1page.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 29need 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 32successful product launch on Google Play. It summarizes some of the 33tasks you'll need to complete before publishing your app on Google Play, such as 34creating a signed, release-ready APK, understanding the requirements of the app, 35and 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 38sequence. However, you can handle the tasks in any sequence that works for you 39or you can skip steps as appropriate.</p> 40 41<p>As you move toward publishing, a variety of support resources are available to 42you. 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 48read and understand the overall publishing workflow and become familiar with how 49the process works. In particular, you or your development team will need to 50prepare your app for release using a process common to all Android apps. 51The <a 52href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/publishing_overview.html">Publishing 53Workflow</a> documents provide the details on how publishing works and how to 54get an APK ready for release. </p> 55 56<p>Once you are familiar with publishing in general, read this document to 57understand the issues that you should consider when publishing an app on Google 58Play. </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 74that you accepted when registering. Google Play actively enforces the policies 75and any violations can lead to suspension of your app or, for repeated 76violations, 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 93it meets the basic quality expectations for all Android apps, on all of the devices that you 94are targeting. You can check your app's quality by setting up a test 95environment and testing the app against a short set of <strong>core app quality criteria</strong>. 96For complete information, see the <a 97href="{@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 101experience to your tablet customers. See the <a 102href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/tablet.html">Tablet App Quality Checklist</a> 103for 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 110href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/core.html">Core App Quality 111Guidelines</a></strong> — A set of core quality criteria that all Android 112apps should meet on all targeted devices.</li> 113<li><strong><a 114href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/quality/tablet.html">Tablet App Quality 115Checklist</a></strong> — A set recommendations for delivering the best 116possible 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 125Google Play users of its maturity level. Before you publish, you should confirm 126what 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 136for browsing. Google Play then filters apps based on the setting, so the content 137rating you select can affect the app's distribution to users. You can assign (or 138change) the content rating for your app in the Developer Console, so no changes 139are 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 154distributed to. For widest reach and the largest potential customer base, you 155would normally want to distribute to all available countries and territories. 156However, because of business needs, app requirements, or launch dependencies, 157you 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 160can 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 165countries</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 170your localization needs are, both in your app and in its Google Play listing 171details, and start the work of localization well in advance of your 172launch 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 188Google 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 190secondary download, you can use <a 191href="{@docRoot}google/play/expansion-files.html">APK Expansion Files</a>, 192which Google Play will host for free on its server infrastructure and 193automatically 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 198each APK.</li> 199</ul> 200 201<p>Using APK Expansion files is a convenient, cost-effective method of 202distributing large apps. However, the use of APK Expansion Files requires some 203changes in your app binary, so you will need to make those changes before 204creating 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}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 219run properly on the Android platform versions and device screen sizes that you 220want to target. 221 222<p>From an app-compatibility perspective, Android platform versions are defined 223by <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html#ApiLevels">API level</a>. You should 224confirm the minimum version that your app is compatible with (<a 225href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html"><code><minSdkVersion></code></a>), 226as that will affect its distribution to Android 227devices once it is published. </p> 228 229<p>For screen sizes, you should confirm that the app runs properly and looks 230good on the range of screen sizes and densities that you want to support. You 231should confirm the minimum screen-size and density support that your app 232declares (<a 233href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-element.html"><code><supports-screens></code></a>), 234since that can affect its distribution to 235Android devices once it is published. </p> 236 237<p>To get a better understanding of the current device penetration of Android 238platform versions and screen sizes across all Android devices, see the <a 239href="{@docRoot}about/dashboards/index.html">Device Dashboard</a> 240charts.