apache · shwstppr · Nov 28, 2025
diff --git a/source/_static/images/import-extension.png b/source/_static/images/import-extension.png
diff --git a/source/adminguide/extensions.rst b/source/adminguide/extensions.rst
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ CloudStack provides built-in Orchestrator Extensions for Proxmox, Hyper-V, and M
 
 .. include:: extensions/limitations.rst
 
+.. include:: extensions/import_extensions.rst
+
 .. include:: extensions/troubleshooting.rst
 
 .. include:: extensions/developer.rst

diff --git a/source/adminguide/extensions/import_extensions.rst b/source/adminguide/extensions/import_extensions.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,302 @@
+.. Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+   or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+   distributed with this work for additional information#
+   regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+   to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+   "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+   with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+   software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+   "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+   KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+   specific language governing permissions and limitations
+   under the License.
+
+Importing Extensions using manifest files
+=========================================
+
+CloudStack provides functionality to import extensions using manifest files. This allows administrators to quickly set up and configure built-in extensions without manually creating them through the UI or API.
+Either the ``importExtension`` API call can be used by providing a manifest file link, or the UI can be used to import extensions by providing the manifest file link directly.
+CloudStack supports importing extensions from Git repositories or direct archive links. The manifest file must reference a source that provides:
+
+- A Git repository with archive download capability (e.g., GitHub), or
+- A direct URL to a downloadable archive (e.g., ``.zip``, ``.tar.gz``)
+
+The archive must contain the required entrypoint file and any other needed scripts/files at the correct paths.
+
+   |import-extension.png|
+
+
+Git Repository Layout and Required Files
+----------------------------------------
+
+For an extension to be installed by CloudStack, two files are required:
+
+1. ``manifest.yaml``
+2. An entrypoint binary or script referenced from the manifest.
+
+``manifest.yaml`` (required)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- Must be located at the root of the repository.
+- Must follow the extension schema (``apiVersion``, ``kind``, ``metadata``, ``spec``, etc.).
+- Must reference a valid entrypoint file under ``spec.entrypoint.path``.
+
+Example layout::
+
+    cloudstack-orchestrator-extension/
+     ├── manifest.yaml      # Required — must be at the root
+     └── orchestrator.py    # Required — entrypoint binary/script
+
+Entrypoint Binary or Script (required)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The entrypoint file must exist at the exact relative path specified::
+
+    entrypoint:
+      language: python
+      path: orchestrator.py
+      targetDir: /usr/share/cloudstack-management/extensions/orchestrator
+
+Resulting installation path::
+
+    /usr/share/cloudstack-management/extensions/orchestrator/orchestrator.py
+
+---
+
+Manifest Structure Overview
+---------------------------
+
+The ``manifest.yaml`` file describes how CloudStack should install, register, and run the extension.
+
+At a high level, a manifest contains::
+
+    apiVersion
+    kind
+    metadata
+    source
+    spec
+    enabled
+    customActions
+
+---
+
+Required Fields
+---------------
+
+apiVersion and kind
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- ``apiVersion``: API version for the extension manifest.
+- ``kind``: Extension type — for compute lifecycle handlers, this must be ``OrchestratorExtension``.
+
+---
+
+Metadata
+--------
+
+Provides human-readable information stored in the Registry and shown in the UI.
+
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| Field        | Required | Description                                 |
++==============+==========+=============================================+
+| name         | Yes      | Internal identifier                         |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| displayName  | Yes      | UI-visible name                             |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| description  | Yes      | Short explanation                           |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| version      | Yes      | Semantic version                            |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| maintainer   | Yes      | Contact information                         |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+| homepage     | Optional | Project URL                                 |
++--------------+----------+---------------------------------------------+
+
+Example::
+
+    metadata:
+      name: orchestrator
+      displayName: Orchestrator Extension
+      description: >
+        Example orchestrator extension for CloudStack.
+      version: 0.1.0
+      maintainer: "Your Name <your.email@example.com>"
+      homepage: "https://github.com/user/cloudstack-orchestrator-extension"
+
+---
+
+Source
+------
+
+Defines where CloudStack fetches extension files from::
+
+    source:
+      type: git
+      url: "https://github.com/user/cloudstack-orchestrator-extension"
+      refs: "main"
+
+---
+
+Spec
+----
+
+Spec Type::
+
+    spec:
+      type: Orchestrator
+
+Compatibility (required)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Defines supported CloudStack versions::
+
+    spec:
+      compatibility:
+        cloudstack:
+          minVersion: 4.23.0
+
+Entrypoint (required)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Specifies installation and execution settings::
+
+    spec:
+      entrypoint:
+        path: orchestrator.py
+        targetDir: /usr/share/cloudstack-management/extensions/orchestrator
+
+Execution path::
+
+    <targetDir>/<path>
+
+Orchestrator Options (optional)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+::
+
+    spec:
+      orchestrator:
+        requiresPrepareVm: false
+
+Details (optional)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Free-form metadata passed through without interpretation::
+
+    spec:
+      details:
+        key1: value1
+        key2: value2
+
+---
+
+Global Enabled Flag
+-------------------
+
+Controls whether the extension becomes active after installation::
+
+    enabled: true
+
+---
+
+Custom Actions
+--------------
+
+Extensions may expose UI actions.
+
+If not required::
+
+    customActions: []
+
+Example::
+
+    customActions:
+      - name: BackupInstance
+        displayName: "Backup Instance"
+        description: "Trigger a backup using the external orchestrator."
+        resourcetype: VirtualMachine
+        enabled: true
+        timeout: 600
+        allowedroletypes: [Admin, DomainAdmin, User]
+        successmessage: "Successfully completed {{actionName}} for {{resourceName}} with {{extensionName}}"
+        errormessage: "Failed to complete {{actionName}} for {{resourceName}} with {{extensionName}}"
+        details:
+          vendor: "external-backup-system"
+          retentionPolicy: "daily"
+
+---
+
+Parameters
+----------
+
+Shown to the user when executing an action.
+
+If unused::
+
+    parameters: []
+
+Example::
+
+    parameters:
+      - name: backup_type
+        type: STRING
+        required: true
+        validationformat: NONE
+        valueoptions: "full,incremental"
+
+      - name: retain_days
+        type: NUMBER
+        required: false
+        validationformat: DECIMAL
+
+Supported Parameter Types
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+- BOOLEAN
+- DATE
+- NUMBER
+- STRING
+
+Validation Formats
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
++------------+--------------------------------------+
+| Type       | Formats                              |
++============+======================================+
+| NUMBER     | ``NONE``, ``DECIMAL``                |
++------------+--------------------------------------+
+| STRING     | ``NONE``, ``EMAIL``, ``PASSWORD``,   |
+|            | ``URL``, ``UUID``                    |
++------------+--------------------------------------+
+| BOOLEAN    | No additional formats                |
++------------+--------------------------------------+
+| DATE       | No additional formats                |
++------------+--------------------------------------+
+
+---
+
+Example Parameter Block
+-----------------------
+
+::
+
+    parameters:
+      - name: backup_type
+        type: STRING
+        required: true
+        validationformat: NONE
+        valueoptions: "full,incremental"
+
+      - name: retain_days
+        type: NUMBER
+        validationformat: DECIMAL
+
+      - name: notify
+        type: BOOLEAN
+
+.. Images
+
+
+.. |import-extension.png| image:: /_static/images/import-extension.png