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Flathub submitters must disclose AI-generated code, documentation, packaging, or other material they know or reasonably believe is included in an application or its Flathub packaging. The disclosure must identify the affected parts and give the material’s approximate extent. That requirement is separate from Flathub’s ban on AI-generated or AI-assisted content in Flathub manifests: disclosing manifest content does not make it permissible.

What the disclosure rule covers

Flathub’s requirements apply when AI-generated material is included in either the application or its Flathub packaging. The rule covers code, documentation, packaging, and other material. It applies when a submitter knows or reasonably believes the material is included; it is not limited to material the submitter personally generated.

Maintainers should therefore consider the complete submission, not just the application’s source code. For example, if generated documentation is included in the app, or generated packaging material is part of the Flathub submission, those affected parts fall within the disclosure rule. The practical question is not simply whether someone used an AI tool during development. It is whether generated material is included in the application or its Flathub packaging, and, if so, what material and how much.

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This scope also matters when a maintainer did not create every submitted component. The policy uses the standard “know or reasonably believe,” so do not limit the review to content you personally generated or directly edited. If you have reason to believe AI-generated material is included, account for it when preparing the submission. The policy does not define a separate test or checklist for establishing what a maintainer reasonably believes; the prudent approach is to review the material being submitted and make the disclosure as accurately as you can.

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What to include in a disclosure

Flathub asks submitters to identify the affected parts and state the approximate extent of the AI-generated material. A useful disclosure is specific enough for reviewers to understand what was generated and where it appears.

  • Name the affected component or file, where practical.
  • Describe the material type, such as code, documentation, packaging, or another kind of content.
  • Give an approximate account of how much of that material is AI-generated.

For example, a disclosure could distinguish a generated help document from a generated portion of an application component, rather than describing the entire project as “AI-assisted.” If generated material appears in more than one place, identify the affected parts separately enough that reviewers can tell what the disclosure covers. These are practical ways to meet the policy’s requirements, not a Flathub-prescribed wording or template.

The policy does not prescribe a percentage scale, a required form, or a fixed disclosure template. Do not present a particular percentage format or metadata field as mandatory. Approximate extent is required, but the reviewed guidance gives no numeric threshold or official scale for expressing it. A clear qualitative estimate may be more honest than false precision when there is no defensible percentage. Put the information in the active submission or review process, and follow any current instructions there.

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A disclosure should not blur the distinction between the kind of AI use and the result included. “AI helped with research” describes a process; “AI-generated text is included in the user guide” identifies included material. Where output was incorporated, describe the included material, its location, type, and approximate extent. Avoid implying that a broad label alone tells reviewers which part of the application or packaging they need to assess.

Manifest content is a separate prohibition

Flathub states that “Flathub manifests must not contain AI-generated or AI-assisted content.” This is not merely a disclosure requirement. AI-generated or AI-assisted material in a manifest is prohibited, and reporting it does not create an exception.

That distinction matters because a manifest is part of Flathub packaging. Before submitting, review manifest content separately from other generated material in the app or packaging. If a manifest contains content produced or assisted by AI, disclosure alone does not bring it into compliance. The prohibition covers both generated and AI-assisted content; it is not limited to text or code produced entirely by an AI tool.

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For the question “Can I use AI to write a Flatpak manifest?”, the policy answer is no: Flathub manifests must not contain AI-generated or AI-assisted content. That remains true even if the submitter labels the material, describes its extent, or believes the manifest content is otherwise routine. Do not treat the disclosure rule for other included content as permission to include AI-assisted manifest content.

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Keep this check distinct from the broader inventory of generated content. An application may contain other AI-generated material that must be disclosed, while the manifest remains subject to its own prohibition. Conversely, a manifest issue is not cured by listing it as one of the disclosed components. The policy requires compliance with both rules, not a choice between disclosure and exclusion.

