Product Review Guidelines

When you register a project with the Device Access program, we'll allocate your project with a limited number of unique users in addition to your own developer account, as described in User and Rate Limits.

After completing a Sandbox integration, if you would like to create a Commercial integration, you need to apply for Commercial Development by submitting a use case for review and approval. Upon approval, partners go through a certification process.

Guidelines

To ensure a smooth product review, Commercial integrations must meet the following guidelines.

Products in this document refers to the applications that integrate the SDM API for accessing Google Nest devices as part of the Device Access program.

1. Functionality.
   1. Products that do not use the official SDM API will be rejected.
   2. Products that crash will be rejected.
   3. Products that exhibit user-visible bugs with significant functional impact will be rejected.
   4. Products that do not provide users with clear error messaging when actions fail, describing the reason for failure, will be rejected.
   5. Products that do not provide error and rate limit handling, will be rejected.
   6. Products that do not work with the official SDM API, as described by the developer will be rejected.
   7. Products that include undocumented or hidden features inconsistent with the description of the product or the permissions requested will be rejected.
   8. Products that are "demo," "trial," or "test" versions will be rejected. Beta apps will be considered. Products that support multiple platforms (for example, iOS, Android, and a website) should submit all supported platforms at the time of review. Products that do not submit all supported platforms for review may be rejected.
   9. Products that are not useful or unique or do not provide any lasting value, such as providing a more complete view of a user's home or added functionality apart from what Google Device Access provides, may be rejected.
   10. Products that are primarily marketing materials or advertisements with no additional value to users will be rejected.
   11. Products that provide incorrect or other inaccurate device data will be rejected.
   12. Products that do not pass Google Device Access Product review after multiple attempts may be rejected, removed from the Device Access program if the product was previously approved, and may be prohibited from making future submissions.
   13. Products that collect, aggregate, re-syndicate, retain, log, or store (by any medium or mechanism) Customer Data received from the SDM API beyond 10 trailing days from the date when the data is received and stored will be rejected.
   14. Products that collect, aggregate, re-syndicate, retain, log or store any audio recordings, video footage, or audio or video livestreams received via the SDM API ("Audio Visual Data") will be rejected. Any use of Audio Visual Data is strictly limited to the display of such data through your product.
   15. Products that share Customer Data with third parties without consent from Google will be rejected.
   16. Products that allow simultaneous control of Google Nest devices across multiple Google accounts may be rejected.
   17. Products that perform demand response or other energy management programs will be rejected.
   18. Products that purport to enable connected Google Nest devices, a customer's Google account, or collected Customer Data to provide interruption-free emergency response, notification services, life-safety, or other critical use services will be rejected.
   19. Products that evaluate users or their property individually or in aggregate for insurance or other financial products and services will be rejected.
   20. Products that breach the terms and conditions governing the use of any Google product or service will be rejected.
   21. Products that call the SDM API without an initial direct and explicit end-user directed request will be rejected.
   22. Products that record, collect, use, or store any information or data from a query or result, including without limitation any audio data, or metadata related to any queries, received as a result of an end user's use of, or authentication with, the Google Assistant, if the product or the services used are integrated with or distribute Google Assistant will be rejected.
2. Branding and User Interface.
   1. All marketing materials must be submitted and receive approval via the Google Partner Marketing Hub prior to launch.
   2. Products, whose actual product name, contains Google, Google Nest, Nest, Google Device Access, or any name that is confusingly similar to these Google trademarks, may be rejected.
   3. Products that contain UI elements that copy or closely resemble those in the Google Nest or Google Home app will be rejected.
   4. Products containing unapproved icons and images that copy or closely resemble those in Google Nest or Google Home app or Google Nest devices may be rejected.
   5. Products containing unapproved Google or Google Nest icons and images may be rejected.
   6. Products that use Google or Google Nest icons to represent a Google structure, or use the Google G to represent UI elements other than a Google account or Google structure may be rejected.
   7. Products must not use Google Nest Blue (HEX #00AFD8) for UI elements other than approved Google Nest icons and images.
   8. Products that use altered Google icons or Google device icons in ways that do not adhere to the Google Brand Permissions may be rejected.
   9. Products that advertise Google Nest integration and use case functionality that is not accurate or makes claims which cannot be substantiated will be rejected.
   10. Products that do not follow the guidelines for use of the phrases Device Access, Works with Google Assistant, and/or Google Smart Home will be rejected.
   11. Products that use a URL that incorporates any Google name (including, but not limited to Google or Nest) may be rejected.
   12. Google Nest reserves the right to reject any marketing materials even if the prohibitions are not mentioned in this section.
3. Metadata (name, descriptions, permissions, and so on).
   1. Products with placeholder text, in name, description, or any other value will be rejected.
   2. Products with names and descriptions not relevant to the functionality of the product will be rejected.
   3. Products which access traits not relevant to the functionality of the product will be rejected.
   4. Products with names, product literature, or promotional materials that are misleading, confusing, or incorporate third party trademarks or copyrights will be rejected.
   5. Products that recommend that users disable any Google product functionality may be rejected.
   6. Products that do not have a valid working Support URL will be rejected.
   7. Products that appear to copy UI elements from other apps may be rejected.
4. Authorization.
   1. Products that do not have correctly implemented authentication and authorization to a Google account may be rejected.
   2. Use of the SDM API is restricted to countries where Google devices are sold.
   3. Products that do not securely store and transmit access tokens, authorization codes, and client secrets will be rejected.
   4. Products that include the ability to log out or disconnect from Google must use Google OAuth token revocation API to do so or direct the user to https://nestservices.google.com/partnerconnections. Products that do not handle this revoked authorization by reverting to a disconnected state and removing all Customer Data will be rejected.
   5. Products must follow Google OAuth guidelines for doing Google account linking.
   6. Products that do not have valid Terms of Service and a Privacy Policy shown to the end user as part of Google OAuth will be rejected.
   7. Google provides the ability for a user to revoke SDM API access. Products must handle this revoked authorization by reverting to a disconnected state and removing all user data.
   8. Products must include a link to Google's Partner Connections Manager to allow users to manage structures and device data access.
   9. Products may be deactivated for various operational reasons. When a product is inactive, it will become unusable. Products that do not provide support for an inactive product (for example, proper user error messaging) will be rejected.
   10. Products that force users to reauthorize, after authorization has already been established, will be rejected.
   11. Developer must place a "Limited Use" snippet on their project's homepage or on a page one click away from the homepage calling out the app's compliance with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. The snippet must be visible to all users and must be under 500 characters.
5. Structures/Homes.

