Build & Deploy a Custom Marketplace App in SitecoreAI: A Step-by-Step Guide with GraphQL Park

Learn how to create, configure, deploy, and launch a custom Marketplace App in SitecoreAI using GraphQL Park as a real-world example. Whether you’re building developer tools, AI assistants, dashboards, or internal utilities, this guide walks through the complete integration process.

Want to extend SitecoreAI with your own applications? 

SitecoreAI Marketplace Apps make it possible to integrate custom web applications directly into the SitecoreAI experience. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build, configure, deploy, and launch a Marketplace App using GraphQL Park as a practical example. While this tutorial focuses on GraphQL Park, the same workflow applies to virtually any application you want to integrate with SitecoreAI.

GraphQL Park Series

This article is part of an ongoing series covering GraphQL Park, a modern GraphQL IDE built specifically for SitecoreAI developers. 

Part 1

GraphQL Park: A Modern GraphQL IDE Built for SitecoreAI Developers 

Part 2 (Current)

Build & Deploy a Custom Marketplace App in SitecoreAI

Coming Next 

Setting Up and Using GraphQL Park in Standalone Mode

What is GraphQL?

If you’re new to GraphQL, here’s a quick overview. 

GraphQL is a modern query language for APIs that allows applications to request exactly the data they need through a single endpoint. Unlike traditional REST APIs, GraphQL eliminates over-fetching and under-fetching by letting clients specify precisely which fields should be returned. 

SitecoreAI relies heavily on GraphQL for accessing content through Preview and Authoring APIs, making GraphQL an essential technology for modern Sitecore development. 

As projects grow, managing queries, exploring schemas, and testing APIs manually becomes increasingly difficult. That’s where GraphQL Park helps by providing a dedicated GraphQL IDE designed specifically for SitecoreAI developers.

Introduction

One of the most powerful extensibility features in SitecoreAI is the ability to build Custom Marketplace Apps. 

Instead of switching between browser tabs or external tools, Marketplace Apps allow you to embed your own applications directly into the SitecoreAI interface, providing a seamless experience for both developers and content authors. 

Marketplace Apps can be used for: 

• Internal developer tools
• GraphQL IDEs
• Content migration utilities
• AI-powered assistants
• Internal dashboards
• Validation tools
• Productivity applications 

In this article, I’ll walk through the complete process using GraphQL Park, a GraphQL IDE I built specifically for SitecoreAI developers. Throughout the guide, you’ll see how GraphQL Park integrates seamlessly into SitecoreAI while learning the exact steps required to integrate your own applications. 

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to: 

• Create a Custom Marketplace App
• Configure Extension Points
• Configure API Access
• Configure Permissions
• Deploy your application
• Install it into SitecoreAI
• Launch it directly inside SitecoreAI

Prerequisites

Before getting started, make sure you have: 

• Access to SitecoreAI
• Permission to use App Studio
• A publicly accessible web application hosted over HTTPS 

For this tutorial, I’ll use GraphQL Park, a modern GraphQL IDE built specifically for SitecoreAI developers. 

Although this guide uses GraphQL Park as the example application, the same process applies to virtually any custom web application you want to integrate into SitecoreAI.

Step 1 - Create a Custom App

Navigate to: App Studio → Create App 

Create a new application. 

You’ll notice two options. 

Custom App 

Available only inside your SitecoreAI organization. 

Perfect for internal tools. 

Public App 

Published to the public Marketplace after Sitecore approval. 

Since GraphQL Park is currently distributed privately, we’ll create a Custom App.

Why this matters 

Choosing Custom lets you quickly build and deploy organization-specific tools without waiting for Marketplace approval.

Step 2 - Configure Extension Points

After creating the application, configure where it should appear inside SitecoreAI. 

For GraphQL Park, enable: Full Screen 

Configure: 

Display Name 

GraphQL Park 

Route 

/ 

Extension Points determine where your application appears inside SitecoreAI. 

Using Full Screen provides the best experience for applications that require a complete workspace, such as GraphQL Park.

Step 3 - Add a Dashboard Widget (Optional)

If you want users to access the application directly from the dashboard, enable: Dashboard Widget 

Configure: 

Display Name 

GraphQL Park 

Route 

/

Dashboard widgets make your application discoverable without users needing to navigate through menus.

Step 4 - Configure API Access

Open API Access. 

