How to use unlisted add-ons

I’m trying to produce test versions of add-ons that are signed so that I can test them in my day-to-day browser. So I produce a variant with a distinct ID and try to get them signed by AMO.

I’ve managed to get an add-on signed twice this way. But the AMO site retains the add-on. The second time I try to sign it I get a complaint that the version is the same. It seems bizarre that I’m required to keep bumping the version number each time I want it signed.

When I look at my list of add-ons at AMO the unlisted one appears in my list of submissions. There is nothing to indicate that it is supposed to be unlisted.

It seems that I should just delete the unlisted add-on each time I get it signed.

Is there a better way to do all of this?

(BTW If this has already been explained somewhere in this forum I wouldn’t have found it since your infinite scrolling is unbrowsable).

You should use the about:debugging to debugging a temporary add-on, the unlisted add-ons is usually used for the users to testing/use, so it must have a definite version.

Sure it has a version but why is AMO retaining a copy?
And if it is going to retain a copy it would be nice if it was clear in the list that it is
unlisted. I’ll give it a temporary name with “-unlisted” at the end.

I’m not sure what you mean. AMO keep the signed file of course, it itself is a release rather than a signature platform, as well as it wants to keep the original file to help discern malware and add it to add-ons blacklist.
There are no significant differences in the UI for the listed / unlisted.