Installing an AppExchange app is straightforward when you know the steps. Skipping any step is the most common source of "the app installed but nothing works" complaints.
- Find the listing on appexchange.salesforce.com
Search by app name, browse by category, or follow a link from a peer recommendation. Check the security review badge, last update date, and review count before clicking Get It Now.
- Click Get It Now and pick your org
The flow asks which org to install into: production or sandbox. Always install in sandbox first. Production-first installs of an unfamiliar app are how orgs end up with hundreds of unwanted custom fields.
- Confirm the install profile mode
The install wizard asks: Admins Only, All Users, or Specific Profiles. Default to Admins Only for a test install, then re-evaluate after you verify the app's behavior.
- Accept the license terms and approve the install
Read the licensing terms even when they look standard. Approve the third-party access prompts (Apex callouts, remote site settings). The install runs in 1 to 5 minutes for most packages.
- Open Installed Packages in Setup
Verify the package appears, note the namespace prefix, and check the Manage Licenses link. Many AppExchange apps require per-user license assignment in addition to profile permission.
- Configure the app per the vendor's setup guide
Almost every AppExchange app has post-install configuration: API keys, remote site settings, page layout updates, permission set assignments. Read the vendor docs and run through them before declaring the app installed.
Admins Only, All Users, or Specific Profiles. Admins Only is the safe default for an unknown app. Specific Profiles is right for end-user apps.
The install wizard asks which org to target. Sandbox-first is the universal best practice. Production-first installs of unfamiliar apps cause incidents.
Every managed package brings a namespace (vendor__). Components from the package appear with this prefix, distinguishing them from your custom metadata.
Per-user license assignment, separate from Salesforce user licenses. Managed in Setup, Installed Packages, Manage Licenses on the package row.
The endpoint whitelist that allows Apex callouts from the package. Most packages auto-add their endpoints during install; some require manual configuration.
- Installing in production first is the fast way to regret. Always install in sandbox, validate, then deploy through the same managed-package mechanism in production.
- Apps under Security Review are not the same as approved apps. Look for the Security Review Approved badge on the listing. Without it, the app may have functional gaps or known issues.
- Managed packages cannot be customized after install. Adding fields, modifying triggers, or changing layouts inside the namespace is blocked. Plan around the package's extension points before committing.
- Some apps require per-user license keys provided by the vendor. License assignment is separate from profile-based access. Both need to be in place for the app to work for end users.
- Uninstalling a managed package removes the metadata but not the data records. Custom object data created by the app survives uninstall unless the admin explicitly deletes it through Data Loader first.