</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 256can be downloaded by any Android user in Google Play. 257Paid apps can be downloaded only by users who have registered a form of payment 258in 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 261Play, <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 265a priced app. However, you can still sell in-app products and 266subscriptions 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 268it at any time to being a free app (but cannot then change it back to 269priced). 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, 273you 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}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}google/play/billing/index.html">In-app 288Billing</a> lets you sell digital content in your applications. You can use the 289service to sell a wide range of content, including downloadable content such as 290media files or photos, and virtual content such as game levels or potions. 291In-app Billing service lets you sell one-time purchases and subscriptions from 292inside your app. This can help you to monetize the app over its installed 293lifetime. </p> 294 295<p>If your are looking for more ways to monetize your app and build engagement, 296you should consider In-app Billing. The service has become very popular with 297both users and developers. To use In-app Billing, you need to make changes to 298your app binary, so you will need to complete and test your implementation 299before 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}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 314set prices for your products in a variety of currencies, for users in markets 315around the world. You can set prices individually in different currencies, so 316you have the flexibility to adjust your price according to market conditions and 317exchange rates. </p> 318 319<p>Before you publish, consider how you will price your products 320and what your prices will be in various currencies. Later, you can set prices 321in 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 347needs and start the work of localizing well in advance of your target 348launch date.</p> 349 350<p>There are at least three 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 your app's store listing details on Google Play</li> 355<li>Localizing the app's graphic assets, screenshots, and videos that accompany your store listing.</li> 356</ul> 357 358<p>To get started localizing your app, work with your development team to extract 359any resource or coded strings for translation. Also identify images, icons, or 360other assets that should be language- or locale-specific. Hand these off to 361a translator.</p> 362 363<p>To localize your store listing, first create and finalize your app title, description, 364and promotional text. Collect and send all of these for localization. You can optionally 365translate the "Recent Changes" text for app updates as well. Later you can add your localized 366listing details in the Developer Console, or you can choose to let Google Play auto-translate 367your listing details into the languages you support.</p> 368 369<p>A key part of making your app listing attractive to a global customer base is 370creating localized versions of your promotional graphics, screenshots and 371videos. For example, your app's feature graphic might include text that should 372be translated, for maximum effectiveness. You can create different versions of 373your promotional graphics for each language and upload them to the Developer 374Console. If you offer a promotional video, you can create localized versions of 375it and then add a link to the correct localized video for each language you 376support.</p> 377 378<p>When your translations are complete, move them into your app resources as needed and test 379that they are loaded properly. Save your app's translated listing details for later, 380when you upload assets and configure your product details.</p> 381 382<table> 383<tr> 384<td><p>Related resources:</p> 385<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 386<li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/localization.html">Localization</a></strong> — How to supply localized resources in your app.</li> 387</ul> 388</td> 389</tr> 390</table> 391 392<h2 id="graphics">12. Prepare promotional graphics, screenshots, and videos</h2> 393 394<p>When you publish on Google Play, you can supply a variety of high-quality 395graphic assets to showcase your app or brand. After you publish, these appear on 396your product details page, in store listings and search results, and elsewhere. 397These graphic assets are key parts of a successful product details page that 398attracts and engages users, so you should consider having a professional produce 399them for you. Screen shots and videos are also very important, because they show 400what your app looks like, how it's used or played, and what makes it different.</p> 401 402<div class="sidebox-wrapper"> 403<div class="sidebox"> 404<h3>Localize your promotional graphics and videos<span class="new"> new!</span></h3> 405<p>Google Play now lets you provide different promotional graphics for each 406language you support. Localizing your graphics helps you reach your global 407user base more effectively and is highly recommended.</p> 408</div> 409</div> 410<p>All of your graphic assets should be designed so that they are easy to see 411and highlight your app or brand in a colorful, interesting way. The assets 412should reference the same logo and icon as users will actually find in the All 413Apps launcher once they have downloaded the app. Your graphic assets should also 414fit in well with the graphic assets of other apps published by you, which will 415be also be displayed to users on your product details page. </p> 416 417<p>To help you market your app more effectively to a global audience, Google 418Play lets you create localized versions of your promotional graphics, 419screenshots, and videos and upload them to the Developer Console. When a user 420visits your app's store listing, Google Play displays the promotional graphic 421and video that you've provided for the user's language.