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Integration and Development Cycle

This article will take you thorough a tour in how to integrate your App or develop your theme in Zid.

Updated over 2 weeks ago

This article provides a complete walkthrough of Zid’s Integration Cycle, guiding partners from account creation to building and publishing either apps or themes, whether public or private. Use this structured flow to understand every step involved in your partnership journey.

To start building awesome applications or themes and consume Zid expressive APIs, you need to have your account on our partner dashboard.

1. Create a Partner Account

Before developing an app or a theme, you must create a Zid Partner account. This account gives you access to the Partner Dashboard, where you’ll manage submissions, development stores, analytics, and more.

How to Register

  1. Click on Sign Up

  2. Fill in the required details:

    • Full Name: Use your company name – this will be publicly visible

    • Email: Use a fresh email not associated with any Zid store

    • Mobile: Must be a GCC number

    • Password: At least 8 characters, including letters and numbers

    • Country

    • Role: Choose whether you're a company employee or freelancer

    • App Type: Select Public App or Private App depending on your target

    • Looking for Ideas?: Opt-in to receive guidance

Through the Partner Dashboard, you can:

  • Submit partnership details to receive your agreement to publish your App in our marketplace.

⚠️ Note: This process applies to public integrations only. For private apps or themes, please refer to the respective private integration guides.

  • Build and create your applications and themes, update, monitor installations, and subscriptions.

  • Create a development store, so you can test your App until you are ready to publish it apps on the market.

  • Submit your App to be reviewed and listed on the market.

You can register your account in a few easy guided steps, and you can track the progress of your account completion from the dashboard.

2. Apps

Once registered, your journey will branch into either Apps or Themes. Each path has its own development, testing, and publishing flow depending on whether you're building a Public or Private version.

App Types

  • Public Apps: Available to all merchants on the Zid App Market

  • Private Apps: Available only to specific stores with explicit access

  • Shipping Apps: A special category of Public Apps for logistics and fulfillment services

Note: Shipping apps must be public. Private shipping apps are not supported.

Public App Flow

  1. Complete Partnership Details to receive your agreement

  2. Start development using the Zid Merchant API

  3. Test your app in a development store

  4. Publish your app for Zid’s review

  5. Once approved, your app is listed in the Zid App Market

Private App Flow

If you’re willing to develop an App for one or more specific stores, so these stores are the only stores that will be able to install your App, you’ll be involved in the below cycle:

Prerequisites: To integrate with a private App, this store must have either a Pro or an Enterprise plan subscription in Zid. Or the merchant has activated API Access. However, the "shipping system App" couldn't be private, it must be public. To check the store's current subscription click here.

  1. Create your App using this guide

  2. Use the Merchant API for integration

  3. Contact support via chat support in the Partner Dashboard to install it on the target store

    Help & Support
    Partner Dashboard Create Account

  4. Our team will install the App in the specific store.

    • To find the App in the store

      • Click on Zid App Market

      • Scroll to the end of the page

      • Your App will be shown in the "Your Private App" section

3. Themes

Theme Types:

  • Public Themes: Available for all merchants in the Zid Theme Market

  • Private Themes: Built for specific merchants and uploaded manually

Public Theme Flow

  1. Start development following the Theme Development Roadmap

  2. Create and upload your theme in the dashboard

  3. Test your theme using a development store

  4. Submit your theme for review

  5. Once approved, your theme is published in the Zid Theme Market

Private Theme Flow

Private themes are not listed publicly. They are uploaded directly to a specific store.

If you’re willing to develop a theme for one or more specific stores, so these stores are the only stores that will be able to install your theme, you’ll be involved in the following cycle:

Prerequisites: To install a private theme for a specific store, the store must have either a Pro or an Enterprise plan subscription in Zid. Or the user has activated Theme SDK access. To check the store's current subscription, click here.

  1. Build your theme using the Theme Development Roadmap

  2. Provide the merchant with the SDK file to upload it to the store

  3. To find the theme in the store

  • Go to web.zi.sa

  • Click on Zid Theme Market

  • Scroll to the end of the page

  • Upload the theme into the Custom Themes section

The testing flow is similar to public themes, but occurs inside the live merchant store.

Custom Theme

Next Steps

Need help? Reach out via the support widget in your Partner Dashboard.

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