Submission Guidelines

Our submission guidelines are designed to ensure a minimum standard of quality for all items listed on BootstrapBay. Our guidelines are also intended to communicate expectations with theme authors in order to make the submission process as seamless as possible.

Although item approvals reside with the theme reviewer, following these guidelines will minimize the chances of your item being rejected.

1. General

  • 1.1Items must be built using the latest stable version of Bootstrap.
  • 1.2Items must be compliant with Bootstrap's infrastructure, CSS settings, fundamental HTML elements, and use the standard grid system.
  • 1.3Items should not implement custom components or JavaScript plugins that duplicate the functionality already included in the Bootstrap framework unless it is not possible to achieve a desired outcome using the standard components or plugins.
  • 1.4Items must maintain a high level of design quality and vary sufficiently from the default Bootstrap styling.
  • 1.5Items must be unique and vary sufficiently enough from other items listed on BootstrapBay.
  • 1.6Source code and design text must be written in English. "Lorem Ipsum" or dummy text is permitted for paragraph text.
  • 1.7All items must include proper documentation (see section 7).
  • 1.8Items must be suitable for all audiences and free from profanity, nudity and anything that may be considered offensive to others.
  • 1.9Items should be free from spelling and grammatical errors.
  • 1.10Items that aren't updated regularly or selling sufficiently may be removed from the marketplace.

2. Coding

  • 2.1Items must use index.html as the filename for the index page. Other pages must use the .html file structure.
  • 2.2Files and directories must be treated as case-sensitive.
  • 2.3Custom styles and scripts must be kept separate from the default Bootstrap assets. For example, when modifying the CSS, leave the bootstrap.min.css file intact and create an external stylesheet.
  • 2.4HTML needs to be validated via the W3C validator. However, browser prefixes and any other cutting edge code will be exempt.
  • 2.5Coding should be tabbed, properly formatted and easy to follow.
  • 2.6JavaScript shouldn't raise any errors or notices.
  • 2.7IDs and classes must be appropriately named and follow a naming convention.
  • 2.8Coding should follow Bootstrap's accessibility standards.
  • 2.9Items including custom minified assets must also include the non-minified versions as well.

3. Design

  • 3.1Logos and branding (text & images) used in the design must match the item name and description.
  • 3.2Items must display properly on popular mobile devices and desktop screen widths. Authors should test items on as many devices as possible and employ the use of software-based screen simulations if necessary. It is always best to test on the actual device when possible.
  • 3.3Items must be compatible with all major browsers including:
    • Latest FireFox
    • Latest Chrome
    • Latest Internet Explorer 9+
    • Latest Safari
    • Latest Opera
  • 3.4Image file sizes should be reasonable to allow for quick transfer while still maintaining an appropriate level of quality.
  • 3.5Images intended to span the full width of the screen must be at least 1920 pixels wide.

4. Name, Description & Screenshot

  • 4.1Item name must be different than other items listed on BootstrapBay. Use the site's search function to ensure the item name is unique.
  • 4.2Item name must use the following format: [item name] - [short description]. Examples:
    • Schloss - Responsive Admin Template
    • Dagger - Creative Musician Portfolio
  • 4.3Item description must contain a list of all features and pages included in the item.
  • 4.4Item description must contain a link and description of third-party assets used in the item.
  • 4.5Updated items must include a change log in the item description.
  • 4.6Item screenshots are resized to 640 x 325 pixels and therefore should display properly with these dimensions.
  • 4.7Item screenshots must be up to date with the latest released version of the item.

5. Live Preview

  • 5.1The live preview link must represent the final destination URL and not use any URL shorteners.
  • 5.2The live preview must be exactly the same as the item for sale with the exception of landing pages to access different variations of the item.
  • 5.3New (pending) versions of items must use a different live preview URL than the current approved item. When approved, only one URL needs to be maintained.
  • 5.4Live preview must be free of error and load quickly.
  • 5.5Live preview must not remove the BootstrapBay preview frame.
  • 5.6Live preview must not contain any advertisements, referral links, and links to other websites or pages that are not related to the live preview. You may include the following:
    • Attribution links to third-party assets and software used to build the item.
    • Your website, social media profiles and BootstrapBay profile.
  • 5.7Live preview must not contain any 'buy now' or 'more details' buttons leading back to your own site for purchase.

6. Licenses and Attribution

  • 6.1Third-party assets used to build your item must be properly licensed or free for commercial use.
  • 6.2Sufficient information regarding third-party assets must be present in your documentation. This includes the author, license info and a direct link to the asset online.

7. Documentation

  • 7.1All items must include documentation or help files to assist-end users especially when customizations are included in the item. This may include, but is not limited to, information on how to add/edit/remove specific elements, create new pages and apply styles to elements.
  • 7.2Documentation must include notes about the use of CSS pre-processors, HTML pre-processors, JavaScript pre-processors and third-party assets if applicable.
  • 7.3Documentation must include a change log for each version if applicable.

8. Support & Updates

  • 8.1Theme authors must provide basic support and ensure any errors with the theme are fixed.
  • 8.2Theme authors should regularly update their themes. Themes that are not regularly updated may be removed from the marketplace.