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Google Play Store API Setup Guide

Prerequisites

  • Google Play Console account with admin access
  • Your app published or ready for publishing on Google Play

Step 1: Create Google Cloud Project & Service Account

1.1 Create Google Cloud Project

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project or select existing one
  3. Enable the Google Play Android Developer API:
    • Go to "APIs & Services" > "Library"
    • Search for "Google Play Android Developer API"
    • Click "Enable"

1.2 Create Service Account

  1. Go to "IAM & Admin" > "Service Accounts"
  2. Click "Create Service Account"
  3. Fill in details:
    • Name: fastlane-service-account
    • Description: Service account for Fastlane Google Play Store uploads
  4. Click "Create and Continue"
  5. Skip role assignment for now
  6. Click "Done"

1.3 Create JSON Key

  1. Find your service account in the list
  2. Click on it > "Keys" tab
  3. Click "Add Key" > "Create new key"
  4. Select "JSON" format
  5. Download the JSON file (keep it secure!)

Step 2: Grant Permissions in Google Play Console

2.1 Add Service Account to Play Console

  1. Go to Google Play Console
  2. Select your app
  3. Go to "Users and permissions" (left sidebar)
  4. Click "Invite new users"
  5. Enter your service account email (from JSON file)
  6. Grant these permissions:
    • ✅ View app information and download bulk reports (read-only)
    • ✅ Manage store presence
    • ✅ Manage production releases
    • ✅ Manage testing tracks
  7. Click "Send Invitation"

2.2 Accept Invitation

  1. The service account will receive an email invitation
  2. Accept it (this is automatic for service accounts)

Step 3: Set Up Environment Variables

3.1 Store JSON Key Securely

# Create a secure directory for keys
mkdir -p ~/.fastlane/keys

# Move your JSON key file there
mv ~/Downloads/your-service-account-key.json ~/.fastlane/keys/play-store-key.json

# Set proper permissions
chmod 600 ~/.fastlane/keys/play-store-key.json

3.2 Set Environment Variable

# Add to your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
echo 'export GOOGLE_PLAY_JSON_KEY_FILE=~/.fastlane/keys/play-store-key.json' >> ~/.zshrc

# Reload shell
source ~/.zshrc

3.3 Verify Setup

# Check environment variable
echo $GOOGLE_PLAY_JSON_KEY_FILE

# Test Fastlane connection
fastlane run validate_play_store_json_key json_key:~/path/to/your/key.json

Step 4: Test Fastlane Setup

4.1 Test Screenshot Upload

# Upload only screenshots
fastlane android upload_screenshots

4.2 Test Full Upload

# Build, take screenshots, and upload everything
fastlane android build_and_upload

Step 5: Organize Screenshots

5.1 Screenshot Structure

Google Play Store expects screenshots in specific folders:

maestro/screenshots/screenshots/
├── en-US/
│   ├── phoneScreenshots/
│   │   ├── calculator-empty.png
│   │   ├── calculator-bill-entered.png
│   │   └── ...
│   ├── sevenInchScreenshots/
│   └── tenInchScreenshots/

5.2 Organize Your Screenshots

# Create directory structure
mkdir -p maestro/screenshots/screenshots/en-US/phoneScreenshots

# Move screenshots to correct location
mv maestro/screenshots/screenshots/*.png maestro/screenshots/screenshots/en-US/phoneScreenshots/

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:

  1. "Invalid service account" error

    • Check that the service account email is correct
    • Ensure the service account has been invited to Play Console
    • Wait 24-48 hours after inviting the service account

  2. "Permission denied" error

    • Verify the service account has the correct permissions in Play Console
    • Check that the JSON key file path is correct

  3. "Package name not found" error

    • Ensure your app is published or in draft status
    • Verify the package name matches exactly

  4. Screenshot upload issues

    • Check screenshot dimensions (required: various sizes)
    • Ensure screenshots are in PNG format
    • Verify the directory structure matches Play Store requirements

Debug Commands:

# Test JSON key validity
fastlane run validate_play_store_json_key

# Check app details
fastlane run get_google_play_store_app_details

# Verbose output
fastlane android upload_screenshots --verbose

Security Best Practices

  1. Never commit JSON keys to git

    • Add *.json to .gitignore
    • Store keys in secure location (~/.fastlane/keys/)

  2. Use environment variables

    • Don't hardcode paths in Fastfile
    • Use ENV["GOOGLE_PLAY_JSON_KEY_FILE"]

  3. Limit permissions

    • Only grant necessary permissions to service account
    • Regularly rotate service account keys

Next Steps

Once setup is complete, you can:

  1. Upload screenshots only:

    fastlane android upload_screenshots

  2. Upload APK + screenshots:

    fastlane android upload_all

  3. Full automated workflow:

    fastlane android build_and_upload

Your app screenshots will be uploaded to Google Play Store and ready for review!