Metadata Sync for Google Play
Use this skill when you need to update or sync Play Store metadata and localizations.
Fastlane Directory Structure
fastlane/metadata/android/ ├── en-US/ │ ├── title.txt │ ├── short_description.txt │ ├── full_description.txt │ ├── video.txt │ └── images/ │ ├── phoneScreenshots/ │ │ ├── 1.png │ │ └── 2.png │ ├── sevenInchScreenshots/ │ ├── tenInchScreenshots/ │ ├── tvScreenshots/ │ ├── wearScreenshots/ │ ├── icon.png │ └── featureGraphic.png ├── es-ES/ │ ├── title.txt │ └── ... └── fr-FR/ └── ...
Export Metadata from Play Store
bash# Export all listings to Fastlane format gplay sync export-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android # Export images gplay sync export-images \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android
Import Metadata to Play Store
bash# Validate before importing (offline check) gplay validate listing \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android \ --locale en-US # Import all listings gplay sync import-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android # Import images gplay sync import-images \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android
Compare Local vs Remote
bash# See what would change gplay sync diff-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android
Manual Metadata Management
List all listings
bashgplay listings list \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID
Get specific locale
bashgplay listings get \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US
Update listing
listings update sets all fields for a locale via individual flags (fields not
provided are cleared). Use listings patch for partial updates.
bashgplay listings update \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US \ --title "My Awesome App" \ --short-description "A short description under 80 characters" \ --full-description "A full description under 4000 characters..." \ --video "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Image Management
Upload screenshots
bashgplay images upload \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US \ --type phoneScreenshots \ --file screenshot1.png gplay images upload \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US \ --type phoneScreenshots \ --file screenshot2.png
Image types
phoneScreenshots- Phone screenshots (required)sevenInchScreenshots- 7" tablet screenshotstenInchScreenshots- 10" tablet screenshotstvScreenshots- TV screenshotswearScreenshots- Wear OS screenshotsicon- App iconfeatureGraphic- Feature graphic (1024x500)
List images
bashgplay images list \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US \ --type phoneScreenshots
Delete image
bashgplay images delete \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --locale en-US \ --type phoneScreenshots \ --image IMAGE_ID \ --confirm
App Details
Get app details
bashgplay details get \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID
Update contact info
bashgplay details update \ --package com.example.app \ --edit $EDIT_ID \ --contact-email support@example.com \ --contact-phone "+1234567890" \ --contact-website "https://example.com"
Character Limits
Validate against Google Play limits:
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Title | 30 characters |
| Short Description | 80 characters |
| Full Description | 4000 characters |
bash# Validate before upload gplay validate listing \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android \ --locale en-US
Workflow Example
Complete metadata update workflow:
bash# 1. Export current metadata gplay sync export-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./metadata # 2. Edit files locally vi ./metadata/en-US/full_description.txt # 3. Validate changes gplay validate listing \ --dir ./metadata \ --locale en-US # 4. See what will change gplay sync diff-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./metadata # 5. Import changes gplay sync import-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./metadata
Multi-Locale Management
Create new locale
-
Copy existing locale directory:
bashcp -r fastlane/metadata/android/en-US fastlane/metadata/android/es-ES -
Translate all text files
-
Import:
bashgplay sync import-listings \ --package com.example.app \ --dir ./fastlane/metadata/android
Supported Locales
Use Play Console locale codes:
en-US- English (United States)es-ES- Spanish (Spain)fr-FR- French (France)de-DE- German (Germany)ja-JP- Japanese (Japan)- etc.
Best Practices
- Keep metadata in version control - Track changes over time
- Validate before importing - Catch character limit errors
- Use consistent formatting - Follow style guide
- Test on different devices - Screenshots should represent actual app
- Update regularly - Keep descriptions current with features
- Localize properly - Don't use machine translation without review
