1 page.title=Publishing Checklist for Google Play 2 @jd:body 3 4 <div id="qv-wrapper"><div id="qv"> 5 <h2>Checklist:</h2> 6 <ol> 7 <li><a href="#process">1. Understand the publishing process</a></li> 8 <li><a href="#policies">2. Understand Google Play policies</a></li> 9 <li><a href="#core-app-quality">3. Test for Core App Quality</a></li> 10 <li><a href="#rating">4. Determine your content rating</a></li> 11 <li><a href="#countries">5. Determine country distribution</a></li> 12 <li><a href="#size">6. Confirm the app's overall size</a></li> 13 <li><a href="#compatibility">7. Confirm app compatibility ranges</a></li> 14 <li><a href="#free-priced">8. Decide on free or priced</a></li> 15 <li><a href="#inapp-billing">9. Consider In-app Billing</a></li> 16 <li><a href="#pricing">10. Set prices for your apps</a></li> 17 <li><a href="#localize">11. Start localization early</a></li> 18 <li><a href="#graphics">12. Prepare promotional graphics</a></li> 19 <li><a href="#apk">13. Build the release-ready APK</a></li> 20 <li><a href="#product-page">14. Complete the product details</a></li> 21 <li><a href="#badges">15. Use Google Play badges</a></li> 22 <li><a href="#final-checks">16. Final checks and publishing</a></li> 23 <li><a href="#support">17. Support users after launch</a></li> 24 </ol> 25 </div></div> 26 27 28 <p>Before you publish your app on Google Play and distribute it to users, you 29 need to get the app ready, test it, and prepare your promotional materials. </p> 30 31 <p>This document helps you understand the publishing process and get ready for a 32 successful product launch on Google Play. It summarizes some of the 33 tasks you'll need to complete before publishing your app on Google Play, such as 34 creating a signed, release-ready APK, understanding the requirements of the app, 35 and creating the product page and graphic assets for your app.</p> 36 37 <p>The preparation and publishing tasks are numbered to give you a rough idea of 38 sequence. However, you can handle the tasks in any sequence that works for you 39 or you can skip steps as appropriate.</p> 40 41 <p>As you move toward publishing, a variety of support resources are available to 42 you. Relevant links are provided in each step.</p> 43 44 45 <h2 id="process">1. Understand the publishing process</h2> 46 47 <p>Before you begin the steps in this checklist, you should take a moment to 48 read and understand the overall publishing workflow and become familiar with how 49 the process works. In particular, you or your development team will need to 50 prepare your app for release using a process common to all Android apps. 51 The <a 52 href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/publishing_overview.html">Publishing 53 Workflow</a> documents provide the details on how publishing works and how to 54 get an APK ready for release. </p> 55 56 <p>Once you are familiar with publishing in general, read this document to 57 understand the issues that you should consider when publishing an app on Google 58 Play. </p> 59 60 <table> 61 <tr> 62 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 63 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 64 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/publishing_overview.html">General Publishing Overview</a></strong> — Start here for an overview of publishing options for Android apps.</li> 65 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for Release</a></strong> — Developer documentation on how to build the signed, release-ready APK. This process is the same for all Android apps. </li> 66 </ul> 67 </td> 68 </tr> 69 </table> 70 71 <h2 id="policies">2. Understand Google Play policies and agreements</h2> 72 73 <p>Make sure that you understand and follow the Google Play program policies 74 that you accepted when registering. Google Play actively enforces the policies 75 and any violations can lead to suspension of your app or, for repeated 76 violations, termination of your developer account. </p> 77 78 <table> 79 <tr> 80 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 81 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 82 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=2364761&parent=2365624&ctx=topic">Policy and Best Practices 83 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing various content policies and processes.</li> 84 85 </ul> 86 </td> 87 </tr> 88 </table> 89 90 <h2 id="core-app-quality">3. Test for Core App Quality</h2> 91 92 <p>Before you publish an app on Google Play, it's important to make sure that 93 it meets the basic quality expectations for all Android apps, on all of the devices that you 94 are targeting. You can check your app's quality by setting up a test 95 environment and testing the app against a short set of <strong>core app quality criteria</strong>. 96 For complete information, see the <a 97 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/core.html">Core App Quality Guidelines</a>. 98 </p> 99 100 <p>If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure that it delivers a rich, compelling 101 experience to your tablet customers. See the <a 102 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/tablet.html">Tablet App Quality Checklist</a> 103 for recommendations on ways to optimize your app for tablets.</p> 104 105 <table> 106 <tr> 107 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 108 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 109 <li><strong><a 110 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/core.html">Core App Quality 111 Guidelines</a></strong> — A set of core quality criteria that all Android 112 apps should meet on all targeted devices.</li> 113 <li><strong><a 114 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/tablet.html">Tablet App Quality 115 Checklist</a></strong> — A set recommendations for delivering the best 116 possible experience to tablet users.</li> 117 </ul> 118 </td> 119 </tr> 120 </table> 121 122 <h2 id="rating">4. Determine your app's content rating</h2> 123 124 <p>Google Play requires you to set a content rating for your app, which informs 125 Google Play users of its maturity level. Before you publish, you should confirm 126 what rating level you want to use. The available content rating levels are:</p> 127 128 <ul> 129 <li>Everyone</li> 130 <li>Low maturity</li> 131 <li>Medium maturity</li> 132 <li>High maturity</li> 133 </ul> 134 135 <p>On their Android devices, Android users can set the desired maturity level 136 for browsing. Google Play then filters apps based on the setting, so the content 137 rating you select can affect the app's distribution to users. You can assign (or 138 change) the content rating for your app in the Developer Console, so no changes 139 are required in your app binary.</p> 140 141 <table> 142 <tr> 143 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 144 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 145 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=188189">Rating your application content for Google Play</a></strong> — Help Center document describing content ratings levels and how to choose the appropriate one for your app.</li> 146 </ul> 147 </td> 148 </tr> 149 </table> 150 151 <h2 id="countries">5. Determine country distribution</h2> 152 153 <p>Google Play lets you control what countries and territories your app is 154 distributed to. For widest reach and the largest potential customer base, you 155 would normally want to distribute to all available countries and territories. 156 However, because of business needs, app requirements, or launch dependencies, 157 you might want to exclude one or more countries from your distribution. </p> 158 159 <p>It's important to determine the exact country distribution early, because it 160 can affect:</p> 161 <ul> 162 <li>The need for localized resources in the app</li> 163 <li>The need for a localized app description in the Developer Console</li> 164 <li>Legal requirements for the app that may be specific to certain 165 countries</li> 166 <li>Time zone support, local pricing, and so on.</li> 167 </ul> 168 169 <p>With your country targeting in mind, you should assess what 170 your localization needs are, both in your app and in its Google Play listing 171 details, and start the work of localization well in advance of your 172 launch target date.</p> 173 174 <table> 175 <tr> 176 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 177 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 178 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138294&topic=2365624&ctx=topic">Supported locations for distributing applications</a></strong> on Google Play. 179 .</li> 180 </ul> 181 </td> 182 </tr> 183 </table> 184 185 <h2 id="size">6. Confirm the app's overall size</h2> 186 187 <p>The overall size of your app can affect its design and how you publish it on 188 Google Play. Currently, the maximum size for an APK published on Google Play is 189 <strong>50 MB</strong>. If your app exceeds that size, or if you want to offer a 190 secondary download, you can use <a 191 href="{@docRoot}guide/google/play/expansion-files.html">APK Expansion Files</a>, 192 which Google Play will host for free on its server infrastructure and 193 automatically handle the download to devices.</p> 194 195 <ul> 196 <li>The maximum size for an APK published on Google Play is 50 MB.</li> 197 <li>You can use up to two (2) APK Expansion Files, each up to 2 GB in size, for 198 each APK.</li> 199 </ul> 200 201 <p>Using APK Expansion files is a convenient, cost-effective method of 202 distributing large apps. However, the use of APK Expansion Files requires some 203 changes in your app binary, so you will need to make those changes before 204 creating your release-ready APK.</p> 205 206 <table> 207 <tr> 208 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 209 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 210 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/google/play/expansion-files.html">APK Expansion Files</a></strong> — Developer documentation describing APK Expansion Files and how to support them in your app.</li> 211 </ul> 212 </td> 213 </tr> 214 </table> 215 216 <h2 id="compatibility">7. Confirm the app's platform and screen compatibility ranges</h2> 217 218 <p>Before publishing, it's important to make sure that your app is designed to 219 run properly on the Android platform versions and device screen sizes that you 220 want to target. 