Community vs Official: What Changes
Community Ability
- Located in
community/folder - Orange badge on Marketplace
- Maintained by original author
- Standard Marketplace listing
- Best-effort support
Official Ability
- Located in
official/folder - Blue badge on Marketplace
- Maintained by OpenHome team
- Featured / priority placement
- Officially supported
Author credit is always preserved regardless of status. Your name stays in the README, CONTRIBUTORS.md, and release notes.
What Makes an Ability Promotion-Worthy
We evaluate community abilities based on these criteria:| Criteria | Threshold | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace installs | 50+ users | Demonstrates real demand and usefulness |
| Stability | No critical bugs for 30+ days | Shows the ability is reliable and well-tested |
| Code quality | Clean, follows all SDK patterns | Makes maintenance easier and sets an example |
| Author responsiveness | Responds to issues and feedback | Shows commitment to quality |
| Usefulness | Fills a real gap in the ecosystem | Provides value that doesn’t exist elsewhere |
The Promotion Process
Here’s how promotion typically happens:Monitoring
The OpenHome team continuously monitors high-performing community abilities through Marketplace metrics and user feedback
What Authors Get from Promotion
When your ability is promoted, you receive:Permanent Credit
Your name as the original creator in README, CONTRIBUTORS.md, and all documentation
Release Notes
Recognition in official release notes and announcements
Wider Reach
Featured Marketplace placement means more users discover your ability
Maintenance Support
OpenHome handles ongoing updates, bug fixes, and SDK migrations
You retain credit but transfer maintenance responsibility. This means you can focus on building new abilities while your promoted ability reaches more users.
Can I Request Promotion?
Yes! If you believe your community ability is ready for official status:Provide context
Include:
- Current install count (if you have access to metrics)
- Any user feedback or testimonials
- Bug history and resolution times
- Why you think it fills a unique gap
What Happens to Your Community Ability
When promoted:- Code Migration - The ability moves from
community/your-ability-name/toofficial/your-ability-name/ - Badge Update - Marketplace listing changes from orange (community) to blue (official) badge
- Placement Change - May appear in featured sections or priority listings
- Maintenance Transfer - OpenHome team takes over:
- Bug fixes and updates
- SDK compatibility when APIs change
- User support requests
- Credit Preservation - Your authorship remains visible everywhere:
- README header with your name and GitHub profile
- CONTRIBUTORS.md entry
- Release notes mentioning you
You can still contribute improvements via PRs, but you’re no longer required to maintain it.
Examples of Promotion-Worthy Abilities
While we can’t guarantee promotion, here are traits that make abilities stand out:High utility, broad appeal
High utility, broad appeal
Abilities that solve common problems many users face:
- Timer/reminder systems
- Unit converters
- Common API integrations (weather, news, calendar)
- Productivity tools (note-taking, task management)
Excellent documentation
Excellent documentation
Clear README with:
- Concise “What It Does” section
- Well-chosen trigger word suggestions
- Complete setup instructions
- Example conversations showing typical usage
Robust error handling
Robust error handling
Gracefully handles:
- API failures and timeouts
- Invalid user input
- Rate limiting
- Network issues
- Provides helpful error messages to users
Natural conversation flow
Natural conversation flow
Voice-first design:
- Short, conversational responses
- Clear prompts for user input
- Exit/stop handling in loops
- Confirms actions before executing
Clean, maintainable code
Clean, maintainable code
Well-structured implementation:
- Follows SDK patterns exactly
- Comments for complex logic
- Consistent code style
- No code smells or anti-patterns
Timeline Expectations
Promotion doesn’t happen overnight. Here’s what to expect:| Phase | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|
| Reach 50+ installs | 2-6 months after submission |
| Stability period | 30+ days without critical bugs |
| Initial contact | Within 1-2 weeks of meeting criteria |
| Deep review | 1-3 weeks |
| Promotion (if approved) | 1-2 weeks after review completion |
These are estimates. Some abilities are promoted faster, others take longer based on ecosystem priorities and maintenance capacity.
Tips for Increasing Promotion Chances
Document thoroughly
A great README with clear examples helps users understand and adopt your ability
Staying Informed
To stay updated on promotions and see what kinds of abilities are being promoted:- Watch the abilities repository for commits moving abilities from
community/toofficial/ - Check release notes for new official abilities
- Join the Discord where promotions are often announced
- Follow the OpenHome blog or changelog for major updates
Questions?
If you have questions about promotion:- General questions → Ask in Discord
- Specific to your ability → Open a GitHub issue with
[Promotion Request]in the title - Want to understand criteria better → Review Building Great Abilities