Custom Store Listing (CSL) locale status management gives you precise control over which markets participate in your experiments. By enabling or disabling specific locale configurations, you can target testing efforts strategically, manage experimental capacity, and ensure experiments run only in markets where you have appropriate creative assets and strategic interest.
Every combination of Custom Store Listing (CSL) and locale has a status that determines whether that combination can be used for testing.
Each CSL-locale combination has one of two possible statuses:
Active - The locale is available for testing with this CSL. Experiments can be created and run for this combination.
Inactive - The locale is not available for testing with this CSL. This combination won't appear in experiment setup and can't be used for new tests.
Status management serves several important purposes:
Resource focus - Concentrate testing efforts on strategic markets
Creative readiness - Only enable locales where you have proper assets
Capacity management - Control how many concurrent experiments can run
Strategic alignment - Match testing to business priorities
Quality control - Prevent testing in markets without proper localization
CSL locale status directly impacts your ability to create and run experiments.
When a CSL-locale combination is active:
Visible in UI - Appears as an option when creating experiments
Experiment eligible - Can be selected as the target for new experiments
Ready for testing - Indicates creative assets and localization are prepared
Available in filters - Shows up in locale selection dropdowns
When a CSL-locale combination is inactive:
Hidden from UI - Doesn't appear in experiment creation flows
Cannot run experiments - Not available for new test creation
Existing experiments protected - Running experiments continue unaffected
Filtered out - Excluded from locale selection options
Check the status of your CSL-locale combinations to understand current configuration.
View locale status in the PressPlay interface:
Navigate to your app's settings or configuration section
Select the Custom Store Listing (CSL) you want to review
View the list of locales with their current status indicators
Active locales typically show with a green indicator or "Active" label
Inactive locales show with a gray indicator or "Inactive" label
The interface provides clear visual indicators of status:
Color coding - Green for active, gray for inactive
Status labels - Explicit "Active" or "Inactive" text
Toggle controls - Switches or buttons to change status
Experiment counts - Number of running experiments per combination
Update status to enable or disable locales for testing as your needs change.
Enable a locale for testing when you're ready:
Navigate to CSL settings - Find the relevant Custom Store Listing
Locate the locale - Find the specific locale you want to activate
Change status - Click the toggle, switch, or "Activate" button
Confirm change - Verify the status updates to "Active"
Verify availability - Check that the locale appears in experiment creation
Disable a locale to prevent new experiments:
Check for running experiments - Verify no active experiments use this locale
Navigate to CSL settings - Find the Custom Store Listing
Locate the locale - Find the locale you want to deactivate
Change status - Click the toggle or "Deactivate" button
Confirm change - Verify the status updates to "Inactive"
Before changing status, keep these points in mind:
Running experiments - Deactivating doesn't stop experiments already running
Creative assets - Only activate locales where you have proper assets ready
Translation quality - Ensure professional localization before activation
Strategic alignment - Align active locales with business priorities
Use status management tactically to optimize your testing program.
Activate locales gradually as you expand:
Start with core market - Activate only primary locale initially
Prove optimization value - Demonstrate ROI in core market
Prepare assets - Develop creative for next priority locale
Activate secondary markets - Enable next tier of locales
Repeat systematically - Continue expanding to additional markets
Adjust active locales based on seasonal opportunities:
Holiday seasons - Activate locales for major shopping holidays
Regional events - Enable markets during local high-traffic periods
App updates - Activate locales when launching region-specific features
Campaign coordination - Align with marketing campaign schedules
Manage capacity by controlling active locale count:
Creative team bandwidth - Only activate what your team can support
Analysis capacity - Ensure you can monitor all active experiments
Translation resources - Match active locales to localization capability
Budget constraints - Align testing scope with available resources
These scenarios illustrate practical applications of status management.
Start focused, then expand:
Launch with only primary market locale active (e.g., en-US)
Run initial experiments to optimize core market
Prepare creative assets for secondary markets
Activate 2-3 additional high-priority locales
Continue expanding as resources and learnings grow
Validate before broad rollout:
Temporarily activate only one test locale
Run experiments showcasing the new feature
Validate messaging and creative approach
If successful, activate additional locales
Roll out optimized creative broadly
Focus efforts when resources are limited:
Audit all currently active locales
Identify highest-value markets (traffic, revenue, strategic importance)
Deactivate lower-priority locales temporarily
Focus resources on top-performing markets
Reactivate as resources become available
Pause testing when creative needs work:
Identify locale with poor translation or creative quality
Deactivate the locale immediately
Improve translation and creative assets
Review with native speakers
Reactivate once quality issues are resolved
Follow these guidelines for effective locale status management.
