manifest.json reference

Every extension must include a manifest.json file in the repository root. The manifest is how Bulwark knows what the extension is, what capabilities it needs, and where its entry point lives.

Example

{
  "name": "my-extension",
  "displayName": "My Extension",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "plugin",
  "pluginType": "sidebar-app",
  "description": "A short description.",
  "author": "githubUsername",
  "license": "MIT",
  "permissions": ["email:read"],
  "tags": ["productivity"],
  "minAppVersion": "1.0.0",
  "entryPoint": "index.js",
  "icon": "icon.png"
}

Required fields

Field	Description
name	Unique slug - lowercase, numbers, and dashes only. Used in URLs and install paths.
displayName	Human-readable name shown in the directory and admin UI.
version	Semantic version (for example 1.0.0). Must match a git tag in the source repo.
type	Either plugin or theme.
description	Short summary of what the extension does. Max 200 characters.
license	SPDX identifier of an OSI-approved license (for example MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL-3.0-or-later).
permissions	Array of permission strings the extension needs. Requesting more than necessary will be rejected.

Plugin-only fields

Field	Description
pluginType	One of hook, ui-extension, or sidebar-app.
entryPoint	Relative path to the JavaScript entry module (for example index.js).
minAppVersion	Minimum Bulwark version the plugin supports. Used for compatibility checks.

Theme-only fields

Field	Description
entryPoint	Relative path to the theme stylesheet (typically theme.css).

Optional metadata

Field	Description
author	GitHub username of the author. Defaults to the submitter.
tags	Array of category tags. Allowed: productivity, security, automation, appearance, integration, communication, developer-tools, accessibility.
icon	Relative path to a square icon (128×128 PNG or SVG).
screenshots	Array of relative paths to screenshot images.
homepage	URL to the extension's website or documentation.
frameOrigins	Array of strict https://host origins the plugin needs to embed (merged into the host CSP frame-src only while the plugin is enabled).
httpOrigins	Array of https://host origins the plugin is allowed to call through the sandboxed HTTP proxy (requires the http:fetch permission).

Source assets When the directory ingests a submission, it pulls icon, banner, and screenshots straight from the source repo at the tag you submitted. There's no separate upload flow - keep these files inside your repository alongside manifest.json.

Permissions

Bulwark uses a declarative permission model. Each permission string takes the form resource:action. The directory shows these on the extension's listing so users can audit what an extension can do before installing.

Category	Permissions
Email	email:read, email:write, email:send
Calendar	calendar:read, calendar:write
Contacts	contacts:read, contacts:write
Files	files:read, files:write
Identity	identity:read, identity:write
Filters	filters:read, filters:write
Tasks	tasks:read, tasks:write
Templates	templates:read, templates:write
S/MIME	smime:read
Vacation	vacation:read, vacation:write
Settings	settings:read, settings:write
Security	security:read
UI	ui:toolbar, ui:app-top-banner, ui:email-banner, ui:email-footer, ui:email-details, ui:composer-toolbar, ui:composer-sidebar, ui:sidebar-widget, ui:settings-section, ui:context-menu, ui:navigation-rail, ui:calendar-action, ui:admin-page, ui:keyboard, ui:download-file, ui:message-list-tabs
Auth	auth:observe
Admin	admin:config
HTTP	http:fetch, http:post (paired with the httpOrigins manifest field to declare the allowlist)

ui:observe and app:lifecycle are granted to every plugin automatically. Listing them does nothing.

Privileged permissions

crypto:full, email:raw-send, email:blob-read, email:blob-write, and email:render-takeover require "tier": "privileged", a signed bundle, and an explicit high-risk consent step from the admin installing it. They exist for plugins that perform their own message cryptography. Requesting one without that justification will fail review.

Validation

When you submit, the directory checks that:

1. The manifest is valid JSON with all required fields.
2. name is a valid slug and not already taken.
3. version matches an existing git tag on the referenced repository.
4. license is an OSI-approved SPDX identifier and a LICENSE file is present.
5. permissions contains only known permission strings.

If any of these fail, the submission is rejected with a machine-readable error.