Short Explanation
If all the settings are correct, we can automatically send new app versions of your app to the Google Play Console with every release and hotfix - this means that the app is usually available to end users on the night of the release. If the app cannot be sent automatically, a manual effort is necessary, which of course adds up with 17 regular releases per year.
Step 1: Check your invited users
First of all, log in to the Google Play Console, which you can find at this link. Select your developer account. Then click on the menu item "Users and permissions" in the left menu bar.
Do you see a user with an e-mail address ending in "@pc-api-(number string)"? Depending on how it is for you, unfold the instructions further:
Step 2a: Yes, I see such an email-address
Step 2a: Yes, I see such an email-address
Please click on this user. Then give the user with the pc-api email address the role "Administrator (all permissions)" under the sector "Account permissions". By doing this, you give the admin role exclusively to the interface - this makes the automated playout of the apps in Google possible for us again.
If the security regulations of your company do not allow it, you can also assign these admin rights exclusively in the "App permissions" tab for your app. (For information: We have not yet been able to test this, but we assume that it should also work. We know from the other way (account permissions) that it works.
Click on "Save changes". Go on to step 4.
Step 2b: No, such an e-mail address does not appear
Step 2b: No, such an e-mail address does not appear
If such an email address does not appear, there can be two reasons:
The email address exists but has not yet been linked to the developer account.
The email address does not yet exist and must first be set up in the Google Cloud Console.
Step 2b/1: The email exists but has not yet been linked to the developer account.
Go to the service account overview (with this link).
Please note that you must be logged into the Google Cloud Console with the same account as in the Google Play Console!
Copy the email address and go to step 3.
If nothing appears here, go on to step 2b/2.
Step 2b/2: The email address does not yet exist and must first be set up in the Google Cloud Console
The first step is to create a new project in the Google Cloud Console. This link will take you directly to the project creation.
Please note that you must be logged into the Google Cloud Console with the same account as in the Google Play Console!
You must then activate the API. To do this, please call up this link and click on "Enable".
The next step is to create a service account. Follow this link and click on "Create service account" in the upper bar.
Enter "sg-service-account" as the name of the service account. This automatically fills the field "Service account ID".
Click on Create and Continue.
In the second item, please select "Owner".
Then, in your service account overview, select the service account you just created and click on "Manage keys" in the three dots on the far right.
Then click on the button "Add key" and on "Create new key".
Select "JSON" as the key type and click on "Create". The Private Key has been created and will be downloaded automatically.
Go back to the service account overview again - your service account has an email address that starts like this "sg-service-account@pc-api...[number string]....iam.gserviceaccount.com". Please copy this email address.
Step 3: Add the user and assign the necessary permissions
Now switch back to the Google Play Console and open the "Users and permissions" area as in step 1.
Click on "Invite new users", add the email address and assign the "Administrator" permission in the "Permissions" area in the "Account permissions" tab.
Then click on Invite user.
If your company's security regulations do not allow it, you can also assign these admin rights exclusively in the "App permissions" tab for your app. (For information: We have not yet been able to test this, but assume that this should also work. We know from the other way (account permissions) that it works).
Step 4: Inform Release Manager
Now click on "Save changes" and inform Dominik Leitner (dol@ovos.at). At the next opportunity, we will test whether the error has been corrected. If you had to take step 2b, please also send the downloaded "Service Account Key File", i.e. the json file to the Release Manager.
Many thanks for the joint search for clues!