I'm doing some beta testing of my new Chrome extension for Gmail, and I'm wondering what the correct way to link to the web store from an adwords campaign is?
There isn't enough space to display the web store link, and shorteners violate policy. Should I be linking to the main site, and then using an ad extension with a link to the chrome store?
The idea is just to drive some limited targeted traffic directly to the download/install page without self hosting it yet.
Related
I have created a Chrome Extension, hosted on the Chrome Web Store, and I'm driving PPC ad traffic to it via Google Ads.
My goal is to be able to track, what percent of users searching Keyword A, vs Keyword B, vs Keyword C, ultimately download the Chrome Extension. However there is a shockingly small amount of information/documentation online about how to track and set up any of this.
Here's what I've done:
Inside of Google Analytics, I created a new Property for the Extension. For the Data Stream, I link to the Chrome Web Store page for the extension.
On that Data Stream page inside of Google Analytics, I copied the Measurement ID, which is something like "G-R57QV4PBCE"
I then pasted that, inside of the Chrome Web Store developer editor page, for the Chrome Extension, where it asks for a Google Analytics ID.
Inside of Google Ads? Under "Linked Accounts"? I found Google Analytics, found the specific property which contains that Chrome Extension data stream, and I linked that.
So my understanding is that all of these things should now be linked -- the Chrome Web Store Extension page is linked with Google Analytics, which should track all of the install information on there. Then the Google Analytics page is integrated with the Google Ads account, meaning I should be able to ultimately see information about -- What percent of people who searched Keyword A or Keyword B, ultimately landed on the Web Store page, and installed the extension -- correct?
Am I missing anything here? Any additional steps or anything to be able to track this correctly? Do I need to add UTM parameters to the Google Ads link I use to drive traffic to the web store? Do I need to set up any custom events inside of Google Analytics to be able to correctly track what I'm trying to track?
Thanks
Was wondering if I had a web-application on www.mydomain.com/userportal etc but didn't want this accessable via the browser, but as a chrome application similar to how Google's Hangouts is a seperate window / popup - How easy is it to implement an already built application into one of these windows?
If I understand you correctly, you would like to display your www site as a Chrome App. Chrome apps are all HTML/CSS/JS files hosted on the computer but they can display a webview into a site online. However, Chrome Apps must be 'offline' first. So you must ask for permissions to all online activity.
Ideally you would make separate app hosted as a Chrome App (not link/embedded to a www site) that uses an API to talk to a web-app.
Keep in mind that Google is phasing out Chrome Apps for all platforms except Chrome OS in the near future.
I would like to create an extension or app for the Chrome browser which would require access to a user's Google Calender (for creating new appointments).
I am unsure of which technology to better research and use, Chrome extensions or apps. My "app" wouldn't need much of a GUI, so I'm leaning towards extension — but I don't know if this would pose any difficulties for accessing a user's Google Calender to add an event.
Anyone one have any idea which technology is best for this situation, and why? Thanks!
Either, or... Go with an extension if you'd like.
I assume you've looked at the API reference?
https://developers.google.com/google-apps/calendar/
From there, I'd imagine you'd just need OAuth to authenticate the user. Here's the JS library:
https://code.google.com/p/google-api-javascript-client/
There are pros/cons of each types, apps or extensions.
Apps
If you would like to create a client application of Google Calendar which has many rich GUI components, this type will become a better solution.
In addition, Chrome apps can communicate with many hardware devices and other servers. Of course, your Chrome app can become as a server (that is, your app can open a server socket and accept a request from other client apps).
Chrome apps can be executed not depending on your Chrome Web browser. That is, Chrome apps cannot access to a context of your Chrome Web browser.
Probably, you don't want to get the pros above, I guess...
Extensions
If you would like to create a small UI for posting your schedule to Google Calendar, this type will become a better solution.
In addition, Chrome extensions can access to a context of your Chrome Web browser. That is, your extension can get page contents of each tab and inject your CSS and/or JS code. For example, your extension will get a URL of some opened tab and include it in a body of the posted schedule.
Chrome extensions completely depend on your Chrome Web browser. That is, your extension cannot execute independently.
Also, generally, high cost will be needed to develop Chrome apps than Chrome extensions. As the result, you should choose Chrome extensions, I believe.
I am trying to create a web page, which embeds several Google Docs in it. My problem is that when this page is viewed on an android device, then the user is presented with the terrible web based Google Docs editor. Therefore, I would like to have a link on my page, which opens the native Google Drive app on the users phone, so he/she can edit the document there. After searching for two hours, I am unable to figure out how to make a link, which automatically opens the document in the native app.
I succeeded with viewing the Google Drive app in google market using the following link:
market://details?id=com.google.android.apps.docs
I also experimented with
googledrive://no-idea-what-to-write-here
But that did not succeed either.
Is this possible at all, or does this only work on iOS?