221 222 <p>From an app-compatibility perspective, Android platform versions are defined 223 by <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html#ApiLevels">API level</a>. You should 224 confirm the minimum version that your app is compatible with (<a 225 href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><code><minSdkVersion></code></a>), 226 as that will affect its distribution to Android 227 devices once it is published. </p> 228 229 <p>For screen sizes, you should confirm that the app runs properly and looks 230 good on the range of screen sizes and densities that you want to support. You 231 should confirm the minimum screen-size and density support that your app 232 declares (<a 233 href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><code><supports-screens></code></a>), 234 since that can affect its distribution to 235 Android devices once it is published. </p> 236 237 <p>To get a better understanding of the current device penetration of Android 238 platform versions and screen sizes across all Android devices, see the <a 239 href="{@docRoot}about/dashboards/index.html">Device Dashboard</a> 240 charts.</p> 241 242 <table> 243 <tr> 244 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 245 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 246 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}about/dashboards/index.html">Device Dashboard</a></strong> — A chart showing global percentages of devices by Android version, screen size, and level of OpenGL ES support.</li> 247 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html#ApiLevels">Android API Levels</a></strong> — A definition of API Levels and a list of which Android platform versions they are associated with. </li> 248 </ul> 249 </td> 250 </tr> 251 </table> 252 253 <h2 id="free-priced">8. Decide whether your app will be free or priced</h2> 254 255 <p>On Google Play, you can publish apps as free to download or priced. Free apps 256 can be downloaded by any Android user in Google Play. 257 Paid apps can be downloaded only by users who have registered a form of payment 258 in Google Play, such as a credit card or Direct Carrier Billing.</p> 259 260 <p>Deciding whether you app will be free or paid is important because, on Google 261 Play, <strong>free apps must remain free</strong>.</p> 262 263 <ul> 264 <li>Once you publish your app as a free app, you cannot ever change it to being 265 a priced app. However, you can still sell in-app products and 266 subscriptions through Google Play's In-app Billing service.</li> 267 <li>If you publish your app as a priced app, you <em>can</em> change 268 it at any time to being a free app (but cannot then change it back to 269 priced). You can also sell in-app products and subscriptions. </li> 270 </ul> 271 272 <p> If your app is be priced, or if you'll be selling in-app products, 273 you need set up a Checkout Merchant Account before you can publish.</p> 274 275 <table> 276 <tr> 277 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 278 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 279 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/google/play/billing/index.html">In-app Billing</a></strong> — Developer introduction to Google Play In-app Billing.</li> 280 </ul> 281 </td> 282 </tr> 283 </table> 284 285 <h2 id="inapp-billing">9. Consider using In-app Billing</h2> 286 287 <p>Google Play <a href="{@docRoot}guide/google/play/billing/index.html">In-app 288 Billing</a> lets you sell digital content in your applications. You can use the 289 service to sell a wide range of content, including downloadable content such as 290 media files or photos, and virtual content such as game levels or potions. 291 In-app Billing service lets you sell one-time purchases and subscriptions from 292 inside your app. This can help you to monetize the app over its installed 293 lifetime. </p> 294 295 <p>If your are looking for more ways to monetize your app and build engagement, 296 you should consider In-app Billing. The service has become very popular with 297 both users and developers. To use In-app Billing, you need to make changes to 298 your app binary, so you will need to complete and test your implementation 299 before creating your release-ready APK.</p> 300 301 <table> 302 <tr> 303 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 304 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 305 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/google/play/billing/index.html">In-app Billing</a></strong> — Developer documentation describing In-app Billing and how to support it in your app.</li> 306 </ul> 307 </td> 308 </tr> 309 </table> 310 311 <h2 id="pricing">10. Set prices for your products</h2> 312 313 <p>If your app is priced or you will sell in-app products, Google Play lets you 314 set prices for your products in a variety of currencies, for users in markets 315 around the world. You can set prices individually in different currencies, so 316 you have the flexibility to adjust your price according to market conditions and 317 exchange rates. </p> 318 319 <p>Before you publish, consider how you will price your products 320 and what your prices will be in various currencies. Later, you can set prices 321 in all available currencies through the Developer Console.