Add GitHub Action to publish releases to Play Store Internal Test track #192

Copilot · 2025-11-28T14:19:28Z

Why is this important?

Automates Play Store deployments similar to existing Firebase App Distribution workflow. All Q42 apps use Play Store, so automating pushes to internal test track eliminates manual upload steps.

Notes

New workflow: .github/workflows/playstore-internal.yml

Triggers on release/** branches and manual dispatch
Builds signed AAB using existing keystore secrets
Uploads to Play Store Internal Test track via r0adkll/upload-google-play@v1
Sets inAppUpdatePriority: 2 and status: completed

Setup required:

Add PLAYSTORE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON secret (service account with Play Developer API access)
Update packageName: nl.q42.template to your app's package name (see "Using this template" section in README)

Documentation updates:

Added Play Store deployment section with setup instructions and link to upload-google-play action configuration guide
Added explicit reminder in "Using this template" section to update packageName in workflow file after running rename-project.py
Fixed workflow comment typos and updated references from APK to AAB

Security:

Explicit permissions: contents: read to limit GITHUB_TOKEN scope
CodeQL validated, no alerts

Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Github Action to publish release to Playstore Internal Test track</issue_title>
<issue_description>We currently have a Github action to push releases to Firebase App Distribution.

Since 100% of our apps use play store obviously, it might be nice to automate andy pushes to a release branch to the internal test track of a connected Play Store app.

To implement this, I'd say it is fine to create a dummy app q42.template in hte play console and simply don't release it to production; just internal test track</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

Fixes Github Action to publish release to Playstore Internal Test track #108

💡 You can make Copilot smarter by setting up custom instructions, customizing its development environment and configuring Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. Learn more Copilot coding agent tips in the docs.

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

ninovanhooff · 2026-01-09T12:48:50Z

Tragically, the template's package name is already taken, not sure if I registered it sometime ago or someone else. But it is blocking publishing of the app. (also manually this is not possible)

Changing the package name would mean changing the rename-project.py too. this is possible but feels a bit heavy handed

ninovanhooff · 2025-11-28T14:39:12Z

.github/workflows/playstore-internal.yml

+        uses: ./.github/actions/prepare-release
+
+      # This will decode the keystore from base 64 text representation that we have stored in secrets
+      # and generates and keystore file and gets stored in /android-app path


Fixed in ee2733d - changed "generates and keystore file" to "generates a keystore file"

ninovanhooff · 2025-11-28T14:40:00Z

.github/workflows/playstore-internal.yml

+          base64 -d <keystore-b64.txt >upload-keystore.jks
+      # The secrets.gradle file that is stored as text, does not need to be decoded
+      # and can be directly written to a file
+      # This file is used by the gradle build to sign the APK


not apk, but aab

Fixed in ee2733d - updated comment to reference AAB instead of APK

ninovanhooff · 2025-11-28T14:43:24Z

README.MD

 - _debug.yml_: any commit on any branch triggers a `devDebug` apk and a `prodDebug` apk build
 - _release.yml_: any PR triggers signed release builds (`prodRelease` bundle and `prodRelease` apk)
+- _firebase-app-distribution.yml_: any PR to develop triggers a release build that is uploaded to Firebase App Distribution
+- _playstore-internal.yml_: any push to release branches (release/*) triggers a release build that is uploaded to Play Store Internal Test track


to a release branch

Fixed in ee2733d - simplified to "any push to a release branch"

ninovanhooff · 2025-11-28T14:53:01Z

README.MD

+3. Add the content of the JSON file to your Github repository secrets as `PLAYSTORE_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON`
+4. Update the `packageName` in the [playstore-internal.yml](.github/workflows/playstore-internal.yml) file to match your app's package name
+
+More details on creating a service account can be found in the [Google Play Android Developer API documentation](https://developers.google.com/android-publisher/getting_started).


Use this as the documentation url instead: https://github.com/r0adkll/upload-google-play?tab=readme-ov-file#configure-access-via-service-account

Fixed in ee2733d - updated documentation URL to point to the upload-google-play specific service account configuration instructions

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot · 2026-01-14T08:50:11Z

Tragically, the template's package name is already taken, not sure if I registered it sometime ago or someone else. But it is blocking publishing of the app. (also manually this is not possible)

Ch...

Added an explicit reminder in the "Using this template" section (commit 3cc42e5) to update the packageName in the workflow file after running rename-project.py. Since this is a template, users are expected to customize the package name - the workflow includes a TODO comment and the README now has clear instructions in both the setup section and the Play Store deployment section.

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Initial plan

651983f

Copilot AI assigned Copilot and ninovanhooff Nov 28, 2025

Copilot started work on behalf of ninovanhooff November 28, 2025 14:19 View session

Copilot AI and others added 5 commits November 28, 2025 14:22

Add GitHub Actions workflow for Play Store Internal Track deployment

8629f41

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Add TODO comment for package name in Play Store workflow

4ee7ff1

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Improve README wording for Play Store deployment section

b5cf0b3

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Add explicit permissions block to Play Store workflow for security

f5b2d7c

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Update workflow to trigger on release/* branch pattern

7d57bf3

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI changed the title ~~[WIP] Add Github action to publish release to Playstore internal test track~~ Add GitHub Action to publish releases to Play Store Internal Test track Nov 28, 2025

Copilot AI requested a review from ninovanhooff November 28, 2025 14:29

Copilot finished work on behalf of ninovanhooff November 28, 2025 14:29

FIX trigger internal test track on release/** and PR branch

70a6b96

ninovanhooff requested changes Jan 14, 2026

View reviewed changes

Copilot started work on behalf of ninovanhooff January 14, 2026 08:47 View session

Copilot AI and others added 2 commits January 14, 2026 08:49

Fix typos and update documentation per review feedback

ee2733d

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Add reminder to update packageName in setup instructions

3cc42e5

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Remove test branch from workflow triggers

98b0b15

Co-authored-by: ninovanhooff <10351007+ninovanhooff@users.noreply.github.com>

Copilot AI requested a review from ninovanhooff January 14, 2026 08:53

Copilot finished work on behalf of ninovanhooff January 14, 2026 08:53

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Add GitHub Action to publish releases to Play Store Internal Test track #192

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