# playstore-release-mcp

An MCP server that drives Google Play releases: bundle upload, track releases (internal /
closed / open / production), listing metadata, store graphics, and review replies.

**Sibling to [appstore-release-mcp](https://github.com/rabdulsal/appstore-release-mcp).** Same
shape, same conventions — but simpler in one important way: Play's REST API can do the *entire*
release. There's no equivalent to Apple's "archive, sign, and upload" gap, because a `.aab` built
by EAS Build (or Gradle) already arrives signed. This server is a pure Android Publisher API
client — no fastlane, no local build toolchain, no async job runner.

## Requirements

- A Google Cloud service account with the **Android Publisher API** enabled, granted access to
  your app in Play Console.
- An **existing** app record in Play Console. The Android Publisher API cannot create a brand-new
  app — the very first app must be created by hand (Play Console → Create app).

## Setup

1. **Create a service account** (once): Google Cloud Console → IAM & Admin → Service Accounts →
   Create Service Account → skip granting Cloud-level roles → Keys → Add Key → JSON. Download it.

2. **Grant it access in Play Console:** Play Console → Users and permissions → Invite new users →
   paste the service account's email (from the JSON's `client_email` field) → grant at least
   *Release manager* permissions on the app(s) it should manage.

3. **Register with Claude Code:**

```bash
claude mcp add playstore \
  -e GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_PATH=$HOME/.play/service-account.json \
  -e PLAY_PACKAGE_NAME=com.example.myapp \
  -- npx playstore-release-mcp
```

(Or `GOOGLE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_CONTENT` with the JSON base64-encoded, if you'd rather not keep
the key on disk.)

4. **Verify:** ask the agent to run `play_doctor`. All checks should be ✓.

## Tools

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| `play_doctor` | Verify credentials, package name, API reachability — run first |
| `play_app_status` | All tracks + their current release, version codes, rollout % |
| `play_upload_bundle` | Upload a local `.aab` → returns the resulting versionCode |
| `play_release_to_track` | Assign a versionCode to a track, set status/rollout %/release notes |
| `play_update_listing` | Title / short description / full description, per locale |
| `play_upload_graphics` | Screenshots, hi-res icon, feature graphic — Play's API allows this directly |
| `play_list_reviews` | Recent user reviews with star ratings and text |
| `play_reply_review` | Post a public developer reply to a review |

## Release walkthrough

```
play_doctor
play_upload_bundle {aab_path: "./build/app.aab"}        # → versionCode
play_release_to_track {track: "internal", version_code}  # no review gate — fast sanity check
...
play_release_to_track {track: "production", version_code, status: "completed"}
play_app_status                                           # confirm rollout
```

Staged rollout example: `play_release_to_track {track: "production", version_code, status:
"inProgress", rollout_fraction: 0.1}` ships to 10% of users; call it again with a higher fraction
to widen, or `status: "completed"` to go to 100%.

## What this can't do

Play Console (web) only — no public API exists for either of these, as far as I've found:

- **Data Safety form** — the data-collection disclosure questionnaire.
- **Content rating (IARC) questionnaire.**

Both are one-time-per-app forms (rarely touched after initial setup), so this is a minor gap in
practice, but worth knowing going in — don't expect a `play_update_data_safety` tool.

## Notes

- Google's OAuth2 flow requires exchanging a signed JWT for an access token (one extra network
  call versus Apple's ES256 JWT, which is used directly as the bearer token). Tokens are cached
  and refreshed automatically.
- Play's release model is transactional ("Edits"): open an edit, stage changes, commit. Only one
  open edit per app is allowed at a time. Every tool here opens and commits (or abandons, on
  error) its own edit — you never have to think about edit IDs.
- `play_release_to_track` targeting `production` is the point of no return for a public rollout —
  the tool description tells agents to confirm with a human first, same convention as
  `appstore-release-mcp`'s `asc_submit_review`.

## License

MIT