</p> 322 323 <table> 324 <tr> 325 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 326 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 327 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1169947&topic=15867&ctx=topic">Selling Apps in Multiple Currencies 328 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing how pricing works in Google Play.</li> 329 330 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138412&topic=15867&ctx=topic">Prices and supported currencies 331 </a></strong> — Help Center document listing supported currencies for pricing your apps.</li> 332 333 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=112622&topic=15867&ctx=topic">Transaction Fees 334 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing transaction fees for priced apps and in-app products.</li> 335 336 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138000&topic=15867&ctx=topic">Specifying tax rates 337 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing how to set tax rates for different countries. </li> 338 339 </ul> 340 </td> 341 </tr> 342 </table> 343 344 <h2 id="localize">11. Start localization</h2> 345 346 <p>With your country targeting in mind, it's a good idea to assess your localization 347 needs and start the work of localizing well in advance of your target 348 launch date.</p> 349 350 <p>There are at least two aspects of localization to consider:</p> 351 352 <ul> 353 <li>Localizing the strings, images, and other resources in your app</li> 354 <li>Localizing you app's store listing details on Google Play</li> 355 </ul> 356 357 <p>To get started localizing your app, work with your development team to extract 358 any resource or coded strings for translation. Also identify images, icons, or 359 other assets that should be language- or locale-specific. Hand these off to 360 a translator.</p> 361 362 <p>To localize your store listing, first create and finalize your app title, description, 363 and promotional text. Collect and send all of these for localization. You can optionally 364 translate the "Recent Changes" text for app updates as well.</p> 365 366 <p>When your translations are complete, move them into your app resources as needed and test 367 that they are loaded properly. Save your app's translated listing details for later, 368 when you upload assets and configure your product details.</p> 369 370 <table> 371 <tr> 372 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 373 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 374 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/localization.html">Localization</a></strong> — How to supply localized resources in your app.</li> 375 </ul> 376 </td> 377 </tr> 378 </table> 379 380 <h2 id="graphics">12. Prepare promotional graphics</h2> 381 382 <p>When you publish on Google Play, you can supply a variety of high-quality 383 graphic assets to showcase your app or brand. After you publish, these appear on 384 your product details page, in store listings and search results, and elsewhere. 385 These graphic assets are key parts of a successful product details page that 386 attracts and engages users, so you should consider having a professional produce 387 them for you. Screen shots and videos are also very important, because they show 388 what your app looks like, how it's used or played, and what makes it different. 389 390 <p>All of your graphic assets should be designed so that they are easy to see 391 and highlight your app or brand in a colorful, interesting way. The assets 392 should reference the same logo and icon as users will actually find in the All 393 Apps launcher once they have downloaded the app. Your graphic assets should also 394 fit in well with the graphic assets of other apps published by you, which will 395 be also be displayed to users on your product details page. </p> 396 397 <p>Because these assets are so important, you should get started on them well in 398 advance of your target publishing date. </p> 399 400 <table> 401 <tr> 402 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 403 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 404 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1078870">Graphic Assets for your Application 405 </a></strong> — Details about the graphic assets you need to upload before publishing.</li> 406 </ul> 407 </td> 408 </tr> 409 </table> 410 411 <h2 id="apk">13. Build and upload the release-ready APK</h2> 412 413 <p>When you are satisfied that your app meets your UI, compatibility, and 414 quality requirements, you can build the release-ready version of the app. The 415 release-ready APK is what you you will upload to the Developer Console and 416 distribute to users. 417 418 <p>The process for preparing a release-ready APK is the same for all apps, 419 regardless of how they are distributed. Generally the process includes basic code cleanup 420 and optimization, building and signing with your release key, and final testing. 421 When you are finished preparing your application for release, you'll have a signed 422 APK file that you can upload to the Developer Console for distribution to 423 users. </p> 424 425 <p>For complete details on how to create a release-ready version of your app, 426 read <a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for 427 Release</a>.