Where to find your closed testing opt-in link in Play Console

Updated November 9, 2026

Your testers need one link to join your closed test: the opt-in link. Google calls it the "shareable link" in the Testers tab and the "opt-in URL" elsewhere in its Help Center. It only appears after your release is live on the track, which is why many developers look for it and find nothing.

This page covers where the link is, what it should look like, why it can be missing, and which other links people send by mistake. If you have a link but it shows an error, see closed testing link not working.

Where the link is

Sign in to Play Console and select your app.
Go to Test and release > Testing > Closed testing.
Click Manage track on the track your testers are on.
Open the Testers tab.
Check your tester lists (or Google Groups) and the feedback URL, then copy the shareable link.

Google's own steps for a closed test end with "Copy the shareable link to share the release with testers" (Play Console Help).

If you created additional closed tracks, each one has its own Testers tab. Copy the link from the track whose tester list contains your testers.

What a correct link looks like

Google gives the format: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/ followed by your package name. Its example: if your package name is your.new.app, the opt-in URL is https://play.google.com/apps/testing/your.new.app (Play Console Help).

So you can check any link in a few seconds:

It starts with https://play.google.com/apps/testing/.
What follows is exactly your package name, the one shown under your app's name in Play Console.
Nothing comes after it: no period, no parenthesis, no space.

When a tester opens it, they see an explanation of tester responsibilities and a button to opt in. Each tester has to opt in through that page. If your track uses a Google Group, they must join the group first (Play Console Help). The feedback email or URL you entered in the Testers tab also appears on that page.

Why the link isn't there

1. The app isn't published to the track yet

This is the main reason. Google says: "The opt-in link displays only when an app status is 'Published'. Apps in 'Draft' or 'Pending publication' status do not display an opt-in link" (Play Console Help).

Your app's status is shown under its name and package name when you select it in Play Console (Play Console Help). Remember that you can only start a closed test after completing your app setup (Play Console Help).

2. Your changes were never sent for review

Creating a release isn't enough. On the Publishing overview page, changes sit in "Changes not yet sent for review" and "are not sent for review until you click Send for review" (Play Console Help).

Fix: open Publishing overview and click Send for review.

3. Your release is still in review

For certain developer accounts, Google says it takes more time to review apps, "up to seven days or longer in exceptional cases" (Play Console Help). Until the review ends, there's no link to copy.

4. The first release was rejected

Google's status table says a Draft app "has no presence on Google Play because either you haven't published it yet or it was rejected during the review process" (Play Console Help). After a rejection, Google doesn't resend anything for you: you fix the issue and click Send for review again (Play Console Help).

5. Managed publishing is holding approved changes

Managed publishing can't be used for an app's very first publish. If you turned it on later, approved changes wait in "Changes ready to publish" until you click Publish changes. That includes changes to how testers are configured for a track, such as a new email list or Google Group (Play Console Help).

6. The link exists but doesn't work yet

After a test is published for the first time, "the test link can take several hours to become available to testers" (Play Console Help). Open it yourself in a private window before you send it to anyone.

Links you shouldn't send instead

Link	What it is	Why it's not the opt-in link
Internal testing link	The shareable link of the Internal testing track	A different test. Google says a user who opts into your internal test "is no longer eligible to receive an open or closed test" until they opt out (Play Console Help).
Play Store listing (`/store/apps/details?id=`)	Your app's page on Google Play	Testers can't find a closed test by searching, so Google tells you to share this URL for them to install the app (Play Console Help). It comes after the opt-in.
Internal app sharing link	A download link from the internal app sharing page	A separate tool: at most 100 users can download from one link, and it expires 60 days after upload (Play Console Help). It doesn't count as a closed test.
Open testing link	The shareable link of the Open testing track	For new personal accounts, open testing becomes available only after you gain production access (Play Console Help).

Send it the right way

Open the link in a private browser window. You should see the tester page, not an error.
Send it as plain text on its own line, with the Google account each tester should use.
Tell testers to open it in their usual browser, where they're signed in, rather than inside a chat app.
After they opt in, send the Play Store link so they can install the app.

The tester side, step by step, is in how testers join a closed test. The full track setup is in how to set up closed testing.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the opt-in link for a closed test in Play Console?

Go to Test and release > Testing > Closed testing, click Manage track on your track, then open the Testers tab. Copy the shareable link shown there.

Why can't I see the opt-in link?

Google only displays it once the app status is Published. Apps in Draft or Pending publication don't show one, so check that your release was sent for review and approved.

What does a closed testing opt-in link look like?

https://play.google.com/apps/testing/ followed by your package name, for example https://play.google.com/apps/testing/your.new.app.

Is the opt-in link the same as the Play Store link?

No. The opt-in link lets a tester join the test. The Play Store link (play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=) is how they install the app after joining, because a closed test app doesn't show up in Google Play search.