When AI use does not require disclosure

Using AI for research, discussion, or debugging does not itself require disclosure when no AI-generated material is included in the application or its Flathub packaging. The deciding issue is whether generated material is actually included, rather than whether an AI tool was used at some point in development.

For instance, asking an AI tool to help investigate a bug is different from including AI-generated code in the submitted application. If generated output is incorporated into the app or its packaging, assess it under the disclosure rule; if no generated material is included, the stated exception applies. The exception is specifically conditional: research, discussion, or debugging alone is not a reason to omit a disclosure if generated output from that work is included in the submission.

Consider two contrasting cases. A maintainer can use an AI tool to discuss possible causes of an error, then independently diagnose and fix the issue without including generated material; that kind of use falls within the stated exception. If, instead, AI-generated code is incorporated into the application, the incorporated code is material to assess and disclose. Likewise, using AI to discuss how to organize documentation is different from including AI-generated documentation in the app.

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These examples are about the content that ends up included, not a general approval of any particular development workflow. If it is unclear whether output was incorporated, review the submitted files and packaging rather than assuming that a task described as “debugging” is automatically exempt. The policy’s exception depends on no generated material being included.

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Reviewers decide whether other disclosed material is acceptable

Disclosure does not guarantee acceptance. Flathub reviewers retain discretion over other AI-generated material and may reject a submission based on the extent or role of that material, or concerns about review, quality, or maintainability. Flathub’s submission guide also warns that submissions with excessive AI-generated content may be closed without review.

Make the disclosure clear, but do not treat transparency as approval. The relevant policy does not establish an automatic acceptance threshold for disclosed material. Nor does the fact that a small or limited amount is disclosed guarantee that it will be accepted: reviewers retain discretion to consider the material’s extent and role, as well as review, quality, and maintainability concerns.

This means that disclosure is part of a complete submission, not a substitute for the standards reviewers apply. It gives reviewers information about what is included; it does not shift their decision to the submitter or guarantee that the material can be reviewed or maintained satisfactorily. The submission guide’s warning about excessive AI-generated content is a reason to think carefully about the amount and role of generated material before submitting, rather than relying on disclosure to make any level acceptable.

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The reviewed guidance does not quantify “excessive” or define an acceptance formula. Do not invent a maximum percentage, imply that a certain amount will pass, or advise readers to target a particular threshold. Describe the material honestly and be prepared for reviewers to assess it in context.

Rules for maintainers and AI agents

The policy is relevant beyond the person who opened an initial submission. Flathub’s maintenance documentation defines a maintainer as anyone responsible for maintaining an application, extension, runtime, or baseapp published on Flathub, and says maintainers must comply with relevant Flathub policies.

In other words, this is not only an initial-app-submission concern. If you are responsible for maintaining one of these published projects, the relevant policies remain applicable to your maintenance work. The disclosure question can arise whenever the application or its Flathub packaging includes covered material, and the separate manifest restriction and workflow rules also need to be respected.

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Flathub also restricts AI agents’ involvement in the submission and review workflow. Do not use AI tools or agents to:

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  • Open or automate a Flathub submission pull request.
  • Generate its commit message or description.
  • Produce review comments or replies.
  • Conduct an AI-agent review at the submitter’s request.

These workflow restrictions are distinct from the disclosure rule for generated material in an application or its packaging. Follow both sets of requirements. A disclosure about AI-generated content does not authorize an agent to perform one of the prohibited workflow actions, and avoiding those actions does not remove the duty to disclose included generated material.

Keep the categories separate when planning work: first consider what material is included in the app or its packaging; then check whether the manifest contains prohibited AI-generated or AI-assisted content; and separately ensure that AI tools or agents are not used for the specified submission and review actions. These are related policy issues, but satisfying one does not satisfy the others.

Disclosure does not settle licensing

AI disclosure and licensing compliance address different questions. Flathub separately requires hosted content to permit legal redistribution, requires licenses to be correctly specified in the app’s MetaInfo file, and requires module license files to be installed in the specified location. A disclosure does not establish that generated content can legally be redistributed or that the app’s license information is correct.

