Learn how Alibaba Cloud Marketplace manages SaaS instances and what integration work each access method requires, so you can make the right architectural decisions before publishing.

Before publishing a Software as a Service (SaaS) product on Alibaba Cloud Marketplace, understand four foundational topics: the instantiated service model, the three access methods and their technical requirements, the SaaS instance lifecycle, and how to structure SKUs and pricing. Each topic affects how you design and implement your integration.

1. Instantiated SaaS

Marketplace manages SaaS products using an instantiated model: every purchase order creates a separate service instance, even when the same customer places multiple orders. Before publishing, confirm that your SaaS product follows this model—each new purchase order must trigger the provisioning of an independent internal service instance on your side. This is the prerequisite for Marketplace to co-manage customer instances with your system.

2. Access methods

Marketplace offers three access methods. The method you choose determines what integration work you need to complete before publishing.

Access method	How it works	Technical integration required
Compute Nest	A Platform as a Service (PaaS) layer that automatically deploys your software when a customer purchases. Marketplace handles provisioning and manages every customer touchpoint.	Configure your service on Compute Nest.
License	Marketplace generates a license when a customer purchases. The customer activates the license on your website. You verify the license via the Marketplace API to retrieve purchase details, then activate the service.	Implement the Marketplace license verification API on your website.
SPI	Marketplace sends a notification to your endpoint when an instance is purchased, renewed, expired, or released. You adjust service status based on the notification.	Build and expose a Service Provider Interface (SPI) endpoint that receives Marketplace event notifications.

For most use cases, use the SPI method. If you have complex or specialized requirements, contact your Business Development (BD) or Solution Architect (SA).

Note

Decide on your access method before you start the publishing process.

3. Instance lifecycle

All three access methods follow the same instance lifecycle. Marketplace tracks four named states for each SaaS instance—letting you focus on delivering the service rather than managing order state.

State	Trigger	What Marketplace does	What you do
Created	Customer places a new purchase order	Creates the instance record in Marketplace	Provision the service for the customer
Renewed	Customer renews an active instance	Updates the expiry date in Marketplace	Extend service access to the new expiry date
Expired	Instance reaches its expiry date	Sends an expiry notification to your endpoint	Decide whether to continue or suspend service
Released	Customer releases the instance	Sends a release notification to your endpoint	Decide whether to delete the service

4. SKU and pricing

Publish each SaaS product as a single Marketplace product. This keeps instance counts manageable for both you and Marketplace, and makes it easier for customers to understand what they are buying.

If your SaaS has multiple tiers—for example, Basic, Advanced, and Premium—represent each tier as a SKU within the same product. Add Extra Billing Items to each SKU for optional modules. A customer selects one SKU and any optional modules they want. The result is a single service instance in both Marketplace and your system.

Splitting tiers across multiple products creates one instance per product purchase. This fragments instance management and increases operational overhead for you.

For details on setting up SKUs, pricing, and Extra Billing Items, see Overview of publishing SaaS products.