Prepare your app for review

This article helps Google Play developers navigate the App content page (Monitor and improve > Policy and programs > App content) to submit mandatory safety, policy, and legal declarations before publishing. Before you begin, make sure you complete all prerequisite tasks, including setting up your Play Console account and creating an app bundle. On the App content page, you provide and manage the information we need to ensure that your app is safe for its intended users, complies with Google Play Developer Program Policies, and satisfies legal requirements.

Overview

The App content page lets us know about the content of your app. You can complete policy declarations and provide other information, such as special access instructions for reviewers, on this page.

To make sure your app complies with Google Play policies, actions you can perform on the App content page include:

Add your privacy policy to share how you treat sensitive user and device data.
Declare whether your app contains ads.
Provide and manage instructions on how to access restricted parts of your app.
Provide details about the target audience and content of your app.
Describe how you intend to use any high-risk or sensitive permissions—for example, SMS or Call Log permissions.
Receive content ratings from official rating authorities.
Tell us about the privacy and security practices of your app.

The App content page has two tabs:

Needs attention: This tab displays policy declarations that require your attention. You must complete the declarations before the relevant deadlines to comply with Google Play policies.
Actioned: This tab displays policy declarations that you already actioned. We let you know if we find any issues. To comply with Google Play policies, review the information you provided regularly and ensure that it remains up to date.

Provide app information

Privacy policy

Adding a privacy policy to your app's store listing helps provide transparency about how you treat sensitive user and device data.

You must link to a privacy policy on your store listing and within your app, even if your app doesn't access personal or sensitive user data or target children. Check the User data policy to avoid common violations, and consult your legal representative to advise you on what is required.

To prevent review delays, make sure your privacy policy meets the following requirements:

It is hosted on an active, publicly accessible URL (starting with http:// or https://) with a valid SSL certificate.
It is accessible worldwide without geographical restrictions, geofencing, or login requirements.
It is displayed on a standard, non-editable webpage (not a PDF or downloadable file).
It applies specifically to your app, covers user privacy, and comprehensively discloses how your app collects, uses, and shares user data, including the types of parties with whom it is shared.

Add a privacy policy

Sign in to Play Console, select your app, and go to the App content page (Monitor and improve > Policy and programs > App content).
Under 'Privacy Policy', click Start declaration.

Note: If you previously added a privacy policy and want to make changes, click Manage instead of Start declaration.
Enter the URL hosting the privacy policy online.
Save your changes.

You must declare whether your app contains ads. This includes ads delivered through third-party ad software development kits (SDKs), display ads, native ads, or banner ads). Apps that contain ads show a "Contains ads" label on their store listing. This label will be visible to all Play Store users.

Note: The "Contains ads" label isn't meant to cover whether an app contains other kinds of commercial content, like paid product placement or offers to make in-app purchases or upgrades. If your app includes paid product placements, ensure they comply with local laws.

Declare whether your app contains ads

Sign in to Play Console, select your app, and go to the App content page (Monitor and improve > Policy and programs > App content).
Under 'Ads', click Start declaration.

Note: If you previously declared whether your app contains ads and you want to make changes, click Manage instead of Start declaration.
Review the Ads policy to make sure your app is compliant, and select Yes or No.
Save your changes.

Examples

The following list provides examples of when you should answer Yes to having ads for the "Contains ads" label. This isn't a comprehensive list, but it highlights common types of ads.

Banner and interstitials: Your app integrates with an Ad SDK to show banners or interstitials. You use the ad formats to monetize or promote your own products or apps.
Native ads: Your app includes ads that are natively indistinguishable from other content—for example, sponsored articles or ads within a feed.
House ads: Your app renders a small ad banner, interstitial ad, ad wall, or widget to promote your other apps.

Select No to having ads for purposes of the "Contains ads" label if you only cross-promote your other apps in the following ways:

The app displays a 'More Apps' section in the main menu leading a user to your other apps.
The 'More Apps' option does not interfere with gameplay.
The 'More Apps' option does not confuse users by embedding itself within the gameplay.

Other acceptable substitutions for 'More Apps' include 'More Games', 'More to Explore', 'Full Version', 'More', 'About Us', or your developer Icon.

Additional monitoring

While you're responsible for accurately declaring ad presence in your apps, Google may verify this at any time and display the "Contains ads" label if appropriate.

If you believe our system incorrectly labeled your app, contact our support team for help.

Enforcement

Misrepresenting the presence of ads in your app is considered a violation of the Google Play policies and can result in the suspension of your app.

Sign-in details

If your entire app or parts of your app are restricted based on login credentials, sign in details, memberships, location, or other forms of authentication, you must provide all required details to enable access to your app.

Add instructions for sign-in details

Open Play Console and go to the App content page (Policy and programs > App content).
Under "Sign-in details," select Start.
- Note: If you’ve previously added instructions for sign-in details and you want to make changes, you’ll see and select Manage instead of Start.
Click + Add new instructions and provide your access details.
- Note: Use the "Any other instructions" field to let us know if there’s anything special about your login mechanisms, such as using a one-time password, multi-factor authentication, or logins with more than two fields.
Save your changes.

If your update is rejected or your app is removed, please follow the instructions below to resubmit your app for review. You can complete these steps without contacting or waiting for a reply from the policy support team.

Open Play Console and go to the Sign-in details page.
Update your Sign-in details information and click Save.
Go to the Publishing overview page. You can find your changes in the "Changes ready to send for review" section.
Click Send for review to submit your changes for review. Go to this Help Center article to learn more about managing when changes are reviewed and published.

Note: You can add up to five sets of instructions.

Target audience and content

You must declare your app's target age group. Any apps that include children in their target audience must comply with Google Play's Families policy requirements.

It's important to provide accurate information about your app. Depending on the target audience selections, your app may be subject to additional Google Play policies. You can familiarize yourself with those policies and learn how to fill out the 'Target audience and content' section of the App content page.

You can also learn about the process and review the interactive checklist in the Understanding Google Play's Families policies topic on the Academy for App Success.

Permissions declaration form

Permission requests are evaluated during the release process after you add your Android App Bundle. If your app requests the use of high-risk or sensitive permissions—for example, SMS or Call Log permissions—you may be required to complete the Permissions Declaration Form and receive approval from Google Play.

Learn about the process and see how to complete the Permissions Declaration Form on the App content page.

Content ratings

You can communicate familiar and locally relevant content ratings to your users and help improve app engagement by targeting the right audience for your content.

To prevent your apps from being listed as "Unrated," sign in to Play Console and fill out the questionnaire for each of your apps as soon as possible. Unrated apps may be removed from Google Play.

See Content rating requirements for apps, games, and the ads served on both to learn more about specific ratings authorities and descriptions, and for instructions on how to complete this section of the App content page.

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