There does not seem to be a good way to do what you want (at least according to my testing with Android 4.0.4; maybe the situation is different with other versions).
Using http: or https: links intercepted by an app
In theory, just using the https://docs.google.com/... link for the document should work for you. According to this answer on StackOverflow, intercepting http: or https: URLs is the proper way to start an app when opening a link from the Android browser. The Google Drive app does exactly this — it registers intent filters for https://drive.google.com, https://docs.google.com, https://spreadsheets.google.com and a bunch of similar URLs (including http: with the same host names). And this actually works — when using the stock Android browser, attempting to open a link pointing to https://drive.google.com results in the chooser popup with the Google Drive app included in the list (together with all installed browsers); selecting Google Drive results in opening the document in the Google Drive editor, as you want.
But the problem is that such intercepted HTTP[S] URLs work only in the stock Android browser — I have not been able to find any third-party browser which could show the app chooser when following such links. I tested Chrome, Dolphin, Firefox, Light Browser, Opera (including Classic and Mini), UC Browser, and all of them just opened the link internally instead of offering to pass it to the Google Drive app.
Using the intent: URI scheme
There is another way to make a link which starts an Android app — use the intent: URI scheme. I have not been able to find proper documentation for the intent: URI format; of course, the source code for the function which generates such URIs is available.
For your test document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zSzDnV-90Ke3dzCCJ2CZ6iQ3JQ3F1hL1udGDqbNwwbY/edit?usp=sharing
the corresponding intent: link which opens it in the Google Drive app will be:
intent://docs.google.com/document/d/1zSzDnV-90Ke3dzCCJ2CZ6iQ3JQ3F1hL1udGDqbNwwbY/edit?usp=sharing#Intent;scheme=https;action=android.intent.action.VIEW;category=android.intent.category.DEFAULT;category=android.intent.category.BROWSABLE;package=com.google.android.apps.docs;end
A test link with this URI is on a separate page (it is not possible to make an actual link pointing to such URI here).
The process of conversion is as follows:
Replace starting https: with intent:.
Append intent parameters:
#Intent;scheme=https;action=android.intent.action.VIEW;category=android.intent.category.DEFAULT;category=android.intent.category.BROWSABLE;package=com.google.android.apps.docs;end
Here scheme=https correspond to https: in the original URL, so if you want to convert a plainhttp: URL, this field should be scheme=http. And package=com.google.android.apps.docs is the package name of the app which should handle the link.
Now, when such link is followed, the browser should open the Google Drive app directly (without showing the app chooser). However, if the app is not installed, Android will open the Market app instead, and perform a search for the specified package name, so that the user could install the required app.
It is also possible to make the intent: link without the package parameter:
intent://docs.google.com/document/d/1zSzDnV-90Ke3dzCCJ2CZ6iQ3JQ3F1hL1udGDqbNwwbY/edit?usp=sharing#Intent;scheme=https;action=android.intent.action.VIEW;category=android.intent.category.DEFAULT;category=android.intent.category.BROWSABLE;end
In this case the behavior should be the same as when the intercepted https: link is followed in the stock Android browser — the app chooser with the Google Drive app and all browser apps will be displayed, and if the Google Drive app is not installed, the user will not be redirected to install it from Market.
Unlike intercepted http: and https: links, intent: links work in a wider range of Android browser apps; unfortunately, some browsers do not support them. Results of my testing:
Works: stock Android 4.0.4 browser, Chrome, Light Browser, Opera, Opera Classic.
Does not work: Dolphin, Firefox (feature request is pending), UC Browser.
And, obviously, non-Android browsers would not support such links at all, so you will need to use some kind of browser sniffing if your pages also must be usable for other clients.
Using a custom URI scheme
Some apps use completely nonstandard URI schemes, which might also work from third-party browsers. However, the Google Drive app does not do that, therefore this solution is not suitable for it (unless someone creates a “bridge” app which just passes requests to the Google Drive app).
Some browsers could also disallow nonstandard URI schemes except some whitelisted ones (such as market:) due to security concerns; I did not try to test this.
I need some light on the matter of Chrome Webstore registration.
I'm still confused despite searching through the web: the "app" will be only private for the site (we're trying to develop a Elgg plugin for our website that will allow users to access their drives).
1) for testing, do I need to register it (I did a search but some say yes like in the Google Drive SDK documentation, some say no in the google-drive-sdk tags)?
2) when the plugin is finished, tested and ready to go live for our users, do I still need to register it and pay 5$?
Thanks you for the answer you can provide us.
You don't need to register your app on the Chrome Web Store if you don't want to integrate with the Google Drive web UI: having the option to create a new file or open a file with your app directly from Google Drive.
Also, it might be easier for you not to create a Chrome Web Store listing while developing.
If you do need to integrate with the Google Drive web UI, but don't want your app to be public, you can publish your app to Trusted Testers only.