Separate the control plane from each channel
A registry stores standardized metadata. A marketplace may add search, ratings, installation, or hosting. A repository proves code and release history. A distribution platform should coordinate evidence across those surfaces without pretending to own them.
The core record is a canonical fact ledger: product name, URL, jobs, live interfaces, repository, packages, and verification evidence. Channel drafts should be derived from that ledger and shown to the owner before publication.
Prioritize observed opportunities
A long checklist treats every directory as equally important. An observed-source workflow first runs target prompts, groups the sources providers consult, checks whether the product is present, and recommends the shortest truthful action.
If a listing exists but generic queries do not return it, improve supported metadata or verify directory search?not resubmit it. If it does not exist, give the owner a bounded submission prompt and exact verification target.
Close the loop with evidence
After an approved change, rerun the same controls and retain the result. Show which provider searched, which query surfaced the source, whether the product was included, and whether the answer mentioned or recommended it.
Technical readiness, directory publication, retrieval, recommendation, and invocation are adjacent but non-interchangeable outcomes. A platform should preserve those boundaries.