Select: SitecoreAI APIs 

This grants the application permission to communicate with SitecoreAI services. Press enter or click to view image in full size

Without API access, your application cannot securely interact with SitecoreAI resources or retrieve contextual information.

Step 5 - Configure Permissions

Grant only the permissions your application actually needs. 

For GraphQL Park, the following permissions are enabled: 

• Copy to Clipboard
• Read from Clipboard

Following the principle of least privilege helps keep your application secure while providing only the capabilities it requires.

Step 6 - Configure the Deployment URL

Provide the public URL where your application is hosted. 

For GraphQL Park: 

https://www.graphql-park.com/

The Deployment URL is the entry point SitecoreAI uses to load your application. Make sure it is publicly accessible over HTTPS.

Step 7 - Upload Your App Logo

A recognizable application icon makes your Marketplace app easier to identify inside SitecoreAI and provides a more polished experience for users. 

Scroll to the App Logo section and upload your application logo. 

Tip: Use a square PNG with a transparent background (512×512 px or larger) for the best appearance throughout SitecoreAI. 

For GraphQL Park, I uploaded the official GraphQL Park logo.

Official GraphQL Park Logo 

You can use the official GraphQL Park logo from: 

Logo: https://www.graphql-park.com/graphql_park.png

Step 8 - Activate the Application

After completing the configuration, click: Activate

An inactive application cannot be installed or launched from SitecoreAI.

Step 9 - Install the App

Open: My Apps 

Locate GraphQL Park. 

Click: Install

Step 10 - Select Available Environments

Choose the SitecoreAI environments where the application should be available. 

For example: 

• Development
• QA
• Production

This gives administrators control over where custom applications are available, making it easy to restrict tools to specific environments.

Step 11 - Open SitecoreAI

Launch the SitecoreAI environment where GraphQL Park was installed.

Step 12 - Open the Apps Menu

Click the Apps icon in the top-right corner. 

You should now see GraphQL Park listed among the available applications. Press enter or click to view image in full size

Step 13 - Launch GraphQL Park

Click GraphQL Park. 

The application opens directly inside SitecoreAI. 

Unlike standalone GraphQL tools, no manual configuration is required. 

• GraphQL Park automatically receives:
• Current SitecoreAI organization
• Current environment
• Authentication context
• Preview GraphQL endpoint
• Authoring GraphQL endpoint 

You can start querying immediately.

Because GraphQL Park runs directly inside SitecoreAI, developers can move seamlessly between SitecoreAI and GraphQL Park without switching browser tabs, copying endpoints, or manually configuring authentication.

Why Marketplace Apps Are Powerful

Custom Marketplace Apps allow teams to bring their own tools directly into SitecoreAI. 

Some examples include: 

• GraphQL IDEs
• Content migration tools
• AI assistants
• Internal dashboards
• Productivity utilities
• Validation tools 

As the SitecoreAI ecosystem continues to evolve, Marketplace Apps provide a scalable way for developers and partners to extend the platform with specialized tools while delivering a seamless and integrated user experience.

Explore GraphQL Park

Throughout this guide, we’ve used GraphQL Park as the example Marketplace App - but it’s much more than a demo application. 

GraphQL Park is a modern GraphQL IDE built specifically for SitecoreAI developers, designed to simplify schema exploration, query development, API testing, and day-to-day GraphQL workflows.

Features

• Native SitecoreAI Marketplace integration
• Interactive Schema Explorer
• Built-in Query Cookbook
• Preview & Authoring GraphQL API support
• Multiple workspace management
• Fast query execution
• Standalone mode for any SitecoreAI environment
• Dark & Light themes

Whether you’re exploring a schema, debugging queries, or building integrations, GraphQL Park provides a faster and more productive GraphQL development experience. 

Learn More 

Website: https://www.graphql-park.com/

Read the Introduction: GraphQL Park: A Modern GraphQL IDE Built for SitecoreAI Developers

Dhruvil Gajera || Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer – SitecoreAI & XM Cloud

Dhruvil is a Sitecore professional with 4+ years of experience specializing in SitecoreAI, XM Cloud, Sitecore XP, and SXA. He builds scalable, headless, and AI-enabled digital experience platforms using .NET, Next.js, and modern DevOps practices.

With hands-on expertise in multisite architecture, component-driven development, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud deployments, Dhruvil focuses on delivering high-performance, enterprise-ready CMS solutions aligned with composable DXP strategies.