4.1 KiB
Google Play store presence runbook
This runbook records the exact local inputs and the observed Console gaps. It does not authorize saving fields in Play Console or publishing a release.
Observed Console state on 2026-08-10
- App type is App.
- App category is not selected.
- Tags are not selected.
- Store-listing contact email, phone, and website are empty.
- No default store listing has been created.
- A second read-only inspection found the default English listing still empty
except for an existing unsaved app-name value
Who Need Help. The unsaved value was preserved; no field was entered, discarded, saved, or published. - The Dashboard showed 9 of 11 setup tasks complete. The remaining setup tasks were category/contact details and the store listing.
These are direct observations from the authenticated Play Console session on that date. Recheck the Console before applying because its fields and policy requirements can change.
Prepared local inputs
- English listing:
android/play-store/store-listing-en-US.md - Ukrainian listing:
android/play-store/store-listing-uk-UA.md - Russian listing:
android/play-store/store-listing-ru-RU.md - Icon:
android/store-assets/icon-512.png - Feature graphic:
android/store-assets/feature-graphic-1024x500.png - Phone screenshots:
android/store-assets/screenshots/phone/ - Screenshot alt text:
android/store-assets/README.md
Run ./scripts/android-store-assets-validate.sh immediately before upload.
The validator checks image dimensions/formats and listing-length constraints;
it does not prove Play policy approval or visual quality.
The validator passed again on 2026-08-10, and a fresh combined visual review confirmed that the approved icon, feature graphic, and four phone screenshots contain no visible email, private message, handover code, or real precise location.
Contact fields
- Public support email candidate:
contact@whoneedhelp.com - Website:
https://whoneedhelp.com/ - Public phone: leave empty unless the operator deliberately chooses a number that can be published and monitored.
Do not save the email merely because it is used as an outbound sender. First send a real inbound message to it, observe arrival in the monitored mailbox, and verify that replies are handled. Google recommends keeping the public app support address distinct from the developer-account sign-in address.
Category and child-safety gate
The prepared listing suggests Social, which accurately describes the community and participant features. Google Play's current Child Safety Standards policy applies to every app that declares itself as Social, including adult-only apps. Before saving that category or self-certifying:
- Deploy and open the globally accessible
/child-safetystandards. - Verify the in-app and public report paths for child-safety content.
- Select a monitored child-safety point of contact who can access the urgent restricted queue and act on reports.
- Test inbound delivery to the selected contact.
- Confirm the launch-jurisdiction escalation and authority-reporting process.
- Record the evidence and only then complete Play's self-certification.
Do not choose a less accurate category merely to avoid a policy declaration. Do not claim cross-jurisdiction legal compliance from the presence of a page, queue, or automated test.
Suggested apply order after explicit permission
- Recheck the current Console fields and policy warnings read-only.
- Verify the production policy/support URLs and monitored email.
- Save category, tags, contact email, and website.
- Create the default English (United States) listing with prepared text, images, and alt text.
- Add Ukrainian and Russian localizations from their prepared files.
- Reopen the Dashboard and verify both setup tasks are marked complete.
- Recheck App content; do not start Closed or Production rollout as part of store-presence setup.
Official references rechecked on 2026-08-10: