1What FoxPlug reads from Google Play
These are the exact things it reads, and nothing else.
| What | The details it takes |
|---|---|
| The release tracks of one app | for the package name you give, every track and its releases: track name, release name and release status. Only releases with status completed and a name are kept as released |
| Newest customer reviews | 20 reviews for that app: review id, star rating and review text (text cut to 1500 characters) |
| A memory of what it saw last time | the list of released track and version pairs and the review ids seen, kept on your connection so the next check can tell what is new |
2Moments it finds, and what each becomes
A moment is one thing that happened in Google Play worth a second look. Each one is scored, then it becomes a post, a changelog entry, a thing to fix or an idea to email, or it is skipped.
a new release is completed on one of the app's tracks
The moment is titled like this: Released com.acme.trailmap 2.4.0
Your app with package name com.acme.trailmap finishes rolling out release 2.4.0 on the production track. On your next press of Check for what's new, FoxPlug makes the moment 'Released com.acme.trailmap 2.4.0' with the line 'com.acme.trailmap 2.4.0 is published on Google Play.' and a link to the store page.
a new 5-star review arrives
The moment is titled like this: New 5-star review for com.acme.trailmap
A customer leaves five stars and a comment. The moment carries the comment as its text. It is held, not posted: the Today brief offers it as a repost idea for a week.
a new 1-star review arrives
The moment is titled like this: New 1-star review for com.acme.trailmap
A customer leaves one star and writes that the app freezes on the map screen. The text is kept on the moment, and the Today brief shows it as the first card for three days.
a 2, 3 or 4-star review arrives
The moment is titled like this: none: only 5-star and 1-star reviews become moments
A four-star review is read but ignored. Only the two ends of the scale make a card.
3How the brain uses it
The rules below are the ones that apply to Google Play. The same rules, with worked examples, are on the brain page.
- A new version becomes an update and a changelog entry. A download or install milestone becomes an update once per step. How the brain decides
- A new 1-star rating or review becomes the first card in the Today brief for three days. How the brain decides
- A new 5-star rating or review becomes a repost idea in the Today brief for a week. It is never posted for you. How the brain decides
- The App Store and Google Play use your own read-only key. How the brain decides
- Reads are read-only and happen only when you press Build the brief or Check for what's new. How the brain decides
4Set up Google Play in a few steps
Access: service-account key file (JSON text) plus the app's package name in a second box. What to give it: service-account key (JSON), read-only access to one app.
- Open console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin/serviceaccounts and pick (or create) a project.
- Press Create service account, name it FoxPlug and press Done. Give it no roles.
- Open the new account, go to Keys, press Add key, then Create new key, and choose JSON. The file downloads once.
- Open the JSON file and copy everything in it.
- In Google Play Console open Users and permissions and press Invite new users.
- Paste the service account's email address and tick View app information and download bulk reports (read-only) for your app.
- Paste the JSON text into FoxPlug and write your app's package name, such as com.example.app, in the second field. Google can take some minutes to accept a newly invited service account.
5Limits worth knowing
Where it stops, so nothing surprises you.
- One app per connection, named by its package name; the 20 newest reviews are requested.
- The first read only records what exists; no release or review makes a moment until the second check.
- Only releases with status completed and a name count; a release still rolling out as a draft or in review is not seen.
- Only 5-star and 1-star reviews become moments, and the moment's title does not repeat the review text, which sits in its description.
- The version moment has no release date of its own, so it is stamped with the time of your check.
- If the review list cannot be fetched it reads as empty and versions are still checked.
6What it never reads
Read only means read only, and the list below is what the code leaves alone.
- Earnings, installs, crash reports, subscriptions or download statistics (only release tracks and reviews are requested)
- Other apps on your developer account (every request carries the one package name you typed)
- Anything it keeps changed: the temporary edit opened to read the tracks is deleted straight away
- Your replies to reviews: it only lists reviews and never posts a reply
7Questions
Is the Google Play key read-only?
The guide asks you to tick only View app information and download bulk reports (read-only) for your one app, and to give the service account no roles in Google Cloud. FoxPlug only reads release tracks and reviews.
What is the temporary edit mentioned in the connect panel?
To list release tracks, Google's API needs an open edit. FoxPlug opens one, reads the tracks and throws it away at once, so nothing is saved or published.
Why does connecting sometimes fail right after I invite the service account?
The connect panel says Google can take some minutes to accept a newly invited service account. Press Connect again after a few minutes.
Why is the package name asked for separately?
Every Google Play request is made for one app by its package name, shown in Play Console under the app name. The key file does not say which app you mean.
Does the first check make posts for my old releases?
No. The first check only records what is already released, so nothing old becomes a post.
FoxPlug reads this tool only when you press Check for what's new, and only to read. Plans and limits are on the pricing page. Questions: support.