421 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
421 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
page.title=Spam
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@jd:body
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<div id="qv-wrapper">
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<div id="qv">
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<h2>In This Document</h2>
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<ol>
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<li><a href="#keyword-spam">Spam in App Title and Description</a></li>
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<li><a href="#ratings">Spam in Ratings and Reviews</a></li>
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<li><a href="#webview-spam">Spam in WebViews</a></li>
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<li><a href="#wizard-spam">Spam from Wizards</a></li>
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<li><a href="#message-spam">Spam in Messaging</a></li>
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</ol>
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<h2>More Resources</h2>
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<ol>
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<li><a href="http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html" target="_policies">Developer Program Policies</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement.html" target="_policies">Developer Distribution Agreement</a></li>
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</ol>
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</div>
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</div>
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<p>
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Google Play policies prohibit spam, to help ensure the best experience for
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Android users. Please do not publish deceptive, repetitive, or irrelevant
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content on Google Play. Not only will it lower your app's rating and cause
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negative reviews, it can result in your app being suspended or your developer
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account terminated.
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</p>
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<p>
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As an app developer, it is your responsibility to ensure that your apps are
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free from spam and conform to the Google Play policies highlighted in this
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document. Before you publish, make sure that you understand what is
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considered spam on Google Play and check your apps for violations, even those
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that might be inadvertent. The sections below highlight best practices and
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common spam examples to help you avoid the most common types of policy
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violations.
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</p>
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<p>
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For more information about Google Play policies that apply to your apps and
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content, please see the <a href=
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"http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html" target=
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"_policies">Developer Program Policies</a> and <a href=
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"http://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement.html" target=
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"_policies">Developer Distribution Agreement</a>.
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</p>
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<h2 id="keyword-spam">Spam in App Title and Description</h2>
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<p>
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When you publish an app on Google Play, you should pay special attention to
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the app's title and description in its store listing. Those fields are
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important because they make your app recognizable to users, and they help to
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drive downloads by highlighting what's great about your app. A memorable
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title and compelling description are essential to effective marketing, but
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you should realize that these must follow Google Play policies, just as your
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app content must do.
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</p>
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<p>
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Many developers unknowingly violate spam policy in their app titles and
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descriptions in ways that are easy to avoid. In general, you can
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avoid spam violations in your app title and description by following these
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best practices:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<strong>Highlight what's great about your app</strong>—Share
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interesting and exciting facts about your app with users. Help users
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understand what makes your app special.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Describe your app accurately</strong>—Make sure the title
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and description describe the app function and user experience accurately.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't use repetitive keywords</strong>—Avoid keywords that
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are repetitive or excessive.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't include unrelated keywords or references</strong> —
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Your description should not be loaded with irrelevant keywords in an
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attempt to manipulate ranking or relevancy.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Keep it brief</strong>—Keep the description succinct and
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straightforward. Shorter descriptions tend to give a better user experience
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on devices with smaller displays. Excessive length, detail, or repetition
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can violate spam policy.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<p>
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Here's an example app title and description that follows best practices and
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does not violate Google Play spam policies.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block good" style="width:100%;float:none;margin:.5em auto 2em 0;">
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<div class="heading">Best practice: App description</div>
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td>App Title:</td>
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<td>Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="white-space:nowrap;">App Description:</td>
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<td>
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<p>This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It
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is designed to help kids learn different species of turtles through
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cute pictures and amusing puzzle games.</p>
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<p>The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have
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your child drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded
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region. Phonics is also utilized, as a child can also tap the word
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below the image and hear the name pronounced.</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</div>
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<p>
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The sections below highlight common types of policy violations in an app
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title and description, illustrated with variations on the best practice
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example.
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</p>
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<h3 id="repetitive-keywords">Repetitive keywords</h3>
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<p>
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Your app description should not include keywords that are repetitive or excessive.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="width:100%;float:none;margin:.5em auto 2em 0;">
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<div class="heading">Description includes repetitive keywords</div>
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td>App Title:</td>
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<td>Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="white-space:nowrap;">App Description:</td>
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<td>
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<p>This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is
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designed to help kids learn different species of turtles through cute
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pictures and amusing puzzle games.</p>
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<p>The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your
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child drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region.