</p> 422 423<p>To localize your promotional graphics, you can translate any embedded text, use 424different imagery or presentation, or change your marketing approach to best address the needs 425of users in specific languages. For example, if your feature or promotional graphic 426includes and embedded product name or tag line, you can translate that text 427and add it to a localized version of the promotional graphic.</p> 428 429<p>Because your localized graphic assets and videos are so important, you should get 430started on creating them and localizing them as needed, well in advance of your target 431publishing date. </p> 432 433<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> Localized promotional graphics and videos are supported 434in the Developer Console Preview only.</p> 435 436<table> 437<tr> 438<td><p>Related resources:</p> 439<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 440<li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1078870">Graphic Assets for your Application 441</a></strong> — Details about the graphic assets you need to upload before publishing.</li> 442<li><strong><a href="http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/10/android-market-featured-image.html">Google Play Featured Image Guidelines 443</a></strong> — Blog post that highlights key design considerations for your app's featured image.</li> 444</ul> 445</td> 446</tr> 447</table> 448 449<h2 id="apk">13. Build and upload the release-ready APK</h2> 450 451<p>When you are satisfied that your app meets your UI, compatibility, and 452quality requirements, you can build the release-ready version of the app. The 453release-ready APK is what you you will upload to the Developer Console and 454distribute to users. 455 456<p>The process for preparing a release-ready APK is the same for all apps, 457regardless of how they are distributed. Generally the process includes basic code cleanup 458and optimization, building and signing with your release key, and final testing. 459When you are finished preparing your application for release, you'll have a signed 460APK file that you can upload to the Developer Console for distribution to 461users. </p> 462 463<p>For complete details on how to create a release-ready version of your app, 464read <a href="{@docRoot}tools/publishing/preparing.html">Preparing for 465Release</a>.</p> 466 467<p>Once you have the release-ready APK in hand, you can upload it to 468the Developer Console. If necessary, you can replace the APK with a more 469recent version before publishing. </p> 470 471<table> 472<tr> 473<td><p>Related resources:</p> 474<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 475<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> 476</ul> 477</td> 478</tr> 479</table> 480 481<h2 id="product-page">14. Complete the app's product details</h2> 482 483<p>On Google Play, your app's product information is shown to users on its 484product details page, the page that users visit to learn more about your app and 485the page from which they will decide to purchase or download your app, on their 486Android devices or on the web.</p> 487 488<p>Google Play gives you a variety of ways to promote your app and engage with 489users on your product details page, from colorful graphics, screenshots, and 490videos to localized descriptions, release details, and links to your other apps. 491As you prepare to publish your app, make sure that you take advantage of all 492that your product details page can offer, making your app as compelling as 493possible to users.</p> 494 495<p>You should begin planning your product page in advance of your target launch 496date, arranging for localized description, high-quality graphic assets, 497screenshots and video, and so on. </p> 498 499<p>As you get near your target publishing date, you should become familiar with 500all the fields, options, and assets associated with the product details configuration 501page in the Developer Console. As you collect the information and assets for the 502page, make sure that you can enter or upload it to the Developer Console, until 503the page is complete and ready for publishing. </p> 504 505<p>After you've set your app's geographic targeting in the Developer Console, 506remember to add your localized product details, promotional graphics, and so on, for all of the 507languages that you support.</p> 508 509<p>If your app is targeting tablet devices, make sure to include at least one screen 510shot of the app running on a tablet, and highlight your app's support for tablets 511in the app description, release notes, promotional campaigns, and elsewhere.</p> 512 513<table> 514<tr> 515<td><p>Related resources:</p> 516<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 517<li><strong><a href="http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113475&topic=2365760&ctx=topic">Category types 518</a></strong> — Help Center document listing available categories for apps.</li> 519<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 520</a></strong> — Help Center document describing the various graphics you can add to your product listing.