Review the applicable licensing requirements independently. Flathub’s MetaInfo documentation explains that software stores including Flathub, GNOME Software, KDE Discover, and the Flatpak CLI consume combined AppStream metadata. The reviewed guidance does not name a specific metadata field or location for an AI disclosure, so do not assume MetaInfo is the required place to put it.

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There are therefore two different checks, even when the same files are involved. The AI policy asks whether covered generated material is included, whether it is disclosed, and whether a manifest prohibition applies. The licensing requirements ask whether hosted content can legally be redistributed and whether licensing information and required module license files are handled correctly. Passing one check does not answer the other.

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A practical pre-submission check

  1. Inspect what is being submitted. Consider the application and its Flathub packaging, including documentation and other included material.
  2. Separate AI use from AI-generated content. Research, discussion, or debugging alone falls within the stated exception only if no generated material is included in the app or packaging.
  3. Check the manifest independently. Confirm it contains no AI-generated or AI-assisted content; disclosure cannot override this prohibition.
  4. Prepare a specific disclosure for other included generated material. Identify affected parts, material type, and approximate extent.
  5. Use the active submission or review process. The reviewed guidance does not specify a required field or template; follow current Flathub instructions rather than inventing one.
  6. Keep licensing and workflow rules in view. Verify redistribution and license requirements separately, and do not delegate prohibited submission or review actions to AI agents.

A quick scenario-based pass can help catch missed categories. Ask whether any generated code, documentation, packaging, or other material is part of the app or Flathub packaging. If yes, identify where it appears and estimate its extent. Ask separately whether any manifest content was AI-generated or AI-assisted; if yes, disclosure is not a remedy for that prohibition. If AI was used only to research, discuss, or debug and no generated material is included, the stated exception applies. Finally, check that the disclosure is in the active process Flathub directs you to use, without assuming a particular field or file.

Because Flathub can update its requirements, consult the live policy and submission guidance when preparing a submission. In particular, check the current instructions for where to communicate a disclosure; the reviewed guidance establishes the content it must cover but does not prescribe a dedicated metadata field or disclosure template.

Frequently Asked Questions

What AI-generated content do I need to disclose on Flathub?

Disclose AI-generated code, documentation, packaging, or other material you know or reasonably believe is included in the application or its Flathub packaging. Identify the affected parts and state the approximate extent. The policy does not specify a percentage scale or required template.

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Can I use AI to write a Flatpak manifest?

Flathub says manifests must not contain AI-generated or AI-assisted content. This is a prohibition, not a disclosure-only requirement; disclosing the content does not make it permissible.

Do I need to disclose AI used only for research or debugging?

Not when AI was used only for research, discussion, or debugging and no generated material is included in the application or its Flathub packaging. If generated output from that work is included, assess and disclose that material.

Does disclosure guarantee that Flathub will accept the submission?

No. Reviewers retain discretion over other disclosed generated material and may reject it based on its extent or role, or concerns about review, quality, or maintainability. The submission guide also warns that submissions with excessive AI-generated content may be closed without review.

Where should I put the AI disclosure?

The reviewed guidance does not name a required metadata field, location, or template. Identify the affected parts and approximate extent in the active submission or review process, and follow Flathub’s current instructions rather than assuming MetaInfo is the required location.

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Does an AI disclosure satisfy Flathub’s licensing requirements?

No. Disclosure does not establish that content can legally be redistributed or that licenses are correctly specified. Check Flathub’s separate redistribution, MetaInfo, and module license-file requirements.

The Bottom Line

Disclose the affected parts and approximate extent of AI-generated code, documentation, packaging, or other material included in the app or its Flathub packaging. Keep the manifest prohibition separate: AI-generated or AI-assisted manifest content is not allowed, even when disclosed. Research, discussion, or debugging alone is excepted only when no generated material is included, and disclosure never guarantees acceptance or replaces licensing compliance.

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