Having a Google Play developer account and publishing apps in the name of your brand not only enhances a sense of brand ownership but also increases store visibility. This makes your brand more searchable, facilitating the implementation of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and App Store Optimization (ASO).
This article will show you how to create and authorize a Google Play developer account:
⚠️ Before you start, please be reminded that:
The Google Play developer account is an asset created by your company and is not owned by SHOPLINE. Please regularly check your email inbox. If you receive any warnings or notifications from Google Play (excluding feature update reminders), contact us immediately for assistance to avoid any disruptions to your account.
1. Create a Google Play developer account
i. Organizational account
Step 1. Go to the website
Please first log in to your account on this website. If you do not have a Google account, please proceed to this webpage to register a new Google account.
Step 2. Choose your account type
Choose "An organization" and click on Get started ➔.
Next, review the information required for creating an organizational account and then click Continue.
Step 3. Give them a developer name
Please fill in the developer name. It is recommended to directly enter the company name here.
Next, you'll be required to link a payments profile to verify your organization. Please click Create or select payments profile.
- If your Google account is already linked to an existing payment method, you can directly see the option available in the upcoming pop-up window.
- If your Google account is not yet linked to any payment method, you will need to click on Create or select payments profile and follow the instructions to enter the required information.
You will be asked to enter your D-U-N-S number. After entering the code, click on the Next button.
Upon entering the 9-digit D-U-N-S code, click on Confirm > Got it. You will then be redirected to the "Link a payments profile to verify your organization" page, and then click Next to proceed.
Fill in the detailed information for your organization. You need to select your company type and size and enter the company's phone number and email address. Upon completion, click on Next.
Step 4. Complete Public Developer Profile
Enter the phone number and email of the developer as instructed, and click on Verify phone number and Verify email address respectively for verification. Upon successful verification, the page will appear as shown below, then click on Next.
*Note: This info will be displayed on the app's download page on Google Play Store after your app is published.
Step 5. Add personal info
If you have no prior experience using Play Console or any Android development experience, you can truthfully fill in "No experience" in the input box. Upon completion, click on Next to proceed.
Step 6. Complete the "Apps" page
You're advised to complete this section as instructed below:
- Number of apps: Select 1 or 2-5 from the drop-down menu
- Earning money on Google Play: No
- App categories: None of the above
Step 7. Enter the details for "How Google contacts you"
Enter the contact person's name, email address, preferred language, and contact phone number as instructed, and then click on Next.
Step 8. Confirm the terms
Check both options and click Create account and pay.
Step 9. Complete the purchase
Enter payment (card) information and click Save card to purchase. Upon successful payment, it indicates that the account has been successfully created.
*Note: The Google Developer Registration fee is US$25, and it is a one-time payment with no further charges.
Step 10. Verify account
After registering, you can access the Google Play Console page to check if you need additional account verification. There are three possible scenarios.
*Note: The account can only publish apps after completing the required verifications.
a. Verify identity: Confirm the name, address, and other information are aligned with the identity document you uploaded. Any discrepancies will result in verification failure, requiring you to resubmit your information. This could delay your access to app publishing.
For more information, please refer to the official guidelines.
b. Verify website: Click View details and follow the instructions for verification. For more information, please refer to the official guidelines, Verify Google Search Console and Submit Sitemap.
c. Verify Android mobile device: You can use an Android mobile device with Android 10 or above for verification. Click View details and follow the instructions for verification. For more information, please refer to the official guidelines.
ii. Personal account
There are differences between organizational and personal accounts not only in the information provided during application but also in the process of publishing the app to the app store.
For personal accounts, before releasing the official version, the app must undergo closed testing, involving at least 12 testers who have actively participated in testing for at least the past 14 days. The testing process needs to be conducted independently by the developer, so you are advised to carefully evaluate whether to use a personal account for app submission. Click here for more information.
Step 1. Go to the website
Please first log in to your account on this website. If you do not have a Google account, please proceed to this webpage to register a new Google account.
Step 2. Choose your account type
Choose "Yourself" and click on Get started ➔.
Check the required information for creating a personal account and click Continue.
Step 3. Enter the developer name
Please fill in the developer name. It is recommended to directly enter the company or app name here. Upon completion, click Next to proceed.
Next, you'll be required to link a payments profile to verify your organization. Please click Create or select payments profile.
- If your Google account is already linked to an existing payment method, you can directly see the option available in the upcoming pop-up window.
- If your Google account has not been linked to any payment method, you need to click on Create or select payments profile > Create new payment profile > Continue. Follow the instructions to enter the required information and click Save.
Step 4. Complete Public Developer Profile
Fill in and verify the developer's email address. Upon checking the acknowledgement, click Next.
Step 5. Fill in the personal info
You're advised to complete this section as instructed below:
- Your Play Console and Android experience: If you have no experience using Google Play Management Center and Android, please truthfully indicate "No experience" in the input box; if you have relevant experience, you can fill in the information based on the three points listed above of the input box
- Other Google Accounts: If you have not operated with another Google account, check "No"; otherwise, choose "Yes"
- Website: Input your official website
Step 6. Complete the "Apps" page
You're advised to complete this section as instructed below:
- Number of apps: Select 1 or 2-5 from the drop-down menu
- Earning money on Google Play: No
- App categories: None of the above
Step 7. Fill in the contact information for the account
You're advised to complete the contact info section as instructed below:
- Contact name: Enter the applicant's name
- Contact email address: Fill in the company's email address; if unavailable, you can provide the applicant's email address instead. Upon filling it in, click Verify email address to proceed with email verification
- Preferred language: Choose the appropriate language based on your preference
- Contact phone number: It is necessary to provide a contact phone number capable of receiving text messages or answering calls. Upon filling it in, click Verify phone number > Verify or Send me a text to undergo phone verification (i.e. you can choose to receive the verification code via text message or phone call)
Step 8. Confirm the terms
Check both options and click Create account and pay.
Step 9. Complete the purchase
Enter payment (card) information and click Save card to purchase. Upon successful payment, it indicates that the account has been successfully created.
*Note: The Google Developer Registration fee is US$25, and it is a one-time payment with no further charges.
2. Authorize a Google Play developer account
Step 1
In the Google Play Console, go to the "User and permissions" tab and click on Invite new users.
Step 2
On the "Invite user" page, enter googledeveloper@shopline.com to the email address blank below "User details" and uncheck the "Set access expiry date" box. And in the "Account permissions" tab, check the box for "Admin (all permissions)" and then click Invite user at the bottom right.
Step 3
In the Google Play Console, find and copy the "Developer name" and the "Developer account ID".
*Note: This name will be displayed on the download page on Google Play.
Go to SHOPLINE Admin > [Mobile App Management] > [App Publish Settings] > [Developer account authorization] and click on Edit next to that section.
Next, paste the copied name into the following fields. Upon completion, click the Save button at the bottom of the page.
- Paste the "Developer name" into the "Google Play Developer Name" field.
- Paste the "Developer account ID" into the "Google Play authorized developer account ID" field.
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