Only releases with status draft may be created on draft app

Question

I'm using the Jenkins AndroidAPKUpload plugin.

I have a draft version of an app in the Play store. The app is intended only for internal testing and it will never be released to the public. I assume that means it will be a draft forever.

When I try to upload the APK via the plugin I receive the error "Only releases with status draft may be created on draft app"

Is there a way I can mark my app as draft? A setting in the build.gradle file perhaps?

Takeshi

were you able to get around the problem? i'm having the same problem: Setting rollout to target 100% of beta track users The beta release track will now contain the version code(s): 227 Applying changes to Google Play... Upload failed: - Only releases with status draft may be created on draft app. – Dann

@Dann I did solve the problem, although to be honest, I don't remember exactly what I did. I believe I manually uploaded the first APK to the Alpha channel in the Play console. Then I released that version internally. After that I was able to upload automatically from Jenkins. – Takeshi

bryan, thank you for getting back to me. you're correct, this is the way to go! – Dann

I get the same error message. The error message is simply nonsensical as I'm not trying to create a release, I'm trying to upload a bundle. Those are two different types of edits. Drives me crazy... I'd rather have no error message than one that makes me look for an issue in the wrong place. – Headset

Answer 1

I did solve the problem, although to be honest, I don't remember exactly what I did. I believe I manually uploaded the first APK to the Alpha channel in the Play console. Then I released that version internally. After that I was able to upload automatically from Jenkins.

Takeshi

As you said above, for my draft app, I had to release internal track release to tester manually first, then releasing through the build server started to work – Impolite

Can confirm. You must create an Alpha Release of an apk first. After this the CI process completes. Tested with Github Actions – Wahhabi

it is very strange, one app without alpha release also fine. but other one app cannot seem like because the internal test still in review status. not sure how google control. But create an alpha release resolve the issue immediately even inreview. – Hellgrammite

My guess is that it is more related to all the steps you must go through in order to create an alpha track - so setting up the app with content ratings, screens, etc. So perhaps actually creating an alpha track is not required, just going through all the checklists on your dashboard... – Megass

I confirm that I need to manual uploading the first Internal Release (in my case). Then I able to release automatically via fastlane – Septuplicate

Answer 2

if you switch to fastlane, then you can:

• specify that it's going to be a draft release, and
• make sure the track you're uploading to is specified as internal

https://docs.fastlane.tools/actions/upload_to_play_store/

lane: deploy
  upload_to_play_store(
    track: 'internal',
    release_status: 'draft',
    apk: path_to_your_apk
  )
end

Hatti

Thanks guy, I had track set to "beta" while I was in reality trying to upload to "internal" c: – Sixtynine

same here, had beta following a Faslane tutorial for Flutter when in fact I had my app on the Play Store for internal testing only. – Arlinearlington

Yep, having had quite a bit of experience with packaging and distribution - I am not at all surprised that many new React Native developers are frustrated with the nature of required proper distribution concerns. I'd recommend most developers who only have web as their experience, move beyond that and tackle some things like: Game Addons for a game that has a repository (like WoW and WowHead), write a Flatpak application and use github actions to keep it updated, write a python package and publish it, write a npm module and publish it... in addition to all the expected support for it. – Hatti

Any guidance for fixing this with expo eas submit? – Newmown

@JamesWilkinson i don't use expo or eas cli, but a quick glance shows that you should be instead just letting it take care of all this for you. – Hatti

Answer 3

If your app is in "draft" state, the Play Console API refuses releases that are not in the "draft" state. It's unclear whether the API supports releasing without submitting the app setup forms (I filed feedback). You can then release on the web page once the draft release is created, but it's a manual step.

See this issue for a similar tool: https://github.com/eventOneHQ/apkup/issues/49

The problem probably resolved itself for you because by creating an Alpha channel release also completed the app setup, moving the app away from the draft state (it should say "Closed testing" in the app selector).

Scauper

Answer 4

Yup, I can confirm. Submitting my app to be reviewed in the Alpha Track (Closed Testing) worked. It goes through the review process, so you have to add a little bit more details, but after the review is done the app is no longer in Draft mode.

And now my Azure Pipelines can publish directly to the Internal Test Track. I'm pretty sure it goes the same way for any CI/CD provider.

For Azure CD is even worse cause you can't mark your build as 'Draft'. So there is no other way than the one described above.

Cheers!

Monocle

For azure you can use isDraftRelease variable – Repetend

Answer 5

I've had the same issue while using Bitrise's Google Play Deploy step, and the reason for this is that if your app on Google console is not set up (privacy policy, app access, content rating etc.), then you cannot create alpha track, only internal track.

So once you first manually put the first app version in internal track, the mentioned Google Play Deploy step will work fine, you just have to set it's status property to draft.

Fatidic

Answer 6

I was running into this as well. In the Google Play Android Publisher plugin's documentation, it states for the Rollout % field, "If you enter 0%, a draft release will be created". After changing the rollout to 0, Jenkins was able to upload new builds while the app was still in draft mode in Google console.

Plugin docs: https://www.jenkins.io/doc/pipeline/steps/google-play-android-publisher/

Poulard

Answer 7

On my side, this issue came from the fact I didn't finish to add some required informations such as title, description, logo, etc. in the Dashboard section (in the Google Play Console).

To make sure you provided all required informations, try to release a closed alpha release. It will show you required missing informations.

Good luck !

EDIT

I noticed that the app status is "draft" before submitting a release (that needs review), see the screenshot:

Foti

Answer 8

If your Play Store account is brand new and you still haven't filled out all the information especially the fields in the 'Main store listing' under 'Store presence', Play Store will show this message.

In my case, I filled out all the details and added the screenshots (they don't have to be fancy, just a few screenshots of the app would suffice). Then when you submit the next build, it goes through the review, even if you submit it to internal testing.

Tampere