RevenueCat Android Setup
Configure a RevenueCat project so the Android SDK can fetch offerings, validate purchases, and grant entitlements. This skill covers the dashboard side of setup and the service account connection to Google Play.
The scope stops at "dashboard ready, API key in hand." SDK initialization code belongs to the configuring-the-sdk skill.
Phase 1: Discovery
Confirm these items before you touch the RevenueCat dashboard. Missing any of them will block the connection step.
| Prerequisite | Where it lives | Why RevenueCat needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Google Play Console app | Play Console | Dashboard connects by package name |
| Package name | Play Console app listing | Must match your Android app exactly |
| In-app products or subscriptions | Play Console monetization | RevenueCat imports the catalog |
| Base plans for subscriptions | Play Console subscription | Billing Library 6+ requires them |
| Google Cloud service account JSON | Google Cloud Console | RevenueCat authenticates to the Play Developer API |
| Play Console account permissions | Play Console users and permissions | View app information and download bulk reports (read-only); View financial data, orders, and cancellation survey responses; Manage orders and subscriptions; Manage store presence |
Ask the user:
- Is the app already published on Play (even as internal testing)?
- Are products live in Play Console, or still drafts?
- Do you have the service account JSON, or do you need the creation steps?
If products do not exist yet, pause. Product creation is a Play Console task outside this skill.
Phase 2: Plan
Pick the route that matches the user's state.
| State | Route |
|---|---|
| No RevenueCat account | Start at Step 1, create account and project |
| Account exists, no Android app in project | Start at Step 2, add Android app |
| App exists, Play not connected | Jump to Step 3, upload service account |
| Play connected, no entitlements or offerings | Jump to Step 4 |
| Everything configured, need the API key | Jump to Phase 4 verification |
The default flow below runs end to end. Skip steps the user has already completed.
Phase 3: Execute
Step 1: Create the RevenueCat project and Android app
- Sign up or log in at
app.revenuecat.com. - Create a project. One project can hold Android, iOS, and web apps for the same product.
- Inside the project, add an Android app. Enter the Play Console package name.
RevenueCat generates a public SDK API key per platform. You will copy the Android key at the end. Do not reuse iOS or web keys in the Android app.
Step 2: Create a Google Cloud service account (if needed)
In Google Cloud Console, in the project that will own the service account (Play Console no longer needs a linked Cloud project):
- Enable the Google Play Android Developer API, the Google Play Developer Reporting API, and the Cloud Pub/Sub API.
- Create a service account and grant it Pub/Sub Editor and Monitoring Viewer.
- Create a JSON key for the service account and download it.
In Play Console, under Users and permissions:
- Invite the service account email.
- Grant app-level access to the app.
- Grant those four account permissions.
Step 3: Connect Google Play in RevenueCat
In the RevenueCat dashboard, open the Android app settings:
- Confirm the package name matches Play Console.
- Upload the service account JSON key file.
- Save.
RevenueCat validates the credential by calling the Play Developer API. If validation fails, the common causes are missing API enablement, wrong project, or the service account not yet propagated in Play (allow up to 36 hours; editing and saving any product description in Play Console often speeds this up).
Step 3b: Connect Real Time Developer Notifications
RevenueCat strongly recommends connecting Google Real Time Developer Notifications (RTDN), and requires it for DEFERRED plan changes and for one time product refund and void tracking.
- In the RevenueCat Play app settings, click Connect to Google to get a Pub/Sub topic ID.
- In Play Console, go to Monetize > Monetization setup > Real Time Developer Notifications, paste the topic, and choose "Get all notifications for subscriptions and one-time products" (RevenueCat's guide shows it as "Subscriptions, voided purchases, and all one-time products").
- Send a test notification and confirm the RevenueCat dashboard shows "Last received".
Step 4: Create entitlements
Entitlements are the access levels your app checks. Define them once, reference them everywhere in client code.
In the dashboard under Entitlements, create one per access tier. Most apps ship with a single entitlement.
| Identifier | Description |
|---|---|
pro_access | Unlocks premium features |
team_access | Unlocks team features (second tier, optional) |
Use a stable identifier. Renaming an entitlement later means rewriting every feature gate.
Step 5: Import products and attach entitlements
Under Products, click Import. RevenueCat pulls the Play catalog through the connected service account.
- Select each product you want RevenueCat to manage.
- Attach each product to an entitlement. Purchasing the product grants that entitlement.
A single entitlement can back many products (monthly, annual, lifetime all unlock pro_access).
Step 6: Create an offering
Offerings drive what a user sees on the paywall. One offering groups multiple packages.
Under Offerings:
- Create an offering (for example,
default). - Add packages. Pick a package type (Monthly, Annual, Lifetime, or custom) and assign a product.
- Make one offering the Default offering (the SDK returns it as
offerings.current).
The Android SDK fetches offerings.current to show the default paywall. Swap the current offering later from the dashboard without shipping an app update.
Step 7: Copy the Android API key
In the Android app settings, copy the public SDK API key. This value is the second argument to PurchasesConfiguration.Builder. The skill configuring-the-sdk uses it.
kotlin// Handed off to configuring-the-sdk val revenueCatApiKey = "goog_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
Phase 4: Verify
Confirm the dashboard and Play Console are wired together before moving to SDK work.
| Check | How to verify | Pass signal |
|---|---|---|
| Service account accepted | RevenueCat app settings, Google Play section | Shows connected with a green indicator |
| Real Time Developer Notifications connected | RevenueCat app settings, Google Play section | Shows "Last received" after a test notification |
| Products imported | Products tab in dashboard | Play products appear with live prices |
| Entitlement attachments | Open each product | Shows the attached entitlement |
| Default offering | Offerings tab | One offering marked Default |
| Package product links | Open the current offering | Each package shows a product identifier |
| API key scope | Project settings, API keys | Android key is distinct from iOS and web keys |
Ask the user to confirm each row. If a product shows no price, the service account is connected but the product is not active in Play. Fix the Play listing, then re-import.
Hand off to configuring-the-sdk with:
- The Android API key
- The current offering identifier
- The entitlement identifiers the app will check
