PressPlay's Google Play Console integration is the foundation that enables automated A/B testing of your app store listings. By connecting your Google Play developer account to PressPlay, you unlock the ability to create, manage, and analyze experiments directly from the platform without manual intervention in the Play Console.
PressPlay uses the Google Play Developer API to communicate directly with your Google Play Console account. This secure connection allows the platform to:
Read App Information - Access your app metadata, current store listings, and locale configurations
Create Experiments - Automatically set up A/B tests in your Play Console account
Update Assets - Upload new icons, feature graphics, screenshots, videos and descriptions for testing
Retrieve Performance Data - Pull experiment results and conversion metrics in real-time
Manage Store Listings - Modify custom store listings (CSLs) for different locales
The integration operates continuously in the background, syncing data between PressPlay and Google Play Console to ensure your experiments are always up-to-date.
Before connecting your Google Play Console account, ensure you have:
Google Play Console Access - You need admin or owner-level permissions for your developer account
Publisher Account - An active Google Play developer account with at least one published app
API Access Enabled - Google Play Developer API must be enabled for your account
Service Account - A Google Cloud service account with appropriate permissions (PressPlay can help you create this)
The Google Play Console integration requires specific permissions to function properly:
View app information - Read app metadata, package names, and current listings
Manage store listings - Create and update custom store listings for experiments
Manage A/B experiments - Create, modify, and monitor experiments in Play Console
Access reporting data - Pull conversion rates and experiment performance metrics
Upload assets - Submit new icons, graphics, and promotional materials
If you haven't created a service account for API access:
Go to Google Cloud Console
Select your project or create a new one
Navigate to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts
Click Create Service Account
Name it (e.g., "PressPlay Integration")
Grant it appropriate roles (Editor or custom role with required permissions)
Create and download a JSON key file
Open Google Play Console
Go to Settings > API access
Click Link next to your Google Cloud project
Find your service account in the list
Click Manage Play Console permissions
Enable required permissions (see Required Permissions section above)
Save changes
Log into PressPlay
Navigate to Publishers section
Click Connect New Publisher
Upload your service account JSON key file
PressPlay will verify the connection and list available apps
Select which apps you want to manage with PressPlay
After successfully connecting your publisher account, PressPlay performs an initial synchronization:
Publisher Sync - Retrieves all apps under your developer account
App Metadata - Pulls app names, package IDs, and current status
Store Listings - Fetches all locales and custom store listings
Current Assets - Downloads existing icons, graphics, and descriptions
Active Experiments - Imports any running experiments from Play Console
This process typically takes 2-5 minutes depending on the number of apps and locales. You'll receive a notification when the sync is complete.
PressPlay maintains continuous synchronization with Google Play Console:
Automatic Sync - Every 6 hours, PressPlay pulls updated data from Play Console
Manual Sync - You can trigger a sync anytime from the app settings page
Real-time Updates - Experiment status changes are reflected within minutes
Performance Data - Conversion metrics are updated daily
Once your publisher is connected, you can manage individual apps:
Connect Apps - Enable PressPlay management for specific apps
Disconnect Apps - Remove apps from PressPlay (doesn't affect Play Console)
View Connection Status - Monitor sync status and last update time
Refresh Credentials - Update service account keys if needed
Problem: "Authentication failed" or "Invalid credentials"
Solutions:
Ensure the service account is linked to your Play Console account
Check that API access is enabled in Play Console settings
Regenerate service account key if necessary
Problem: "Insufficient permissions" or "Access denied"
Solutions:
Review permissions granted to service account in Play Console
Ensure all required permissions are enabled (see Required Permissions section)
Verify your user account has admin access to grant permissions
Wait 10-15 minutes after granting permissions for changes to propagate
Problem: Publisher or app sync fails repeatedly
Solutions:
Check Google Play Console status for any service outages
Verify your apps are published and not in draft state
Try manually triggering a sync from app settings
Contact PressPlay support if issue persists
PressPlay supports connecting multiple Google Play publisher accounts to a single organization:
Separate Service Accounts - Each publisher requires its own service account
Individual Management - Manage apps across publishers from one dashboard
Publisher Switching - Easily switch between publishers in the interface
Aggregated Reporting - View performance across all publishers (enterprise feature)
This is particularly useful for agencies managing multiple clients or large publishers with separate developer accounts for different app portfolios.
Be aware of these Google Play API limitations:
Rate Limits - Google Play API has request quotas; PressPlay manages these automatically
Asset Size Limits - Icons must be 512x512 PNG, feature graphics 1024x500 JPG/PNG
Experiment Limits - Maximum number of concurrent experiments varies by app (typically 5-20)
Locale Restrictions - Some features only available for specific locales
Review Times - Asset changes may require Google review before going live
If you encounter issues with your Google Play Console integration:
In-App Support - Use the help widget in PressPlay for immediate assistance
Documentation - Review Google's Play Developer API documentation
Status Page - Check PressPlay and Google Play Console status pages
Support Team - Contact PressPlay support with your organization ID and error details
The Google Play Console integration is the gateway to automated app store optimization with PressPlay. Once connected, you can focus on creating compelling experiments while PressPlay handles the technical complexity of interacting with Google's APIs, managing experiment lifecycles, and tracking performance metrics. A properly configured integration ensures smooth operation, reliable data synchronization, and the ability to scale your testing program across multiple apps and locales without manual intervention in the Play Console.
