A Practical Security Checklist for Atlassian Marketplace Apps

When teams evaluate Atlassian Marketplace apps, most conversations start with features.

In reality, adoption often depends on a different question:

How and where does this app handle our data?

If you're a Jira admin, Confluence admin, or part of an IT/security team, this guide gives you a practical way to evaluate app architecture before rollout.

🏗️ Why architecture should be reviewed first

A powerful app is still a bad fit if it creates friction with security review, procurement, or compliance requirements.

Architecture decisions directly affect:

• how quickly your app gets approved
• how easily your team can justify risk posture
• how confidently stakeholders can scale usage

That's why it helps to assess hosting model first, then compare feature depth.

⚖️ Forge-native vs externally hosted (in plain language)

Forge-native apps

Forge-native apps run on Atlassian's platform and use Atlassian-managed infrastructure patterns.

For many teams, that means security review conversations are often simpler because the model aligns closely with existing Atlassian trust expectations.

Externally hosted apps

Externally hosted apps may process data outside Atlassian-managed infrastructure.

This can still be valid depending on your policy — but usually requires deeper review around data flow, storage location, access controls, incident handling, and vendor operations.

✅ 10-point security checklist for Marketplace app evaluation

Use this as a quick internal review template:

1. Data location: Where is data processed and stored?
2. Data flow clarity: Is there a clear diagram or explanation of what leaves Atlassian?
3. Access model: Who can access stored data (vendor staff, support, automation)?
4. Authentication controls: How are API keys/tokens handled and rotated?
5. Encryption: Is data encrypted in transit and at rest?
6. Residency/compliance fit: Does the architecture align with your data residency and policy needs?
7. Retention & deletion: Are retention and deletion mechanisms explicit?
8. Auditability: Can you trace key actions/events for investigation?
9. Incident response: Is there a documented process and communication path?
10. Operational maturity: Are support SLAs and escalation paths clear?

🚀 A practical rollout model for IT and admins

A simple rollout sequence keeps teams moving without skipping diligence:

1. Shortlist by architecture fit (not by features alone)
2. Run the 10-point checklist
3. Pilot with one team/project
4. Collect operational feedback (performance, support responsiveness, admin friction)
5. Scale with a documented approval path

This approach helps avoid expensive rework after procurement or security feedback.

💡 Final takeaway

The best Marketplace app isn't just feature-rich — it's the one your organization can adopt with confidence.

When architecture is aligned from day one, teams spend less time in approval loops and more time creating value inside Jira and Confluence.

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If your team is reviewing Atlassian apps this quarter, start with one question:

Where does our data live, and what is the operational risk model?

That single question often saves weeks of back-and-forth later.

🔗 Our Forge-native apps

All Yamuno apps run on Atlassian Forge — no external servers, no data leaving Atlassian infrastructure.

👉 Markdown Exporter & Importer for Confluence

👉 Markdown Renderer for Confluence

👉 LaTeX Math for Confluence

👉 Advanced Attachment Manager for Confluence

👉 Charts, Reports and Graphs for Jira Dashboard

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Have questions about our security model or app architecture? Reach out via our support portal — we're happy to answer any review questions your team has.