Connect Google Play Store Account

This guide helps you connect your Google Play Store Publisher account with AppReviewBot to enhance the capabilities of AppReviewBot for your app.

Linking your Google Play Console to AppReviewBot

To maximize the benefits of AppReviewBot, consider integrating your Google Play Console account and granting view permissions. By linking your Google Play Console with AppReviewBot, you can:

1. Access app version details for every review
2. Get review alerts faster than others
3. Respond to reviews directly through AppReviewBot

This guide will walk you through the steps to connect your Google Play Console with AppReviewBot and how to permit access to your app reviews.

Establishing a New Connection with Google Play Console

You can connect your Google Play Console to AppReviewBot using one of two methods:

• Option 1 (Recommended): Use AppReviewBot's service account
• Option 2: Use your own Google service account

Choose the option that best fits your organization's security policies.

Option 1: Using AppReviewBot's Service Account (Recommended)

Step 1: Sign In

Access the Google Play Console and sign in using the account owner's credentials.

Step 2: Open "Users and Permissions"

From the sidebar, click on "Users and Permissions" tab.

Step 3: Grant Access to AppReviewBot

Click on "Add new user" and provide access to the following email address:

arb-play-store@app-reviews-402013.iam.gserviceaccount.com

Step 4: Set Account Permissions

App Permissions

Go to "App Permission" and select all the applications that you are or want to track with AppReviewBot.

Account Permissions

Move to "Account Permissions" and deselect all options, leaving only these two enabled:

• ✅ View app information and download bulk reports (read-only)

  • This grants AppReviewBot 'Visibility' permission to access the 'Reports' section of your Console account and retrieve historical review data

• ✅ Reply to reviews

  • This ensures you can respond directly from AppReviewBot

Then click on "Invite User"

Option 2: Using Your Own Google Service Account

If your organization prefers to use its own service account for enhanced security and control, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a Google Service Account

Create your own Google Cloud service account with the necessary permissions to access the Google Play Developer API.

Steps to create your service account:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project or select an existing one
3. Enable the Google Play Developer API
4. Create a service account with appropriate permissions
5. Download the service account JSON key file

Step 2: Grant Service Account Access in Google Play Console

After creating your service account, you need to grant it access to your Google Play Console:

1. Access the Google Play Console and sign in
2. Navigate to "Users and Permissions"
3. Click "Add new user" and add your service account email (e.g., your-service-account@your-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com)
4. Set App Permissions: Select all applications you want to track
5. Set Account Permissions: Enable only:
   • ✅ View app information and download bulk reports (read-only)
   • ✅ Reply to reviews
6. Click "Invite User"

Step 3: Share Service Account Details with AppReviewBot Support

To enable AppReviewBot to use your service account:

1. Open a support ticket at AppReviewBot Support
2. In your ticket, request to add your custom Google service account
3. Wait for our support experts to contact you
4. When contacted, securely share your service account JSON key file content with our team
5. Wait for our support team to configure your account

Step 4: Verify the Connection

Once our support team confirms that your service account has been added, you can proceed to connect your apps in the dashboard (see Step 5 below).

Connecting Your Account (Both Options)

Step 5: Connect Your Account in AppReviewBot Dashboard

Once you've granted permissions to AppReviewBot in Google Play Console, connect your account directly in the AppReviewBot dashboard:

1. Go to your AppReviewBot Dashboard
2. Click Store Accounts in the sidebar
3. Click "Add Google Play Store Account"
4. Follow the on-screen instructions that match how you set up your Google Play Console:
   • Option 1: If you added AppReviewBot's service account (recommended)
   • Option 2: If you created your own Google Service Account
5. Search for your Google Play Store apps one by one
6. Add them to your selection
7. Click "Link Account" to complete the setup

Step 6: All Set!

Once connected, you'll be able to:

• Reply to Google Play reviews directly from Slack or Webex
• Access review analytics and insights
• Receive real-time review notifications
• View complete review history for your apps

Who Can Access This Data?

The data collected under the authenticated Google Play app (indicated by a green padlock icon) can only be accessed by users associated with teams that have a linked Google Play Developer Console account for that app connected to their team.

This ensures your app review data remains secure and accessible only to authorized team members.