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Open the Google Play Console
Click "Create app"
Enter the name of your app:
If you want, you can slightly differ from the app name you configured on our website. For example if your app's name is normally ABC-Shop, you could add additional information by using "ABC-Shop | Buy Clothes Online" as the name in the Google Play Store. Select the main language of your website as default language.
Pick "App" unless your website is a game.
Decide whether downloading your app should be free or cost money.
Click the checkboxes to agree to the developer program and Play App Signing policies as well as the US export laws. More information on export compliance
Click "Create app" at the bottom right.
Scroll down a bit to the setup section and click 'View tasks'. Make sure you are looking at the setup section and not one of the testing or release sections.
Now go through each task one by one. Here are some tips and explanations for each task:
Always be as detailed as possible! This greatly increases the chances of your app getting approved.
- Privacy Policy
After you have saved a step, you can get back to the overview with the remaining tasks by clicking one of the dashboard buttons at the top of the page.
Alternatively you can use the direct links in this guide.
- App Access
- Ads
- We don't add any ads to your app, however if your website displays ads, those will be shown in the app too. So if your website shows ads, pick 'Yes, my app contains ads'
- Content Rating
- You will have to fill a questionnaire asking you about the contents of your app. Always answer truthfully to avoid issues later on.
- If you can't click the "Next" button, you might need to click the "Save" button first.
- Target Audience
- Pick the age of your typical user. This is independent from the content rating: For example if your app is for your website about plumbing, pick '18 and over' because that's probably your usual customer's age. Your content rating might still be 'Suitable for all ages' as your app doesn't contain any content that is harmful for children.
- If your target audience is younger, you might have to fill in additional information.
- News App
- The policy on this is not very clear, but from my understanding this applies mostly to general news apps/websites. Blogs about a certain topic probably aren't considered a 'News app'.
- If your app is a news app, make sure you follow the guidelines and provide the necessary information: News App Policy
- Data safety
- Does your app collect or share any of the required user data types? Yes
- Is all of the user data collected by your app encrypted in transit? Yes
- Select how users can log in on your website/app. Logging in with an e-mail can also be considered a username.
- Add a link to your website where users can delete their account. The account deletion doesn't have to be automatic, a form to request account deletion (and you manually deleting the data) is fine too. If you use the app's built-in account deletion feature, you can enter the "Delete data URL" from your dashboard.
- Select all the data types your website collects or shares with other services (e.g. payment providers). Data from these sections is the most common:
- Personal info
- Financial info (if users can pay for things on your website)
- Photos and videos (if users can upload photos or videos to your website)
- App activity (if you use analytics software on your website, you should tick "Page views and taps in app")
- App info and performance (ALWAYS tick "Crash logs", as we collect those. Your website analytics software might also collect performance data in which case you'd have to tick "Diagnostics")
- Next, you'll have to go through every type of data you collected and provide more information on it.
- Does the data get collected? You will always need to tick this checkbox.
- Does the data get shared? Only tick this if the data is shared with a third party. You also don't need to tick this box if any of the following conditions apply:
- you're sharing the data with a service provider that just processes the data for you.
- the data sharing is initiated by the user.
- it is very clear to the user that they are sharing the data with a third party.
- the data has been fully anonymized, which is often the case with analytics data.
These exemptions should usually apply to the financial data your users enter when they use a payment service like PayPal to purchase something from your site. - Is this data processed ephemerally? You can click "Yes" if you just use the data for something once and don't store it. If you store the data for longer, click "No".
- Is the collection of this type of data required or can the app also be used without it? Keep your cookie popups in mind - these usually allow the user to use the app/website without analytics data being collected.
- Lastly select what the data is used for.
- For crash logs, select only "collected" (the data doesn't count as being "shared" as it's anonymized). Select that the crash data is not processed ephemerally (only while it's in memory). Unless your app uses the "Just Website" layout, select that it's optional as crash reporting can be disabled in the app settings. Select "Analytics" as the reason for data collection.
- Government apps
- Select whether your app/website is developed by or for a government.
- Financial features
- Read through all these financial features and think about whether your app includes any of those.
- For example, if you have an online shop, you receive payments, but that does not mean you need to tick "Mobile payments and digital wallets" or "Money transfer and wire services". Those are intended for banking apps. You might have a buy now, pay later option like Klarna in your shop though.
- Most apps don't include any of the listed financial features. In that case you should select "My app doesn't provide any financial features".
- Health apps
- Read through all these health features and think about whether your app includes any of those.
- Most apps don't include any of the listed health features. In that case you should select "My app does not have any health features".
- App Category & Contact Details
- Select whichever category fits your app/website best.
- Also add a contact e-mail address. This e-mail will be public.
- App Store Listing
- Advertising ID
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