</li> 521</ul> 522</td> 523</tr> 524</table> 525 526<h2 id="badges">15. Use Google Play badges and links in your promotional 527campaigns</h2> 528 529<p>Google Play badges give you an officially branded way of promoting your app 530to Android users. Use the <a 531href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/badges.html">Google Play Badge 532generator</a> to quickly create badges to link users to your products from web 533pages, ads, reviews, and more. You can also use special <a 534href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.html">link formats</a> 535to link directly to your product details page, to a list of your products, or to 536search results.</p> 537 538<p>To help your app get traction after launch, it's strongly recommended that you support 539launch with a promotional campaign that announces your product through many channels as 540possible, in as many countries as possible. For example, you can promote the launch 541using ad placements, social network or blog posts, video and other media, interviews 542and reviews, or any other channel available.</p> 543 544<table> 545<tr> 546<td><p>Related resources:</p> 547<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 548<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> 549<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> 550</ul> 551</td> 552</tr> 553</table> 554 555<h2 id="final-checks">16. Final checks and publishing</h2> 556 557<p>When you think you are ready to publish, sign in to the Developer Console and take a few moments for a few 558final checks:</p> 559 560<p>Make sure that: </p> 561 562<ul> 563<li>Your developer profile has the correct information and is linked to the proper Google Checkout Merchant account (if you are selling products).</li> 564<li>You have the right version of the app uploaded.</li> 565<li>All parts of your Product Details are ready, including all graphic assets, screenshots, video, localized descriptions, and so on. </li> 566<li>You have set your app's pricing to free or priced.</li> 567<li>You have set country (and carrier) targeting and priced your products (if appropriate) in buyer currencies</li> 568<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> 569<li>You have provided the correct link to your web site and the correct support email address.</li> 570<li>Your app does not violate content policy guidelines.</li> 571<li>You have acknowledged that your app meets the guidelines for Android content on Google Play and also US export laws. </li> 572</ul> 573 574<p>Your app is now ready to publish!</p> 575 576<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> 577 578<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> 579 580<table> 581<tr> 582<td><p>Related resources:</p> 583<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 584<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> 585<li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/promote/linking.html">Updates</a></strong> — Requirements for app updates in Google Play.</li> 586<li><strong><a href="{@docRoot}support.html">Developer Support</a></strong> — Support resources that you can use to find answers and report issues.</li> 587</ul> 588</td> 589</tr> 590</table> 591 592 593<h2 id="support">17. Support users after launch</h2> 594 595<p>After you publish an app or an app update, it's crucial for you to support 596your customers. Prompt and courteous support can provide a better experience for 597users that results in better ratings and more positive reviews for your 598products. Users are likely to be more engaged with your app and recommend it if 599you are responsive to their needs and feedback. This is especially true after 600publishing if you are using a coordinated promotional campaign.</p> 601 602<p>There are a number of ways that you can keep in touch with users and offer 603them support. The most fundamental is to provide your <em>support email 604address</em> on your product details page. Beyond that, you can provide support 605in any way you choose, such as a forum, mailing list or a Google+ page. The 606Google Play team does provide user support for downloading, installing and 607payments issues, but issues that fall outside of these topics will fall under 608your domain. Examples of issues you can support include: feature requests, 609questions about using the app and questions about compatibility settings. </p> 610 611<p>After publishing, plan to: </p> 612<ul> 613<li>Check your ratings and reviews frequently on your app's product details 614page. Watch for recurring issues that could signal bugs or other issues. </li> 615<li>Be mindful of new Android platform version launches, as compatibility 616settings for your apps might need to be updated.</li> 617<li>Put a link to your support resources on your web site and set up any other 618support such as forums.</li> 619<li>Provide an appropriate support email address on your product details page 620and respond to users when they take the time to email you.</li> 621<li>Beyond the automatic refund window offered by Google Play, be generous with 622your own refund policy, as satisfied users will be more likely to purchase in 623the future. </li> 624<li>Acknowledge and fix issues in your app. It helps to be transparent and 625list known issues on your product details page proactively. </li> 626<li>Publish updates as frequently as you are able, without sacrificing quality 627or annoying users with too-frequent updates. </li> 628<li>With each update, make sure to provide a summary of what's changed. You can 629enter this information in the Developer Console. Users will read it and 630appreciate that you are serious about improving the quality of your app. </li> 631</ul> 632 633<table> 634<tr> 635<td><p>Related resources:</p> 636<ul style="margin-top:-.5em;"> 637<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 638</a></strong> — Help Center document describing options for supporting users.</li> 639<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> 640<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> 641</ul> 642</td> 643</tr> 644</table> 645 646 647 648