</p> 428 429 <p>Once you have the release-ready APK in hand, you can upload it to 430 the Developer Console. If necessary, you can replace the APK with a more 431 recent version before publishing. </p> 432 433 <table> 434 <tr> 435 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 436 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 437 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for Release</a></strong> — Essential information for preparing and packaging your app properly for distribution.</li> 438 </ul> 439 </td> 440 </tr> 441 </table> 442 443 <h2 id="product-page">14. Complete the app's product details</h2> 444 445 <p>On Google Play, your app's product information is shown to users on its 446 product details page, the page that users visit to learn more about your app and 447 the page from which they will decide to purchase or download your app, on their 448 Android devices or on the web.</p> 449 450 <p>Google Play gives you a variety of ways to promote your app and engage with 451 users on your product details page, from colorful graphics, screenshots, and 452 videos to localized descriptions, release details, and links to your other apps. 453 As you prepare to publish your app, make sure that you take advantage of all 454 that your product details page can offer, making your app as compelling as 455 possible to users.</p> 456 457 <p>You should begin planning your product page in advance of your target launch 458 date, arranging for localized description, high-quality graphic assets, 459 screenshots and video, and so on. </p> 460 461 <p>As you get near your target publishing date, you should become familiar with 462 all the fields, options, and assets associated with the product details configuration 463 page in the Developer Console. As you collect the information and assets for the 464 page, make sure that you can enter or upload it to the Developer Console, until 465 the page is complete and ready for publishing. </p> 466 467 <p>If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure to include at least one screen 468 shot of the app running on a tablet, and highlight your app's support for tablets 469 in the app description, release notes, promotional campaigns, and elsewhere.</p> 470 471 <table> 472 <tr> 473 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 474 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 475 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113475&topic=2365760&ctx=topic">Category types 476 </a></strong> — Help Center document listing available categories for apps.</li> 477 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1078870&topic=2365760&ctx=topic">Graphic Assets for your Application 478 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing the various graphics you can add to your product listing.</li> 479 </ul> 480 </td> 481 </tr> 482 </table> 483 484 <h2 id="badges">15. Use Google Play badges and links in your promotional 485 campaigns</h2> 486 487 <p>Google Play badges give you an officially branded way of promoting your app 488 to Android users. Use the <a 489 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.html">Google Play Badge 490 generator</a> to quickly create badges to link users to your products from web 491 pages, ads, reviews, and more. You can also use special <a 492 href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.html">link formats</a> 493 to link directly to your product details page, to a list of your products, or to 494 search results.</p> 495 496 <p>To help your app get traction after launch, it's strongly recommended that you support 497 launch with a promotional campaign that announces your product through many channels as 498 possible, in as many countries as possible. For example, you can promote the launch 499 using ad placements, social network or blog posts, video and other media, interviews 500 and reviews, or any other channel available.</p> 501 502 <table> 503 <tr> 504 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 505 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 506 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.html">Google Play Badges</a></strong> — Generate a badge to bring users to your app in Google Play.</li> 507 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.html">Linking to Your Products</a></strong> — Link formats that you can use to bring users to your app in Google Play.</li> 508 </ul> 509 </td> 510 </tr> 511 </table> 512 513 <h2 id="final-checks">16. Final checks and publishing</h2> 514 515 <p>When you think you are ready to publish, sign in to the Developer Console and take a few moments for a few 516 final checks:</p> 517 518 <p>Make sure that: </p> 519 520 <ul> 521 <li>Your developer profile has the correct information and is linked to the proper Google Checkout Merchant account (if you are selling products).</li> 522 <li>You have the right version of the app uploaded.</li> 523 <li>All parts of your Product Details are ready, including all graphic assets, screenshots, video, localized descriptions, and so on. </li> 524 <li>You have set your app's pricing to free or priced.