ClosedTestWhen you apply for production access, Google asks you to summarize the feedback you received and describe how you collected it. Google's help page also advises you to keep a record of the feedback you receive. Most developers write that summary from memory on application day, and it shows.
This guide gives you a simple record to fill in during the test, and a way to turn it into answers. The rules are from Google's own help page.
Where feedback comes from
Feedback can come from several places. Use all that apply, and say which in your summary:
- Your own feedback channel: email, a form, or a messaging group (Google suggests inviting testers to a group where they can share feedback).
- Private feedback that testers send through Google Play. You can see it in Play Console under Monitor and improve, Ratings and reviews, Testing feedback.
- Notes and screenshots from daily check-ins, if you ask testers for them (this one is your own routine, not something Google requires).
The record (copy this table)
| Date | Who | Device and Android version | What they tried | What they found | How serious | What you changed | Fixed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
How serious can be three levels: High (crash, data loss, cannot continue), Medium (something works wrongly or is confusing), Low (cosmetic). Three levels are enough.
A filled example
This is an invented example for a fictional note-taking app, to show the level of detail that is useful:
| Date | Who | Device | What they tried | What they found | How serious | What you changed | Fixed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 3 | Tester 4 | Samsung A14, Android 14 | Saving a note | The Save button is partly hidden behind the navigation bar | High | Moved the button above the bar | Yes, day 5 |
| Day 6 | Tester 9 | Pixel 7, Android 15 | Search | Searching "cafe" does not find "Café" | Medium | Search now ignores accents | Yes, day 8 |
| Day 8 | Tester 2 | Moto G, Android 13 | Dark mode | Hint text is hard to read | Low | Raised the contrast | Yes, day 10 |
Ten minutes a week is enough
- Every few days, open your feedback channel and the Testing feedback page.
- Add each real finding as one row. Ignore messages like "all good" unless you want to count them as engagement.
- When you fix something, fill in the last two columns.
- Save a screenshot or copy of the original message for important findings.
Turning the record into the form's answers
The form asks you to summarize feedback and describe how you collected it. With the record, this takes five minutes. Use three sentences:
- How you collected it. "We collected feedback through a messaging group, private feedback in Google Play, and daily check-ins."
- The main themes. "The three main themes were X, Y and Z."
- What it led to. "We fixed A and B, and decided not to change C because of D."
The last sentence also answers the later question about what you changed because of the test.
What to avoid
- Inventing feedback. If you did not get much, say so, and describe what you did to get more.
- Vague summaries such as "testers liked the app".
- Copying someone else's text. Your record is specific to your app, and that is the point.
How ClosedTest helps
If you use ClosedTest, the daily check-ins, screenshots, written notes and final report are your record. See the format in our sample report, which uses a fictional app. We count a note as detailed when it is 15 words or more, and we do not guarantee Google's decision.
ClosedTest is an independent service and is not affiliated with Google.