Google Play is one of ChartMogul’s supported billing systems, allowing you to import customer, subscription, and transaction data to generate subscription analytics and cash flow metrics. Read our launch announcement.

ChartMogul offers two options for importing your Google Play data:

1. Import my data using the Daily Sales Report (no development required) — ChartMogul imports your data from Google Play’s Daily Sales Reports. This option doesn’t require you to write any code, and it runs automatically after setup.
2. I’ll send the payloads via the Payloads URL — ChartMogul provides you with a URL where you send new purchase tokens. We then import the data for each token via the Google Play Developer API. This option requires you to write code but allows you to bring in customer metadata. Read our developer tutorial on importing Google Play purchase payloads.

Each of our integration types has its advantages as well as limitations. You’ll need to decide which one fits the needs of your business. Learn more about our Google Play integration types.

Here's what we cover in this article:

• Overview
• How this integration works
• Before you begin
• Source configuration
• Connecting Google Play to ChartMogul
• Manually re-syncing data
• Deleting Google Play as a source

Overview

The following table provides details on key aspects of how ChartMogul integrates with Google Play.

Data Settings

The following table provides details on how ChartMogul’s data settings work with your billing system.

How this integration works

There are also several additional details you should understand and consider when using Google Play with ChartMogul.

Further, there are additional details when using the Payloads URL with ChartMogul.

Before you begin

• Review your data settings to ensure ChartMogul calculates metrics and analytics based on the needs of your business. Adjusting these settings after importing data will require you to manually re-sync data.
• Log in to the Google Play account you’d like to connect to ChartMogul. If you have multiple Google Play apps, you’ll need to add each app (package name) as a separate source in ChartMogul.
• Decide if you’d like ChartMogul to include or exclude transaction fees when calculating MRR and cash flow metrics using the Transaction fee handling setting.

Source configuration

Each Google Play source in ChartMogul consists of the following configuration elements:

• Package name — a unique name that identifies your app on the device, in Google Play Store, and in supported third-party Android stores.
• Service Account JSON Key — a key type that grants ChartMogul API access to your Google Play account.
• Google Storage Bucket — if you’re importing Google Play data using the Daily Sales Reports, ChartMogul uses the bucket ID to locate and download your reports.
• Select integration type — an option to choose the method for importing your Google Play data. This setting can be modified at any time. Read more about each integration type.
• Transaction fee handling — option to include or exclude transaction fees when calculating MRR and cash flow metrics. Learn more about Transaction fee handling.
• Name — a unique name that enables you to identify where the data is coming from.

To update your source's configuration:

1. Within ChartMogul, navigate to Data Platform > Sources.
2. Find your Google Play source and click the Settings  icon.
3. Make any required changes and click Update.

Connecting Google Play to ChartMogul

Step 1 — Select an integration type

ChartMogul offers two methods to import your Google Play data: using Daily Sales Reports or via the Payloads URL. Read more about each integration type and select the one that fits the needs of your business.

Step 2  — Retrieve your app’s package name

You’ll need your app’s package name when adding Google Play as a source in ChartMogul.

Locate your Google Play app’s package name by navigating to your Google Play console and viewing your list of published apps. The package name is listed below the name of the app, e.g., com.pecode.purchaseappdemo.

Step 3 — Set up an API access client using a service account and download a JSON Key

Set up a service account to allow ChartMogul API access to your Google Play storage bucket:

1. Within Google Cloud Platform, navigate to IAM and Admin > Service Accounts.
2. Click + Create Service Account.
3. Enter a name for the service account, e.g., ChartMogul, in the Service account name field.
4. Click Create and Continue.
5. Then, within Grant this service account access to the project select Viewer as the role. Click Continue.
6. Click Done.

Once Google has created the account, find it in the Service Accounts table, click the vertical ellipsis Actions icon, and select Manage keys.

