App Capabilities and Limitations
The Flowlu Marketplace lets developers extend the platform's functionality while enforcing clear boundaries that keep the system stable and secure. This section covers what Marketplace apps can do and which actions are restricted.
Extending the user interface
Apps can add their own UI elements at supported integration points: buttons, tabs, widgets, and custom pages.
Apps cannot modify or override existing interface elements or core platform behavior outside those integration points. An app can't remove standard menu items or interfere with other modules. It can only add its own components in allowed locations.
Access to data and actions
Apps can use Flowlu's public APIs to read or modify data, such as creating records or retrieving lists, but only within the permissions declared in the manifest.
An administrator approves every requested permission during installation, and any API request outside the approved scope is blocked automatically. This enforces the principle of least privilege: if an app wasn't granted access to CRM contacts, for example, the platform rejects any request it makes for that data.
For the full list of endpoints and permission scopes, see the Flowlu API documentation.
Isolation and security
Apps run in an isolated, sandboxed environment. An embedded frontend app is loaded in isolation that prevents direct access to Flowlu's internal code or data, and communicates with the platform only through controlled mechanisms such as SDK calls.
Direct execution of unsigned scripts in the context of a Flowlu page is prohibited – the platform will sanitize app content if necessary, removing dangerous elements (scripts, styles outside of allowed areas, etc.). These measures prevent XSS attacks and data leaks.
Interaction with external services
Apps can communicate with external services, such as their own backend or webhook endpoints, over secure HTTPS connections. Flowlu applies timeouts and logging to these calls, so a failure in an external service doesn't affect the platform.
Apps cannot connect directly to Flowlu's internal services or bypass the public API. Every integration has to use the interfaces described in the documentation.
Data storage and secrets
Apps can store configuration data through the mechanisms Flowlu provides. Sensitive data such as API keys and tokens is stored encrypted: not even a portal administrator can view it, only update it when needed.
Apps must not store secrets in plain text. Any app-specific data that Flowlu doesn't manage should be stored on the developer's own infrastructure or in dedicated storage if provided by the SDK.
Performance limits and quotas
Flowlu enforces usage limits to protect the platform from excessive load. These can apply to API request rates, storage, the number of objects created, and other resources. Even when an app has been granted API access, requests that come too frequently are throttled or temporarily blocked at the platform level.
External apps, being less trusted, are limited more strictly than internal ones, but every app has a resource ceiling. Design your app to stay within it: cache where you can, and request only what you need.
Installation and access control
Only Portal Administrators can install or remove apps. Regular users can't add apps on their own, which prevents unauthorized changes to a portal's functionality. After installation, the administrator decides which users or roles can see and use the app.
An app cannot change its own permissions, visibility, or access rules. Those are controlled entirely by the portal's settings.
Billing and payments
At the start of the Marketplace, apps are free or handle their own payment outside the platform. Flowlu may add support for paid apps and in-app purchases later. Either way, an app must not interfere with Flowlu's own billing or payment system. If an app has a subscription or paid model, it states that in its description.
These boundaries let apps extend Flowlu without compromising the platform's stability, security, or manageability. Following the SDK guides and platform policies is what gets an app through moderation and working correctly for users.
Every public app, and every new version, is reviewed before it reaches the catalog. See Private and Public Apps for what does and doesn't require re-moderation.
