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Google Play Android review process – SEO

I’m trying to understand the Google Play app review process.
When an app is rejected you only get a list of generic vague possible reasons your app can be rejected, but nothing specific to your app, leaving you to guess at the reason and resubmit with random changes.

Anyone know how this process works?
It seems they can reject an app for something that 1000s of apps that were approved have?

Their reason was: “During review, we found that your app, violates our Metadata policy”
https://play.google.com/about/storelisting-promotional/metadata/

Which lists several possible issues, could be an issue with the description text, or the logo, or one of the screen shots.
You are left to guess, and attempt to resubmit. But they warn “repeated violations can result in the suspension of this app or your Google Play Developer account”. So if you guess wrong and resubmit your account can potentially be suspended…

It was a pretty tame app, no crazy SEO keywords stuff, or offensive or adult content.

Sorry for asking this question here, anyone know if stack exchange has a better place to ask such questions?

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  1. Chosen as BEST ANSWER
    0

    So my solution was to remove all of the app screen shots and resubmit. It went through, so I assume it was one of the screen shots, even though I used almost the identical screen shot on other apps and they had no issues.

    One of the screen shots had a woman in a bathing suite, So I assume this was the cause. Pretty insane that Google does not let woman wear bathing suites anymore.

    My guess as to Google's process is,

    • an artificial intelligent algorithm checks your submission using a heuristic looking for key patterns in the text and images
    • the algorithm flags you app to be rejected, you get automated email
    • if you appeal a human reviews your submission
    • the human can neither fully understand why the algorithm flagged your submission, nor override its decisions, so is pretty much useless to argue with them
    • you must figure out why the algorithm did not like in your submission, and resubmit

  2. 0

    Apps are checked with an algorithm, therefore, some may be lucky to pass through the checking system. Even if google had manual checks, some things are subjective and it is possible that for some people you didn’t violate policies.

    So, if you can guess what could be a reason, fix it and resubmit. Otherwise, you have to write an appeal and then a human being will check it manually.

    One of my apps was rejected twice and only got accepted after 2 appeals. Sometimes you may need to prove that you are not violating their policies.

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  3. 0

    James, I think you are right.

    The clause applicable in the case of the bikini was:

    Not allowed if “Imagery or videos with sexually suggestive content. Avoid suggestive imagery containing breasts, buttocks, genitalia, or other fetishized anatomy or content, whether illustrated or real.”

    It is a shame that they do not let you know the reason for rejection when there are 15 possible categories on their page of reasons:
    https://play.google.com/about/storelisting-promotional/metadata/

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