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Phonics is also utilized, as a child can also tap the word below the image
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and hear the name pronounced.</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">KEYWORDS: game, games, fun, funny, child,
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children, kid, kids, puzzle, puzzle games, sound, turtle, turtles, sea turtles,
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turtles, turtle, turtles, tortoise, tortoises, tortoise, tortoise, turtles,
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turtles, turtles, turtles, tortoises, tortoise</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</div>
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<h3 id="unrelated-keywords">Unrelated keywords or references</h3>
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<p>
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The description should not be loaded with irrelevant keywords in an attempt
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to manipulate ranking or relevancy in Google Play search results.
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</p>
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<p>
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For example, if your app has nothing to do with Lady Gaga, then she shouldn’t
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be included in your description. Also, do not add highly searched, irrelevant
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keywords that are unrelated to the function of the app. This is in breach of
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policy.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="width:100%;float:none;margin:.5em auto 2em 0;">
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<div class="heading">Description includes unrelated keywords or references</div>
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td>App Title:</td>
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<td>Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="white-space:nowrap;">App Description:</td>
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<td>
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<p>This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is designed to
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help kids learn different species of turtles through cute pictures and amusing puzzle
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games.</p>
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<p>The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your child drag
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images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region. Phonics is also utilized,
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as a child can also tap the word below the image and hear the name pronounced.</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">This game is as addictive as Angry Birds, more social
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than Facebook and Twitter, and has a soundtrack reminiscent of Katy Perry and Lady
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Gaga.</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">KEYWORDS: Angry Birds, Facebook, Twitter, Katy Perry,
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Lady Gaga</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</div>
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<h3 id="excessive-detail">Excessive detail, references to your other apps</h3>
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<p>
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Your app description should avoid excessive detail and references to your
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other apps or products. For example, you should not list all of the details
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of content included in the app or its various components, as shown in the
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example below. Also, the description should not include any references to
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other apps you’ve published.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="width:100%;float:none;margin:.5em auto 2em 0;">
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<div class="heading">Description includes excessive detail, references to your other apps</div>
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td>App Title:</td>
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<td>Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="white-space:nowrap;">App Description:</td>
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<td>
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<p>This is the perfect app to have a good time with your children. It is designed
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to help kids learn different species of turtles through cute pictures and amusing
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puzzle games.</p>
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<p>The rules of Kids puzzle: Identify Turtles are quite simple. Have your child
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drag images around the screen to fit them into the shaded region. Phonics is also
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utilized, as a child can also tap the word below the image and hear the name
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pronounced.</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">Turtles included in the app: Alligator
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Snapping Turtle, Asian Box Turtle, Bog Turtle, Common Musk Turtle, Common Snapping
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Turtle, Diamondback Terrapin, Eastern Box Turtle, Eastern Mud Turtle, Eastern Painted
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Turtle, False Map Turtle, Florida Pond Cooter, Florida Softshell Turtle, Green Sea
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Turtle, Map Turtle, Matamata Ornate Box Turtle, Red-bellied Side-necked Turtle,
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Red-eared Slider, Smooth Softshell Turtle, Spiny Softshell Turtle, Spotted Turtle,
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Western Painted Turtle, Wood Turtle, Yellow-bellied Slider</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">If you like this app try our other free apps:<br />
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★ Fun Zoo<br />
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★ CD Guns<br />
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★ Dessert House<br />
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★ Playground<br />
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★ 578 Weapons</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</div>
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<h2 id="ratings">Spam in Ratings and Reviews</h2>
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<p>
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Ratings and reviews are benchmarks of app quality and users depend on them to
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be authentic and relevant. As an app developer, you should not attempt to
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artificially influence your app's ratings and reviews or those of your
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competitor, such as by posting fake ratings or reviews or including spam
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content in app reviews. The sections below provide guidelines for rating and
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reviewing apps.
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</p>
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<p>
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So that you can stay in touch with any issues that users are having with your
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app, you should read through your ratings and reviews on a regular basis. If
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you choose to reply to reviews, make sure to keep your reply focused on the
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actual issues raised in the user's comments and do not ask for a higher
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rating.
