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 rc-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.

// 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 rc-configuring-the-sdk with:

The Android API key
The current offering identifier
The entitlement identifiers the app will check

References

Full chapter

rc-setup