Developers building on Atlassian’s platform can now enhance their Connect apps with Forge-powered features through a simplified, incremental process. This integration removes the previous need for parallel Forge companion apps, offering a smoother experience for both builders and customers.
- Forge modules can be added incrementally to existing Connect apps with new CLI tool.
- Connect apps maintain current functionality during transition, easing adoption.
- Certain apps, like Bitbucket Connect, are temporarily ineligible for Forge integration.
What happened
Atlassian has introduced tooling that allows developers to integrate Forge modules directly into their existing Connect apps. This new approach eliminates the previous need to create separate Forge companion apps alongside Connect apps, significantly reducing developer workload and simplifying the user experience. The process involves creating a Forge manifest, registering, deploying, and installing Forge modules incrementally without disrupting the existing Connect app.
A command-line interface tool automates the conversion from Connect app descriptors to Forge manifests, allowing developers to add new Forge modules within an hour. To date, over 100 Connect apps from Atlassian's pilot program have begun adopting these features. The existing Connect versions remain unchanged and accessible on the Marketplace during the transition, with Forge-enabled versions gradually replacing them through upgrades or fresh installs.
Why it matters
This development is significant because it enables Connect app developers to easily take advantage of Forge’s expanding capabilities without needing to rewrite their entire app or confuse customers with multiple versions. It streamlines incremental innovation, allowing teams to test and add features gradually while preserving existing customer experiences and app listings.
For Atlassian’s developer ecosystem, this approach supports a smoother evolution to Forge technology and helps unify app development under one platform. It reduces barriers to adoption so developers can focus on leveraging new extension points such as custom fields and UI modifications natively supported by Forge, ultimately enriching the Atlassian Marketplace with more powerful, integrated apps.
What to watch next
While most Connect apps are eligible to incorporate Forge features, some limitations remain. For example, Bitbucket Connect apps and apps using specific features currently cannot adopt Forge modules. Developers should monitor Atlassian’s documentation and issue trackers for updates as blockers are resolved and compatibility expands.
Atlassian plans to engage the developer community with ongoing support, events, and demos to facilitate the onboarding process. Developers are encouraged to experiment incrementally, providing feedback to help refine tooling and workflows. Watching for announcements on new Forge capabilities and integration improvements will be critical to fully leveraging this evolving app development environment.