; seller must not activate/deactivate manually. Customers get >= 60 days to redeem; keep licensing endpoints/codes working 3 months after delisting.

Reviewer access

Supply test account credentials in the Partner Portal listing (plus a demo URL or output example); keep the test account active until a decision is made.

Approval

Draft wizard says AppSumo 'reviews it within 3 business days' (ThreadFox run, 2026-09-25). Guide says listings go live 'within days'. Main marketplace/Select is curated (BD call, beta testers, 25-point checklist; sell page cites ~10% acceptance, quality page 'less than 3%'). Radar: AppSumo 'verified the basics and reviewed the listing for safety' but does not fully vet; AppSumo has final approval. Launch operations team tests the redemption flow before launch.

Affiliate approval

Not applicable to sellers: AppSumo's affiliate/ambassador network is managed by AppSumo.

Marketplace visibility

Radar listings appear on AppSumo's Radar discovery section (appsumo.com/a/radar) for at least the 90-day Campaign Length; AppSumo may keep listing beyond it until either party ends it (14 days' written notice). Main-marketplace/Select placement and email promotion are decided by AppSumo; Select is for top performers. Deal changes go through the Deal Updates Form and Partner Success approval.

Refunds

AppSumo issues all refunds and deducts them from sales totals; generally a 60-day money-back guarantee (listing policy: 60-day 'no-matter-the-reason' for refundable products). Seller must revoke refunded codes/licenses (weekly or more often). Radar deal pages say: 'No We Got Your Back guarantee. This listing is managed by the partner who built the product - we have not vetted it' (paraphrase of quoted text) while still showing 'Refundable up to 60 days from your purchase date.' After the window AppSumo may remediate for partner breach and recover the cost from the partner.

Why products get held or rejected

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Sources

All network guides