Certify a game

This article describes how to submit a game for certification. During certification, your game’s packages are tested and the product configuration is validated. Before you can publish to the RETAIL (production) sandbox, the Store listings, Pricing and availability and Packages pages must be certified. If you make updates to these pages after certifying them, follow these steps to submit them for certification again.

XBOX
Microsoft Store on Windows
XBOX

Prerequisites

Enrollment as an XBOX creator. To learn more, see XBOX Creator Onboarding.
Active Partner Center account. If you don’t have an account yet, contact your XBOX team.
Approved Game Concept for your product. To learn more, see Submit game concepts.
Completed Store listings, Pricing and availability, and Packages pages.

Complete the Certification questionnaire

Before submitting the product for Certification, ensure that you complete the Certification questionnaire. The questionnaire provides information about your product to the test team.

On the **Home** page, select **Apps and games**.

On the Home page, select Apps and games.

On the **Apps and games | Overview** page, select your game.

On the Apps and games | Overview page, select your game. Or, enter your game’s name in the search bar and then select your game.

Select **Certification** from the left navigation pane.

Select Certification from the left navigation pane.

Answer the questions in the multiple-choice questionnaire and provide accurat...

Answer the questions in the multiple-choice questionnaire and provide accurate information about your game.

Select **Save** to save your answers.

Select Save to save your answers.

If necessary, select **Files** from the left navigation pane and upload any s...

If necessary, select Files from the left navigation pane and upload any supporting files that the test team might need.

Certify Packages

The XBOX Certification team tests packages to verify compliance with the Policies and XBOX Requirements (XRs). For information about the XBOX certification process, see Certification step-by-step guide.

On the **Home** page, select **Apps and games**.

On the Home page, select Apps and games.

On the **Apps and games | Overview** page, select your game.

On the Apps and games | Overview page, select your game. Or, enter your game’s name in the search bar and then select your game.

Select **Packages** from the left navigation pane.

Select Packages from the left navigation pane.

Select the **Main** branch, or the branch where your packages requiring certi...

Select the Main branch, or the branch where your packages requiring certification are uploaded.

Confirm that the Submission Validator xml log file is uploaded with your pack...

Confirm that the Submission Validator xml log file is uploaded with your package. If the log file contains any errors or warnings, verify that these issues are expected and if necessary, have an approved exception. If you think you require an exception, speak to your XBOX contacts.

Select **Certify** near the top of the page.

Select Certify near the top of the page.

On the **Certify** page, the **Packages**, **Age Ratings**, and **Properties*...

On the Certify page, the Packages, Age Ratings, and Properties modules are included automatically.

Select a source sandbox for the XBOX services for your product.

Select a source sandbox for the XBOX services for your product. You should select the source that has the correct configuration that is intended to be tested with your package.

If you're submitting for Optional Certification, select **Optional certificat...

If you’re submitting for Optional Certification, select Optional certification (feedback only). If you’re submitting for Final Certification, leave this box unchecked.

If you're submitting for Final Certification and the package is intended for ...

If you’re submitting for Final Certification and the package is intended for distribution on physical discs, select Intended for discs.

Enter any notes for certification into the text box.

Select **Submit to Certification**.

Select Submit to Certification.

The XBOX Certification team receives your package for review.

The XBOX Certification team receives your package for review. The amount of time it takes to test the package varies depending on the type of submission and the platform being tested. For more information, see Submit for Certification.

After testing is complete, you get certification results in the form of a Certification Report. You can view this report from the Game overview page, which can be selected from the left navigation pane. If you pass Certification, you see a green banner indicating this result in the branch of the Packages page that you submitted for Certification.

Certify Store listings

The Store Certification and XBOX Artwork Certification teams reviewed your Store listings.

On the **Home** page, select **Apps and games**.

On the Home page, select Apps and games.

On the **Apps and games | Overview** page, select your game.

On the Apps and games | Overview page, select your game. Or, enter your game’s name in the search bar and then select your game.

Select **Store listings** from the left navigation pane.

Select Store listings from the left navigation pane.

Select the **Main** branch, or the branch where the Store listings requiring ...

Select the Main branch, or the branch where the Store listings requiring certification are prepared.

Select **Certify** near the top of the page.

Select Certify near the top of the page.

On the **Certify** page, the **Store listings**, **Age Ratings**, and **Prope...

On the Certify page, the Store listings, Age Ratings, and Properties modules are included automatically.

Enter any notes for certification into the text box.

Select **Submit to Certification**.

Select Submit to Certification.

The certification teams receive your Store listings for review.

The certification teams receive your Store listings for review. It generally takes around one business day to review your Store listings.

After testing is complete, you get certification results in the form of a Certification Report. You can view this report from the Store listings page. If you pass certification, you see a green banner indicating this result in the branch of the Store listings page that you submitted for certification.

Certify Pricing and availability

The XBOX Store team reviews your pricing.

On the **Home** page, select **Apps and games**.

On the Home page, select Apps and games.

On the **Apps and games | Overview** page, select your game.

On the Apps and games | Overview page, select your game. Or, enter your game’s name in the search bar and then select your game.

Select **Pricing and availability** from the left navigation pane.

Select Pricing and availability from the left navigation pane.

Select the **Main** branch, or the branch where the pricing requiring certifi...

Select the Main branch, or the branch where the pricing requiring certification is prepared.

Select **Certify** near the top of the page.

Select Certify near the top of the page.

On the **Certify** page, enter any notes for certification into the text box.

On the Certify page, enter any notes for certification into the text box.

Select **Submit to Certification**.

Select Submit to Certification.

The certification team receives your pricing for review.

The certification team receives your pricing for review. It generally takes around five business days to review your pricing.

After testing is complete, you’ll get certification results in the form of a Certification Report. You can view this report from the Pricing and availability page. If you pass certification, you see a green banner indicating this result in the branch of the Pricing and availability page that you submitted for certification.

XBOX publishing overviews

Partner Center features

XStore commerce

Game setup tutorials

XBOX Certification

XBOX Certification submissions

XBOX resources and terminology

Partner Center how-to guides

Microsoft Store Policies and Code of Conduct

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Submit your game for certification

Complete the Certification questionnaire

Certify Packages

Certify Store listings

Certify Pricing and availability

Next steps

Publish a game to RETAIL

​Prerequisites

​Prerequisites

​Submit your game for certification

​Complete the Certification questionnaire

​Certify Packages

​Certify Store listings

​Certify Pricing and availability

​Next steps

Publish a game to RETAIL

Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Submit your game for certification

Complete the Certification questionnaire

Certify Packages

Certify Store listings

Certify Pricing and availability

Next steps