google-play-developer-api

Google Play Developer API

This skill contains the comprehensive knowledge for interacting with the Google Play Developer API. Unlike the google-play-release-agent which focuses on human-in-the-loop release audits, readiness checklists, and Data Safety validation, this skill focuses strictly on API integration, payload construction, and automation via direct endpoints or tools like fastlane supply.

Core Domains

1. Publishing API

Automate the app distribution process.

• Concepts: Edits system (transactional changes bundled as a draft and committed).
• Capabilities: Upload APKs/AABs, manage tracks (production, closed, open, internal), update store listings (localized text, graphics).
• Integration: Often automated via fastlane supply (which uses the Publishing API under the hood) or raw REST calls to androidpublisher.edits.

2. Subscriptions & In-App Purchases (IAP)

Manage monetization items programmatically.

• Subscriptions API: Uses the monetization.subscriptions endpoints. Modern standard for configuring base plans, billing periods, pricing, and offers.
• In-App Products API: Uses the inappproducts endpoint for managing one-time purchase products.
• Purchase Management: APIs to verify user purchase states, and modify, defer, or cancel recurring subscriptions.

3. Reviews API

Manage user feedback.

• Capabilities: List app reviews, fetch individual review details, and programmatically reply to or update replies to reviews.
• Note: This API is for backend management. In-app prompting is handled via the Play Core Library.

4. Reporting API

Extract and automate analysis of app performance data.

• Capabilities: Access Android Vitals programmatically (crash rates, ANR rates, wake locks).
• Use Cases: Build internal dashboards, aggregate with business data, and integrate stability metrics directly into CI/CD pipelines.

Implementation Details

When automating:

• fastlane supply: For standard publishing tasks (uploading builds, updating metadata), prefer fastlane supply over writing custom API calls, as it provides a robust, well-maintained wrapper around the Publishing API.
• Raw googleapis Endpoints: Use Google's Node.js googleapis SDK or raw REST calls for tasks not covered by Fastlane, such as specific Subscriptions lifecycle management or querying the Reporting API for Android Vitals.

Authentication always requires a Google Cloud Service Account linked to the Google Play Console with the necessary permissions.