Certification Process¶
Certified plugins receive the "Meridian Certified" badge, visible in the marketplace and vendor portal. Enterprise deployments require certification for all installed plugins.
Four Review Layers¶
| Layer | Name | Type | What It Checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conformance | Automated | All 64 conformance tests pass |
| 2 | Topic access | Automated | ACL grants match declared pool type, no unauthorized topic access |
| 3 | Dependencies | Automated | No known vulnerabilities, compatible licenses |
| 4 | Manual review | Human | Code quality, architecture, domain API usage, edge case handling |
Layers 1-3 run instantly on submission. Layer 4 is scheduled within 48 hours.
What Manual Reviewers Evaluate¶
- Kernel API usage: Plugin queries the kernel for state rather than maintaining shadow copies
- Error handling: Graceful degradation, meaningful error messages, no silent failures
- Resource management: No memory leaks, connection cleanup, bounded queues
- Topic discipline: Only publishes to topics appropriate for its pool type
Certification Badge¶
Once certified, your plugin displays "Meridian Certified" in: - Marketplace search results - Plugin detail page - Vendor portal plugin list - Deployment admin's plugin installer
Recertification¶
Certification expires when a new SDK version is released. To maintain certification:
- Update your plugin for the new SDK version
- Verify conformance tests pass
- Resubmit — automated checks re-run, manual review if changes are substantial
Minor SDK updates (patch versions) do not trigger recertification.
Timeline¶
| Step | Duration |
|---|---|
| Automated checks (Layers 1-3) | Instant |
| Manual review queue | Within 48 hours |
| Review feedback | Same day as review |
| Resubmission after fixes | Instant re-queue |
If Certification Is Denied¶
You receive specific feedback explaining what needs to change. Common reasons:
- Shadow state detected (maintaining local position/order copies instead of querying kernel)
- Unauthorized topic access (publishing to topics outside your pool type)
- Missing error handling for common failure modes
- Dependencies with known issues
Fix the noted items and resubmit. There is no limit on resubmissions.
Next Steps¶
- Marketplace Submission — how to submit
- Conformance Tests — the 64 tests your plugin must pass
- Vendor Quickstart — the full vendor journey