How to Deploy Creative Cloud Extensions to Multiple Users

Are you tasked with deploying Creative Cloud software packages for users? Or are you a developer trying to get your Creative Cloud extensions easily deployed to multiple users for a customer? If so, this blog post is for you!

We spoke to a lot of developers and IT admins about the challenges of deploying apps and extensions to multiple users and it was clearly a pain point. Adobe has been working hard to address these challenges for Creative Cloud for teams and Creative Cloud for enterprise users. We wanted to make it as simple as possible to package and deploy not just the Creative Cloud apps but any associated extensions.

Starting with the October 2017 release of the CC desktop apps (often referred to as ‘CC 2018’), IT and Deployment Admins can create packages that include a folder of extensions. Alternatively, they can create a package of extensions and deploy the package to the users who need them.

Update 11/12/2018: Distributing Adobe XD plugins

XD Plugins (xdx files) are now supported in addition to zxp files, enabling you to easily deploy XD plugins in addition to the capabilities you had before. You can now deploy XD plugins as well as the extensions for other flagship applications easily with this update and ensure users of CC 2019 have everything they need to power through their essential creative workflows. — Erin Finnegan

What are my options for deployment?

There are three ways for Creative Cloud for teams and enterprise users to get CC desktop apps and extensions:

1. Managed Deployment

Managed deployment controls your users’ app installs and updates. It allows for customization of the applications.

Managed deployments can include apps and extensions you want to distribute, or just extensions. For example, you could distribute an extension to users where you have licensed an extension for a group of users or the whole company. It’s also great for deploying a new version of an extension.

Managed deployment is best for:

• Controlling what apps and versions the users get.
• A team of users working with stakeholders who are on a particular version of the software.
• If your users want to stay on a certain version of an app (or extension) for the duration of a project.

2. Self Service

Self service allows users without admin privileges to self-install and manage their applications using the CC Desktop app. This significantly reduces the overhead for IT since users manage their CC apps.

Users can acquire and install extensions from Adobe Exchange without admin rights. Extensions that aren’t listed on the Adobe Exchange need to be installed using the developers’ installer or using a ZXP install utility.

Self service is best for:

• Self-sufficient users who want the latest apps and updates immediately.
• IT admins who don’t want to deal with regular app updates for the whole organization.

3. Mix of Managed Deployment and Self Service

Why not have the best of both worlds? You could create a package that is part of an image for new computers. Or you could deploy a package to all your Creative Cloud users with key apps and extensions. This is especially useful if you have key third-party extensions or private company-created extensions for internal use.

Users could then manage CC app installs and updates using the CC Desktop app, removing work for the IT Admin, but with the flexibility to deploy apps or extensions whenever they need to.

What you’ll need

When you’re ready to deploy extensions to your users, here’s what you’ll need:

1. Creative Cloud for teams or Creative Cloud for enterprise with named user deployment (not serialized).
2. One or more ZXP files (learn about packaging extensions as ZXPs in this article) created by you or received directly from the developer. (Do not use ZXP files from Adobe Exchange, as they are encrypted for individual use and will not work for a managed deployment.)
3. Access to the Adobe Admin Console, where you will create and download a PKG or MSI file.
4. Include the ZXP files in the relevant package you just created and downloaded in step #4. (Instructions for including your ZXPs here.)
5. A deployment tool to distribute packages such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager for Windows, or Apple Remote Desktop for Mac. (New to packaging CC apps? We have a great Packaging User Guide.)

Deploying to multiple users is better than ever!

With managed and self-service deployment, developers and IT admins now have a way to get their extensions to multiple users within an organization at the same time as the CC apps. These managed deployments can also be used to deploy extensions on their own.

To get started creating a package, an IT admin just needs to allocate who gets access to which CC apps and then they can begin the process of creating a package via the Adobe Admin Console, or allow users to install things themselves with the CC Desktop app.

With these changes, getting CC apps and extensions to multiple users is easier and faster than ever before.

Are you an IT admin or an extension developer? Did you know about Adobe’s new deployment options? What else would you like to know? Let us know in the comments.

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