Then, create a private key:

1. Navigate to Add Key > Create new key.
2. Select JSON as the Key type.
3. Finally, click Create.

Google generates a JSON file that your browser should download automatically. You’ll use this file when adding Google Play as a source in ChartMogul.

Then, within Google Play console, modify the service account permissions:

1. Navigate to API access, and locate the service account you just created.
2. Click Grant access.
3. Within Account permissions, select the View financial data, orders and cancellation survey responses and Manage orders and subscriptions permissions.

Google Play may take up to 36 hours to update the permissions for new accounts.

Next, navigate to App permissions, click Add app, and select your app. Click Apply. Review the permissions, and click Apply to confirm.

Finally, click Invite user to invite the service account to access your developer account.

Step 4 — Retrieve your Google Play Storage Bucket ID

Google Play generates daily reports and accumulates the reports in monthly CSV files. These files are stored in a private Google Cloud Storage Bucket. ChartMogul uses the ID from this bucket to locate and download your reports.

To retrieve your Google Storage Bucket ID:

1. Go to your Google Play console select Download Reports.
2. Locate and select your app.
3. Locate the Direct reports URI. For example: gs://pubsite_prod_rev_01234501234567890123/reviews
4. Extract your Google Play Bucket ID from the Direct reports URI by removing gs:// and /reviews, e.g., pubsite_prod_rev_01234501234567890123.

Be sure to note your Google Storage Bucket ID as you’ll need it in the next step.

Step 5 — Add Google Play as a source

Next, add Google Play as a source in ChartMogul:

1. Within ChartMogul, navigate to Data Platform > Sources.
2. Click Add a Source and select Google Play.
3. Enter a unique name for your source in the Name field and click Next.
4. Package Name: The name of the package you retrieved in Step 2.
5. Service Account JSON Key: Upload the JSON file you downloaded in Step 3.
6. Google Storage Bucket: If you’re importing data using the Daily Sales Report, enter the Google Storage Bucket ID you retrieved in Step 4.
7. Select the method you’ll use to import your Google Play data with Select integration type.
8. Decide whether ChartMogul should deduct transaction fees from MRR and cash flow metrics with Transaction fee handling.
9. Finally, click Connect.

Once connected, complete setup depending on the method you’ve selected to import your Google Play data:

• If you select Import my data using the daily Sales report, ChartMogul automatically imports all data once you’ve successfully connected it to Google Play. No further action is needed to import historical data.
• If you select I'll send the payloads via the payloads URL, ChartMogul does not automatically import Google Play purchases. You’ll need to build an integration using our API to import historical purchases and keep ChartMogul up-to-date with new purchases. Once connected, ChartMogul generates a Payloads URL, a unique endpoint for your Google Play source. Use this URL to build your integration. Follow our developer tutorial for importing Google Play purchase payloads.
  

Manually re-syncing data

If you alter one of the settings in your source or a data setting requiring a re-sync, you will need to re-import your data to make the behavior consistent historically and going forward.

Re-syncing your Google Play source will not impact changes you’ve made in ChartMogul such as edited customer details, edited MRR, or merged customers.

Connected subscriptions are not preserved after a re-sync.

Here’s how to manually re-sync data when needed:

1. Within ChartMogul, navigate to Data Platform > Sources.
2. Find your Google Play source and click the Settings  icon.
3. Click Re-sync Data.

ChartMogul will start re-importing your data and let you know where it’s at with a progress bar.

Deleting Google Play as a source

Before deleting a source, please note the following:

• All data from this source will be immediately and irrevocably removed from ChartMogul.
• All MRR adjustments and connected subscriptions will be lost.
• If this source contains a merged customer, the customer record and data from the non-deleted source will remain in ChartMogul.

To delete a Google Play source, navigate to Data Platform > Sources. Find the source in the list and click the Settings  icon. From there, click Delete This Source.

Next Steps

• Learn more about segmentation.
• Customize your Dashboard.
• Download the ChartMogul mobile app.
• Get started with charts.