- Getting Started
- Canvas Tutorial
- Social Tutorials
- Examples
- Yahoo! Markup Language (YML)
- FAQ
- What parameters does YAP send to developers?
- How is authentication and authorization handled?
- What are the APIs that Apps can call on behalf of users?
- How do I get users’ location information?
- How do I get a user’s device information?
- How do I uniquely identify each Yahoo! user?
- How do I change game dimensions dynamically if a game is embedded in an iframe?
- How do I integrate with Yahoo! OAuth?
- How do I find out on which Yahoo! Property my App is running?
- Can I install Apps on Yahoo! Messenger for Mac?
- How many games sites will show my game and what is the URL format?
- Appendix A: Parameters
- Appendix B: YML Reference
What is YAP?¶
The Yahoo! Application Platform (YAP) enables developers to create applications that run within Yahoo! Web pages. These apps can access Yahoo! Web services through YQL, including Social Channels, Notifications, Messenger connections, and Contacts.
The YAP Canvas¶
Apps on Yahoo! are loaded into a Canvas. A Canvas is an iframe within Yahoo! where your App will run. You populate the Canvas by providing a Canvas URL that contains the HTML, JavaScript and CSS that make up your app. When a user requests your app, Yahoo! loads the Canvas URL within an iframe on that page. This results in your App being displayed within the Yahoo! Web page or within the Yahoo! Messenger Client.
The height and width are dynamic and can be automatically resized based on markup in the application. Recommended width is no larger than 960. To learn how to customize the , see the Dynamic Width and Height example.
Here is an example of a game app displayed in the YAP canvas:
Here is a game being played in Yahoo! Messenger:
Application Publication Process¶
Partnering with Yahoo!¶
Apps that are submitted to and approved by Yahoo!, receive a unique URL and appear under the appropriate categories in the Yahoo! Messenger Game Finder Plug-in and the Yahoo! Games galleries.
Note: Yahoo! currently only accepts game type applications for Yahoo! Games and Messenger Game Finder Plug-in.
Game developers interested in partnering with Yahoo! should send an email request to yap-integration-requests@yahoo-inc.com.
Where Can Users Find Apps?¶
Users can discover your Apps through editorial placement on Yahoo! properties, including the Yahoo! Messenger Game Finder Plug-in (Windows Only) and the Yahoo! Games galleries.
Yahoo! users will be able to find and install your Apps in the Yahoo! Games and Messenger Game Finder Plug-in galleries. Integrating with YAP is the only way to get your game onto Yahoo! Games.
Users can bookmark their favorite games on the Yahoo! Front Page left rail. Once a user starts using your app, Yahoo! creates a bookmark to enable users to easily navigate back to your App from within Yahoo!. For example:
Games in Yahoo! Messenger¶
In Yahoo! Messenger (Windows version only), games are promoted within the Messenger Insider window and in the Messenger games gallery.
Game Promotion within the Messenger Insider Window:
The Yahoo! Messenger Games gallery:
International Game Sites¶
Your game could also potentially live on any of following Yahoo! Games sites:
- Yahoo! US (English): http://games.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! UK (English): http://uk.games.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Canada (English): http://ca.games.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! 7 - Australia (English): http://au.games.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Maktoob (English): http://en-maktoob.games.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Vietnam (Vietnamese): http://vn.game.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Espania (Spanish): http://es.juegos.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Deutschland (German): http://de.spiele.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Italia (Italian) : http://it.giochi.yahoo.com/
- Yahoo! Maktoob (Arabic): http://maktoob.games.yahoo.com/
The Relative URL of a published game will remain the same for all of the above sites.
Helping Users Discover Your App¶
Helping users find your App can aid in the App’s success. Don’t assume users will seek out your app. Leverage the Yahoo! network and user Connections to attract users to your App. Design an experience that appeals to users regardless of their level of expertise and let users explore, sample, and share the App with friends. Make sure users can easily identify your App and associate it with your business.
The following guidelines can make your App easier to discover and can help increase traffic to your app.
- Provide a clear and distinguishable App name, description, and recognizable icons in all sizes.
- Publish your App using a business account rather than your personal Yahoo! account to correctly describe your app’s ownership to your users.
- Don’t use your personal Yahoo! account because your App will be attributed accordingly (Example: “by Jane Doe”).
Providing a Better Initial Experience¶
The user experience begins as soon as a user adds your app. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Make a great one, so that users will continue to run your app. Offer a “smart” initial experience to your users by adhering to the general principles:
- Ensure your App is up and running when the user adds it.
- Take advantage of defaults, and infer values from the user’s Profile information.
- Localize your App and provide content relevant to the user’s locale.
- Don’t display sensitive or private information to others. (Example: “Mark just bought 4 shares of AAPL stock at $93.14/share.)