   Google accounts provide users the ability to manage multiple homes. Products should support Google accounts that may contain one or more homes. Some products may be linked to only one Google home. In these cases, developers must provide users the ability to select the appropriate home. Once linked, developers must provide support for changes in homes, including addition and removal of homes and updates to home data (for example home names). The following guidelines cover the requirements for handling Google accounts that may have multiple homes.

   1. Products that do not accommodate the possibility of multiple homes will be rejected.
   2. Products that do not provide a user a way to select the appropriate home for linking (for example, a structure picker) will be rejected.
   3. Products that do not reflect home data updates (for example, home names or addition/subtraction of homes) within seconds after the update may be rejected.
   4. Products that cannot support multiple homes, each containing multiple devices of the same or different types, will be rejected.
   5. Products that cannot support empty homes (structures) or a combination of empty and non-empty homes will be rejected.
6. Google Nest Thermostats.

   The SDM API is designed to allow 3rd party products and solutions to control the HVAC system through the Nest Thermostat without disrupting Google Nest algorithms or surprising the user with unexpected behavior.

   1. Products that instruct the user to turn off sensors and learning features of the Google Nest Thermostat will be rejected.
   2. Products that trigger thermostat updates without user interaction (for example, triggers and rules) and do not provide an indicator of any action that failed will be rejected.
   3. Products that do not maintain temperatures, setpoints and ambient, in sync with the actual device temperatures, within seconds, may be rejected.
   4. Products that do not handle multiple thermostats in one or multiple structures may be rejected.
   5. Products that do not update when thermostat data updates will be rejected.
   6. Products that do not update upon thermostat addition/removal will be rejected.
   7. Products that do not support all possible thermostat modes, for example Heat, Cool, Heat-Cool, Off, Eco, may be rejected.
   8. Products that do not support Heat-Cool limits properly (3 degrees apart in F and 1.5 in C) will be rejected.
   9. Products that do not support temperature limits correctly (50-90 F and 9-32 C) will be rejected.
   10. Products that provide fan functionality and do not support starting and stopping of a fan timer will be rejected.
   11. Products that do not display and update, within seconds of updates, correct thermostat locations and names will be rejected.
   12. Products that do not support C to F transitions by reading and updating or writing the units back to Google Nest may be rejected.
7. Google Nest Cameras, Google Nest Doorbells, and Nest Hub Max.

   The SDM API provides the ability to retrieve event information on camera live stream, notification, and snapshot images, or clip preview for motion, person, sound, and doorbell events.

   1. Products that do not support multiple cameras in one or multiple structures will be rejected.
   2. Products that do not display and update correct camera names and locations will be rejected.
   3. Products that notify users about camera events must notify users within seconds of the event, or may be rejected.
   4. Products that send notifications that duplicate Google Nest device native notifications will be rejected.
   5. Products that trigger camera updates without user interaction (for example, triggers and rules) and do not provide an indicator of any action that failed will be rejected.
   6. Products that do not update upon camera addition/removal will be rejected.

Note

This document represents our best effort to share how we review Device Access products submitted for approval. We hope it serves as a helpful guide as you develop and submit your apps and integrated interfaces. This is a living document that will be updated as we are presented with new apps, implementations, and situations.

As a developer of products for the Device Access program, you are bound by the following guides:

• Google Device Access Program Terms of Service
• Marketing and Branding Guidelines
• Any other agreements between you and Google

Google's approval of your product does not waive any Google rights under these agreements. These guidelines are intended to assist you in gaining acceptance for your product through the Device Access Product Review process and not to amend or remove provisions from any other agreement.

Google reserves the right to interpret and apply these guidelines at Google's sole discretion and to change the interpretation or application of these guidelines at any time, including during the Product Review process.