</li> 525 <li>You have set country (and carrier) targeting and priced your products (if appropriate) in buyer currencies</li> 526 <li>"Compatible devices" shows that your app is actually reaching the devices that you are targeting. If not, you should check with your development team on the apps requirements and filtering rules. </li> 527 <li>You have provided the correct link to your web site and the correct support email address.</li> 528 <li>Your app does not violate content policy guidelines.</li> 529 <li>You have acknowledged that your app meets the guidelines for Android content on Google Play and also US export laws. </li> 530 </ul> 531 532 <p>Your app is now ready to publish!</p> 533 534 <p>If you are releasing an update, make sure to read the <a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113476&topic=2365760&ctx=topic">requirements for publishing updates</a>. </p> 535 536 <p>When you are ready, click the <strong>Publish</strong> button in the Developer Console. Within a few hours, your app will become available to users and your product page will be appear in Google Play for browsing, searching, or linking from your promotional campaigns.</p> 537 538 <table> 539 <tr> 540 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 541 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 542 <li><strong><a href="http://www.android.com/us/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play Developer Program Policies</a></strong> — Guidelines for what is acceptable conent in Google Play. Please read and understand the policies before publishing. </li> 543 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.html">Updates</a></strong> — Requirements for app updates in Google Play.</li> 544 <li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}support.html">Developer Support</a></strong> — Support resources that you can use to find answers and report issues.</li> 545 </ul> 546 </td> 547 </tr> 548 </table> 549 550 551 <h2 id="support">17. Support users after launch</h2> 552 553 <p>After you publish an app or an app update, it's crucial for you to support 554 your customers. Prompt and courteous support can provide a better experience for 555 users that results in better ratings and more positive reviews for your 556 products. Users are likely to be more engaged with your app and recommend it if 557 you are responsive to their needs and feedback. This is especially true after 558 publishing if you are using a coordinated promotional campaign.</p> 559 560 <p>There are a number of ways that you can keep in touch with users and offer 561 them support. The most fundamental is to provide your <em>support email 562 address</em> on your product details page. Beyond that, you can provide support 563 in any way you choose, such as a forum, mailing list or a Google+ page. The 564 Google Play team does provide user support for downloading, installing and 565 payments issues, but issues that fall outside of these topics will fall under 566 your domain. Examples of issues you can support include: feature requests, 567 questions about using the app and questions about compatibility settings. </p> 568 569 <p>After publishing, plan to: </p> 570 <ul> 571 <li>Check your ratings and reviews frequently on your app's product details 572 page. Watch for recurring issues that could signal bugs or other issues. </li> 573 <li>Be mindful of new Android platform version launches, as compatibility 574 settings for your apps might need to be updated.</li> 575 <li>Put a link to your support resources on your web site and set up any other 576 support such as forums.</li> 577 <li>Provide an appropriate support email address on your product details page 578 and respond to users when they take the time to email you.</li> 579 <li>Beyond the automatic refund window offered by Google Play, be generous with 580 your own refund policy, as satisfied users will be more likely to purchase in 581 the future. </li> 582 <li>Acknowledge and fix issues in your app. It helps to be transparent and 583 list known issues on your product details page proactively. </li> 584 <li>Publish updates as frequently as you are able, without sacrificing quality 585 or annoying users with too-frequent updates. </li> 586 <li>With each update, make sure to provide a summary of what's changed. You can 587 enter this information in the Developer Console. Users will read it and 588 appreciate that you are serious about improving the quality of your app. </li> 589 </ul> 590 591 <table> 592 <tr> 593 <td><p>Related resources:</p> 594 <ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 595 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113477&topic=2364761&ctx=topic">Supporting your users 596 </a></strong> — Help Center document describing options for supporting users.</li> 597 <li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1153479">In-app Billing</a></strong> — Help Center document describing how to correctly set up In-app Billing.</li> 598 <li><strong><a href="https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=138001">Issuing Refunds</a></strong> — -- Help Center document describing how to issue refunds.</li> 599 </ul> 600 </td> 601 </tr> 602 </table> 603 604 605 606