Begin with fewer active locales rather than more. It's easier to expand than to manage too many markets simultaneously. Master optimization in core markets before adding complexity.
Establish clear requirements for activating a locale:
Creative readiness - Professionally translated and culturally adapted assets
Strategic value - Sufficient traffic or revenue potential
Team capacity - Bandwidth to monitor and optimize
Native speaker review - Quality assurance from market experts
Periodically review active locales:
Quarterly reviews - Assess which locales are actively tested
Performance evaluation - Identify underperforming locales
Strategic alignment - Ensure active locales match current priorities
Resource check - Verify team can support all active markets
Keep stakeholders informed about status changes:
Team notifications - Alert team members when locales are activated/deactivated
Explain rationale - Share reasoning behind status decisions
Update documentation - Maintain current records of active locale strategy
Calendar coordination - Plan status changes around key dates
Never deactivate a locale with running experiments. Wait for experiments to conclude or explicitly stop them first. Changing status doesn't affect existing experiments, but it's still best practice to be intentional about timing.
Resolve common problems related to locale status.
If a locale doesn't show up when creating experiments:
Check the locale's status - it may be inactive
Verify you're looking at the correct CSL
Confirm the locale exists in your app's Google Play configuration
Check for running experiments that might be using that locale
Refresh the interface to ensure you're seeing current state
If you're unable to activate or deactivate a locale:
Verify your user permissions (you may need admin rights)
Check if an experiment is currently running for that locale
Look for system messages explaining the restriction
Contact support if technical issues prevent changes
If you unintentionally deactivate a locale:
Don't panic - running experiments are unaffected
Reactivate the locale immediately
Verify it appears in experiment creation again
Check that no experiments were inadvertently affected
Document the incident to prevent recurrence
Sophisticated approaches for mature testing programs.
Activate locales in waves based on learning velocity:
Wave 1 - Primary market, fastest learning
Wave 2 - Similar markets where learnings likely transfer
Wave 3 - Adjacent markets requiring some adaptation
Wave 4 - Distinct markets requiring locale-specific approaches
Use active locale count to enforce prioritization discipline:
Set hard limits - Maximum number of active locales (e.g., 5-10)
Force choices - To activate new locale, must deactivate another
Regular reprioritization - Quarterly decisions on locale portfolio
Performance-based activation - Activate based on proven opportunity
Coordinate status changes across multiple CSLs:
Simultaneous activation - Enable same locale across all CSLs when ready
Batch deactivation - Disable multiple locales during resource crunches
Consistent strategy - Maintain similar active locales across CSLs
Coordinated testing - Align status with cross-CSL test strategies
Integrate status management into team processes.
Implement governance for status changes:
Activation requests - Require justification for enabling new locales
Stakeholder review - Product and marketing teams approve additions
Readiness checklist - Verify creative and translation quality
Capacity assessment - Ensure team can support additional locale
Establish regular cadence for status evaluation:
Monthly check-ins - Quick review of active locale performance
Quarterly planning - Strategic decisions on locale portfolio
Annual strategy - Long-term locale expansion roadmap
Event-driven reviews - Reassess after major app updates or market changes
Maintain clear records of status decisions:
Activation log - Record when and why locales were activated
Deactivation reasons - Document why locales were disabled
Performance tracking - Monitor outcomes for active locales
Learning capture - Note insights from each locale's testing
CSL locale status management is a powerful tool for focusing testing efforts, managing resources, and ensuring high-quality localization. By thoughtfully controlling which locale combinations are active for testing, you can match your experimentation program to your team's capacity, strategic priorities, and market opportunities. Start with core markets, expand deliberately, maintain high quality standards, and regularly reassess your active locale portfolio. Status management transforms from a simple administrative task into a strategic lever for building an effective, scalable app store optimization program that drives results across your most important markets.
