What are App Actions?

App actions refer to the mechanism within the Android ecosystem that enables applications to extend functionality into the Google Search and Google Assistant experience. They also act as a bridge between an app’s deep features and the user’s intent, as expressed through natural language. 

Instead of navigating manually through an app, users can issue natural language commands (e.g., “track my monitor run”). Then, Google Assistant will trigger the corresponding functionality inside the app. To put it simply, app actions were designed to deepen the integration between Android apps and the voice-driven environment of Google Assistant.

How do app actions work with Android shortcuts?

App Actions are closely tied to Android Shortcuts, which are predefined entry points into specific parts of an application. Shortcuts can be static (defined in shortcuts.xml and bundled with the app) or dynamic (created at runtime by the app based on user behavior).

When a developer enables App Actions, the shortcuts serve as the fulfillment targets for Assistant queries. For instance, a music app can create a shortcut for “Play playlist: Morning Mix”. When the user says “Hey Google, play Morning Mix in MusicApp”, Google Assistant resolves the command to that shortcut and opens the app at the correct screen.

What are the best practices for app actions?

To maximize user experience and ensure adoption, developers should follow best practices when designing and implementing App Actions:

1. Align with user journeys: Only expose actions that represent meaningful, high-frequency user needs. For example, a food delivery app might highlight “reorder last meal” or “track current order,” rather than rarely used features like changing user profile.
2. Leverage Built-in Intents (BIIs): Always map to Google’s BIIs when possible. This ensures consistency across apps and takes advantage of Assistant’s pre-trained natural language models. If a BII doesn’t exist, custom intents can be used, but they may have more limited discoverability.
3. Ensure deep links are robust: Every App Action relies on deep links into the app. These must be tested thoroughly to ensure users land on the right screen with the right context. A failed deep link leads to frustration and decreased trust.
4. Optimize for voice variability: Users rarely phrase commands the same way. Developers should test queries with different synonyms, accents, and phrasing to confirm the Assistant still triggers the correct shortcut.
5. Maintain clear, concise invocation names: If custom intents are used, the app’s invocation phrases should be natural and easy to remember. Avoid overly technical or uncommon phrasing.
6. Prioritize security and privacy: Since App Actions often involve confidential data (payments, health tracking, messaging), ensure the actions respect Android’s permission system and never expose personal information without explicit user consent.
7. Iterate with analytics: Google provides analytics for App Actions through Play Console, including invocation frequency and errors. Developers should monitor these metrics and refine their actions over time.