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</p>
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<p>
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If you see an app or developer reply that doesn’t follow these guidelines,
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you can report it. See <a href=
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"http://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=113417&topic=2364761&ctx=topic"
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target="_policies">Inappropriate content in comments and applications</a> for
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more information.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="width:440px;">
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<div class="heading">Inappropriate content in a review</div>
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<img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-policy-spam-negreview.png">
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</div>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="margin-top:3em;">
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<div class="heading">Soliciting ratings</div>
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<img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-policy-spam-reqrating.png">
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</div>
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<h3 id="fake-ratings">Fake or inappropriate ratings and reviews</h3>
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<p>
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To help ensure the quality of ratings and reviews, Google Play policies limit
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the ways that individuals can use ratings and reviews. In particular, note
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that it is a violation of policy to use ratings and reviews to influence the
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placement of any app in Google Play.
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</p>
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<p>
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As an app developer, make sure that you follow these guidelines:
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</p>
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<ul>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't try to manipulate ratings</strong>—Do not engage in
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attempts to manipulate the ratings, reviews, or ranking of your apps,
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either directly or indirectly, or by manipulating the ratings of your
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competitors. Do not attempt to artificially boost reviews, ratings, or
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installs through any means.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't solicit ratings through incentives</strong>—Do not
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offer users any incentives to rate your app, such as offering rewards of
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any kind or tying app functionality to rating.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't rate apps multiple times</strong>—Do not review or
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rate any app multiple times in an attempt to influence its placement in
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Google Play.
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</li>
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<li>
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<strong>Don't add improper content to reviews</strong>—Do not
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include affiliate, coupon, game codes, email addresses, or links to
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websites or other apps in your reviews. If you are responding to a user
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review, feel free to include references to helpful resources such as a
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support address or FAQ page.
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</li>
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</ul>
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<h3 id="solicited-ratings">Soliciting ratings from users</h3>
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<p>
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In general, <strong>do not offer incentives for ratings</strong>. You should
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not offer users incentives of any kind for rating your app (or any other app)
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on Google Play, and you should not tie your app's functionality or content to
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rating in any way.
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</p>
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<p>
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It's acceptable to ask users to rate your app without incentives, for
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example: "If you like this game, rate us in Google Play!" On the other hand,
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it's a policy violation to ask users to rate your app based on incentives,
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for example: "Rate this app and get 500 coins" or "Rate this app 5 stars and
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get you 500 coins!"
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</p>
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<h2 id="webview-spam" style="clear:right">Spam in WebViews</h2>
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<p>
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Apps published on Google Play should provide their own content. Do not
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publish an app whose primary function is to reproduce or frame someone else’s
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website (unless you have permission).
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</p>
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<p>
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Similarly, do not publish an app whose primary function is to drive affiliate
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traffic to a website. Although affiliate deals can exist where an app's
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primary purpose is delivering its own content or functionality, it's a
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violation of Google Play policies to publish an app whose primary (or
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only) purpose is to direct affiliate traffic to another website.
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</p>
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<div class="example-block bad" style="width:100%;float:none;margin:.5em auto 2em 0;">
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<div class="heading">WebView spam</div>
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<table>
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<tr>
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<td>App Title:</td>
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<td>Kids puzzle: Desktop Browser for Turtoogle Game</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>Developer:</td>
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<td>AAZZZ <span style="border:2px solid red;">(not affiliated with Turtoogle
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Inc.)</span></td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td style="white-space:nowrap;">App Description:</td>
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<td>
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<p>Have you ever wanted to use the full, desktop web version of Turtoogle
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Game from your phone or tablet instead of the Turtoogle Game mobile app
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or Turtoogle Game mobile web site?</p>
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<p style="border:2px solid red;">This app lets you access Turtoogle Game
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on your Android device in the same way as you access the game on your
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desktop computer, and with all the same Turtoogle Game features.</p>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</div>
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<h2 id="wizard-spam">Spam from Wizards</h2>
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<p>
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Apps that are created by an automated tool or wizard service must not be
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submitted to Google Play by the operator of that service on behalf of other
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persons. Such tools often produce too many duplicative or low-quality
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apps which crowd the higher-quality apps in the Play Store.
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</p>
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<p>
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Please be advised that apps created by an automated tool are only permissible
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if the app end-product complies with Google Play policies and is published in
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the Play Store through a developer account that is registered and owned by
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you.
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</p>
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<h2 id="message-spam">Spam in Messaging</h2>
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<p>
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Your app may not send SMS, email, or other messages on behalf of the user
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without providing the user with the ability to confirm the content and intended
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recipient.
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</p>
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<p>
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Google Play will aggressively remove applications that are found to send or
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modify SMS messages without user knowledge or consent.
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</p> |