Hidden Plugin Release
If you need to release a plugin on JetBrains Marketplace silently, without making it publicly available, you can mark it as Hidden. This feature can be beneficial if you want to:
Conduct beta testing (in addition to the custom release channels),
Set the plugin page, links, media, documentation,
Pass the approval process before the planned public release,
Prepare the monetization of your plugin beforehand.
How to hide a plugin
To hide a plugin, you need to add Hidden flag during the initial upload of the plugin on JetBrains Marketplace. This flag will ensure that the plugin will not appear in the search results of JetBrains Marketplace, IDE plugin manager, and search engines.
Users can still access and download the plugin if provided with a direct link. The plugin can be found on your author's page, on the Organization page if the plugin is added to it, or if other plugins use it as a dependency.
The lifecycle of a hidden plugin is the same as that of a usual one. Once uploaded, it is reviewed and approved by the JetBrains Marketplace team. You can make your plugin a paid one, upload new updates, and manage other settings. Plugin approval or transition to a paid model won't unhide the plugin, so you can have a fully prepared plugin before the public release. You can also remove your plugin while still in a hidden state.
How to unhide a plugin
To unhide your plugin, you need to remove the Hidden flag from the plugin's page on JetBrains Marketplace. After this, the plugin becomes available to the public, and users can easily find it in the plugin manager of the IDE and on the Marketplace website. It might take some time for third-party search engines to index the plugin page.
To unhide the plugin, click the Publish Plugin button:
After that, confirm the action:
And then, your plugin becomes available:
