Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What authentication method should I use?

Use a service account for CI/CD pipelines and automation. Use OAuth for local development and interactive use. Application Default Credentials (ADC) work automatically in Google Cloud environments (Cloud Build, Cloud Run, GKE). See Authentication for setup instructions.

How do I install GPC?

Three options:

# npm (requires Node.js 20+)
npm install -g @gpc-cli/cli

# Homebrew (macOS/Linux)
brew install yasserstudio/tap/gpc

# Standalone binary (no dependencies)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yasserstudio/gpc/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

See Installation for full details including Docker and CI/CD setup.

What Node.js version is required?

Node.js 20 or later. If you use the standalone binary or Homebrew, no Node.js installation is needed.

How do I update GPC?

# npm
npm update -g @gpc-cli/cli

# Homebrew
brew upgrade gpc

# Standalone binary — download the latest from GitHub Releases

GPC checks for updates automatically (once per 24 hours) and shows a notification when a new version is available.

Comparison & Migration

How is GPC different from Fastlane supply?

GPC covers 187 API endpoints — Fastlane supply covers about 20. GPC gives you reviews, vitals, subscriptions, purchases, reports, user management, and more. It has no Ruby dependency, supports structured JSON output for CI/CD, and starts in under 500ms (vs 2-3 seconds for Fastlane).

GPC reads Fastlane's metadata/ directory format natively, so migration starts with zero file changes. See Migrating from Fastlane for a step-by-step guide.

What about the gplay Go CLI?

gplay is a solid tool with good API coverage. GPC differentiates with publishable TypeScript SDK packages (@gpc-cli/api, @gpc-cli/auth) for programmatic use, a plugin system with lifecycle hooks, interactive mode, and native integration with the Node.js ecosystem. If your CI already has Node.js, GPC is a drop-in.

Why TypeScript and not Go?

Android developers already have Node.js — React Native, build tools, linters. npm install is in every CI pipeline. And @gpc-cli/api works as a standalone typed SDK in any Node.js project — build dashboards, Slack bots, or custom automation on top of the same API client GPC uses. A Go binary can't offer that.

Can I migrate from the Play Console UI?

Yes. See Migrating from Console UI for a mapping of every Play Console UI task to its GPC command equivalent.

CI/CD

Can I use GPC in CI/CD?

Yes. GPC is designed for CI/CD:

• JSON output when piped (automatic)
• Semantic exit codes (0-6) for branching logic
• Environment variable config (GPC_SERVICE_ACCOUNT, GPC_APP)
• --dry-run on every write operation
• --no-interactive mode (auto-detected in CI)

See the CI/CD guide for copy-pasteable GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Bitbucket, and CircleCI configs.

Is it stable enough for production CI/CD?

1,388 tests across 7 packages. 90%+ line coverage on all core packages. Every write operation supports --dry-run. Semantic exit codes for CI branching. Validated against production apps. The CLI is in a pre-release stability soak before v1.0.

Configuration

Does GPC support multiple apps?

Yes. Use the --app flag per command, set GPC_APP as an environment variable, or set up named profiles for different apps/accounts.

Is GPC free?

Yes. GPC is open source and released under the MIT license. Source code at github.com/yasserstudio/gpc.

Features

Can I extend GPC with plugins?

Yes. GPC has a plugin system with lifecycle hooks (beforeCommand, afterCommand, onError), custom command registration, and API request interception. A first-party CI plugin (@gpc-cli/plugin-ci) is included. See Plugin Development for the SDK documentation.

What is the difference between iap and otp commands?

The iap commands use the legacy in-app purchases API. The otp (one-time products) commands use the modern monetization API with richer features like regional pricing, product tags, and offer management. New projects should use otp.

Can AI assistants use GPC?

Yes. GPC ships 13 agent skills that teach AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) how to use every GPC workflow:

gpc install-skills

The interactive wizard lets you pick skills and target agents. See Agent Skills for the full list.

What Google Play APIs does GPC cover?

187 endpoints across the Android Publisher API v3 and Play Developer Reporting API v1beta1. This includes apps, releases, tracks, listings, images, reviews, vitals, subscriptions, in-app products, one-time products, purchases, users, testers, device tiers, data safety, recovery, external transactions, internal sharing, and generated APKs. See API Coverage for the full endpoint map.

Troubleshooting

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue at github.com/yasserstudio/gpc/issues. Include the output of gpc doctor and any error messages. Use GPC_DEBUG=1 to capture detailed logs.

How do I diagnose setup problems?

Run gpc doctor — it checks your authentication, configuration, API connectivity, and version. See Troubleshooting for common issues and solutions.