Get started with the Play Games Services Publishing API

To start making calls to the Publishing API, you must link to an API project directly from the Google Play Console and enable the Publishing API for that project. Once your API project is set up, it can be used to manage other game projects you own.

The Publishing API can only be configured by the owner of your Google Play Developer account. The following instructions explain how to:

  • Set up a new or existing API project
  • Manage OAuth clients
  • Use a service account to access the Publishing API

Set up your API Project

Before you can access the Publishing API, you must link Google Play Console to an API project. In most cases, you are encouraged to create a new API project, though current Google Play Developer Publishing API users can link to an existing API project. Keep in mind that each API project can only be linked to a single Google Play Console account.

Create a new API project

  1. Go to the API Access page on the Google Play Console.
  2. Accept the Terms of Service.
  3. Click Create new project. An API project is automatically generated and linked to your Google Play Console.
  4. Turn the Game Services Publishing API option to ON.

Your API project is now configured to access the Publishing API.

Use an existing API project

If you are already a user of the Google Play Developer API, you can set up your existing API project by following these steps. If the API project you want to set up is not listed, verify that your Google Play Console account is designated as an Owner, and the Google Play Developer API is enabled.

  1. Go to the API Access page on the Google Play Console.
  2. Accept the API Terms of Service.
  3. Choose the project you’d like to set up.
  4. Click Link. Your Google Play Console is now linked to the API project.
  5. Turn the Game Services Publishing API option to ON.

Your API project is now configured to access the Publishing API.

Set Up API Access Clients

You access the Publishing API through an OAuth client or a service account.

Use OAuth clients

You can allow users to perform actions via the Publishing API under their own credentials using an OAuth client.

A user’s actions are limited to those permitted via the User Accounts & Rights page on the Google Play Console.

  1. Go to the API Access page on the Google Play Console.
  2. Under OAuth Clients, click Create OAuth Client.
  3. Configure your product's branding information, and click Continue.
  4. Click Create Client ID.

The details of your new OAuth client are displayed in a list on this page.

Use a service account

You can also create a service account to access the Publishing API from a build server without providing your personal user credentials:

  1. Go to the API Access page on the Google Play Console.
  2. Under Service Accounts, click Create Service Account.
  3. Follow the instructions on the page to create your service account.
  4. Once you’ve created the service account on the Google Developers Console, click Done. The API Access page automatically refreshes, and your service account will be listed.
  5. Click Grant Access to provide the service account the necessary rights to perform actions.

For more information, see Using OAuth 2.0 for Server to Server Applications.

Accessing the Google Play Games Services Publishing API

You can access the Publishing API directly via HTTP. For more information, see Publishing API reference and the sample app.