Get your project live
The complete seller guide — what you can list, how to prepare your project, the submission form field by field, review, and going live.
You built a small tool to fix your own problem. Someone else has that problem too. This is the complete guide to turning that project into a listing people can buy — what qualifies, how to prepare it, exactly what the submission form asks for, and what happens after you hit submit.
What you can sell
The Solo Market is for self-contained software tools a buyer downloads and runs on their own computer. If it's a finished thing someone can own forever, it fits. If it needs your servers, or isn't software, it doesn't.
| Yes — list these | Not a fit |
|---|---|
| Scripts & CLI tools (Node.js, Python, shell) | SaaS, subscriptions, anything running on your servers |
| Desktop or browser apps that run locally | Non-software goods (ebooks, courses, templates, presets, music) |
| Automations, agents, converters, scrapers, dashboards | Physical products or freelance services |
| Your own original code, or code you're licensed to resell | Code that isn't yours, or that breaks a licence |
| Readable source with disclosed network calls | Malware, data harvesters, obfuscated / hidden-behaviour tools |
| Fully unlocked the moment it's bought | In-app payments, license keys, or an account needed to use it |
What makes a good listing
Every submission is reviewed against the same checklist before it goes live. Build toward these four things and approval is straightforward:
- Runs in about five minutes. A buyer can go from download to running by following your
SETUP.md— either one command, or by asking an AI assistant to set it up. - Readable source. No obfuscated or minified-only code. Buyers (and their AI) can read what they're about to run.
- Honest disclosure. Every network call and dependency is declared in your
manifest.json. - Real screenshots and demo. Show the tool actually working — no mockups, no stock images.
Step 1 — Prepare your package
Your tool ships as one zip with a fixed structure, so every buyer knows what they're getting and every tool runs the same way. It must contain a manifest.json, a README.md, a SETUP.md, a LICENSE.md and your src/ folder, and stay under 200 MB. The full specification — with a worked example — is on its own page:
Read this before you submit
SETUP.md that passes review on the first try.Step 2 — Fill in the listing
From Sell your tool you'll sign in (any buyer account can become a seller) and land on the listing form. It takes about twenty minutes. Here's every field and what a good answer looks like:
- App name — short and clear, up to 50 characters (e.g. “CSV Cleaner”).
- One-line tagline — what it does in one sentence, up to 90 characters. This is the hook on your listing card.
- Description — the problem it solves and how it runs locally. Be concrete about what the buyer gets.
- Category — the kind of tool it is (Files and converters, Games and toys, Developer tools, and so on). If none fits, pick Other and name it yourself.
- Runtime — Node.js, Python, Browser, Desktop app, or Other. This tells buyers what they need installed.
- Setup method — One command (the buyer runs a single command) or AI-assisted (an AI assistant sets it up from your
SETUP.md). Pick the one your tool actually supports. - Price (USD) — between $15 and $250. See Pricing & payouts for how to choose.
- App package (.zip) — the file from Step 1, up to 200 MB.
- Screenshots — up to five, showing the tool working.
- Demo video (required) — up to 30 seconds and 50 MB. It doubles as your listing card's preview, so lead with the tool doing its job.
- About you — a short bio, a support email (required) buyers can reach you at, and an optional website or profile link.
Before you can submit, you confirm the tool is yours to sell, contains no malicious code, discloses all network activity, and that you'll support it and honour the 14-day refund policy. That confirmation is part of the seller agreement — see Terms.
You can save and come back
Step 3 — Review
Submitting puts your listing in the review queue — it does not go live yet. A human runs your tool on a clean machine following your SETUP.md, reads the source, checks that the listing is honest and that the demo matches what the tool does. This usually takes 1 to 2 business days.
Two outcomes:
- Approved — your tool lists and becomes buyable, and earns the “Verified — runs in 5 minutes” badge.
- Changes needed — you get a note explaining what to fix. Edit the listing from your dashboard and resubmit; it goes back into the queue.
Step 4 — Get paid
You keep 85% of every sale. Payouts run automatically through Stripe once you've connected a payout account — a one-time setup, no Stripe account needed up front. The mechanics, timing and how refunds affect payouts are all on Pricing & payouts.
Your responsibilities as a seller
- Keep the code yours (or properly licensed) and free of hidden behaviour.
- Answer buyer support questions at the email on your listing.
- Honour the 14-day “it runs or your money back” guarantee.
- Keep your tool working; ship a new version if something breaks.
The platform handles the storefront, payments, delivery and versioning. You handle the code. That split is what the The Solo Market commission pays for.
Ready? Start a listing, or read the App Package standard first.