Guidelines for Including External Sources in Your Product on PieceX

PieceX is committed to providing a secure and reliable platform for buyers and sellers of source code and digital products. If your product contains references to external sources, it's essential to follow specific guidelines to ensure the integrity, security, and transparency of your offering. This knowledge base article outlines best practices for including external sources in your product on PieceX.

What Are External Sources?

External sources, in the context of digital products and source code, refer to any components, resources, or dependencies that are not directly included within the primary product but are necessary for its proper functioning. These can include:

• Libraries and Frameworks: Code or software libraries and frameworks that your product relies on to perform specific functions.
• APIs (Application Programming Interfaces): Interfaces that allow your product to interact with external services or systems.
• Data Sources: External data repositories or databases that your product accesses for information.
• Assets: Images, videos, or other media files hosted externally and used by your product.
• Scripts: Code snippets or scripts from external sources that enhance or extend your product's functionality.
• Plugins: External plugins or extensions that integrate with your product.

Conditions for Including External Sources

Before integrating external sources into your product, please verify the following conditions:

• Include When Possible: Whenever feasible, include the external source inside the compressed folder (.zip) of your product. Only link to external sources if it is absolutely necessary for the functionality of your product.

• Validation: Any external source added to the product must be thoroughly validated to ensure that the input/output is as expected and doesn't compromise the product's functionality or security.

• Regular Updates: Continuously verify the external source included in your product. Update your product periodically and remove or replace the external source when it is no longer relevant or no longer aligns with the original objective.

• Permission and Credits: Only include external sources if you are confident that the owner would not object to it or if it comes from an open-source license. Always include credits to the original author and obtain permission if possible.

• User Documentation: Users should easily identify which external sources are linked to your product. Include a clear reference to these external sources in your product's user documentation.

• Avoid Commercial or Offensive Sources: Do not link to external sources that are primarily commercial (e.g., containing advertisements), offensive, or contain misleading information.

• Security Measures: Ensure that external sources are secure and do not compromise the security of the product or introduce threats or vulnerabilities. Communication with external sources must be encrypted, and necessary security measures should be in place.

• Credentials and Keys: If the external source requires the use of credentials or keys, include them inside the product or provide detailed instructions on how to obtain the credentials securely.

• No Data Collection: External sources should only be included as input. Do not add any mechanism to collect or store user data through external sources.

Conclusion

By following these guidelines, you can enhance the quality and security of your product on PieceX while ensuring transparency and compliance with best practices. Properly managing external sources in your product contributes to a positive experience for both sellers and buyers and helps maintain the integrity of our platform.