Release channels

Order with Google supports the creation of release channels. This lets you give access to a limited set of users to test your integration before you deploy it to the public.

Testing your integration with a limited set of users gives you the opportunity to get early feedback and fix any issues before you release it widely.

There are three types of release channels that Order with Google supports:

• Alpha: This channel lets you quickly test early versions of your integration to a small set of users within your organization. You can add these users as Alpha testers. This is ideal for internal testing with your business teams and non-technical stakeholders.

• AoG Testing: This channel lets you deploy a release for Mystery Shopping. Mystery shoppers are third-party contractors engaged by Google to place orders in Order with Google as though they were actual consumers.

  • Google uses this channel to validate your integration end to end and get early user experience feedback from mystery shoppers.
  • Mystery Shopping expects the merchants to fulfill the orders as if they're already in production. Let your Google consultant coordinate the Mystery Shopping with your integration.

• Production: This channel makes your integration available to the public. When you submit a release in the Production channel, the release version needs to be reviewed and approved by Google before it's deployed.

  • To increase the chances for approval, your integration must meet our launch readiness checklist. Afterwards, your Google consultant coordinates an internal review to prepare for launch.

Note: All release channels use your production data feeds. To have different fulfillment endpoint URLs for each release channel, create different release versions.

Lifecycle of a release

A release is a version of your Actions Project’s configuration that includes the project display name, directory information, and fulfillment endpoint URL.

When you update your Actions Project’s configuration and you want to deploy the changes, you must create a release. The same release version can be deployed to the Alpha, AoG Test, and Production channels.

The following shows the recommended promotion path for a release version:

1. Draft (the current snapshot of your Actions Project)
2. Alpha
3. AoG Test
4. Production

Create a release

To create a release for Order with Google, do the following:

1. In the Actions Console, review your project's display name, logo, terms of service, privacy policy, and fulfillment endpoint URL. Any changes to these require the creation of a new release.
2. From the main navigation, go to Deploy > Release.
3. On the Manage Releases page, click Start new release.

4. Select the release channel to deploy to and follow the steps to submit it.

   • We recommend that a new release is deployed first to the Alpha channel before you deploy it to the AoG Test and Production channels.
   • It's not necessary to create a separate release for each channel. You can promote an existing release to the AoG Test and Production channels.

After a release is submitted, it appears in the Manage Releases page with a status (Under review, Denied, or Deployed).

Note: After you deploy, your version will be in the Deploying state for up to three hours before it becomes available to your users.

Manage and promote a release

A release version can be promoted to other release channels. In the Manage Release page, search for the release version you want to promote and click Manage Deployments. The following options are available:

• Deploy to Alpha: Deploys the version to the Alpha channel.
• Deploy to AoG Test: Deploys the version for Mystery Shopping.
• Deploy to Production: Deploys the version for Production. This option is only available for versions that have been reviewed and approved by Google.
• Submit review for Production: If the version isn't yet reviewed and approved by Google, you can submit it for review for Production deployment.
• Withdraw from review: Withdraws the request to review the release. The version is then listed in the overview table as Not reviewed.
• Undeploy from <Release Channel>: Unpublishes the version from the release channel that it was deployed to.

Note: The same release version can be deployed to the Alpha, AoG Test, and Production channels.

Undeploy a release

If you want to disable your integration in a release channel, you can undeploy its current release. This lets you do the following:

1. Temporarily disable your integration in Production.
2. Revert to a previous version of a release.

Follow these steps to undeploy a release:

1. In the Actions Console, go to Deploy > Release.
2. Select the version you want to undeploy and click Manage Deployments.
3. Select the environment you want to undeploy from, such as Undeploy from production.

When a previous version is unpublished, you can select Deploy to <Release Channel> to revert to that version.

Manage Alpha testers

If you want to add testers to your Alpha pilot test, do the following:

1. In the Actions Console, go to Deploy > Release.
2. Click Manage Alpha Testers.
3. In the Alpha testers list, add the Gmail addresses of up to 20 pilot testers, then click Save.
4. Get your Alpha testers to enable Web & App Activity in the Google account of their Gmail.
5. Share the Opt-in link and Alpha Testing link with your testers.
6. Before your Alpha testers can access the Alpha Testing link, they must be signed in to their Gmail account and have accepted the Opt-in link.