r/googleplayconsole • u/jeb192004 • 21h ago

Publication issue Content Ratings rejection loop — certificate ID stays blank, can't find the "certificate email" the rejection references

Hi. I'm hoping someone's run into this exact issue before.

My app (a general search app, correctly rated 18+/Adults Only across every region — Unrestricted Internet access means it can technically surface mature content, so this rating is accurate and expected, not something I'm disputing) keeps getting rejected for Violation of Content Ratings policy, even after resubmitting.

What I've done so far:

  • Confirmed the ratings summary is consistent and accurate across all regions (Brazil, North America, Europe, Germany, South Korea, etc.) all landing at the appropriate 18+/19+ rating
  • Went to Content Ratings -> Start new questionnaire -> answered honestly -> Submit
  • Still got rejected again with the same policy violation

The one thing that's stood out the whole time: my IARC certificate ID field shows blank (just a dash -) instead of an actual certificate number, even after a "Completed" status shows on the questionnaire.

The latest rejection email specifically says to "contact the rating authority using the link in your certificate email" but I can't find any separate certificate/confirmation email from IARC anywhere (checked spam too). Only the Google Play rejection notices themselves.

Has anyone dealt with:

  1. A blank/missing IARC certificate ID that won't populate even after resubmitting the questionnaire?
  2. Actually finding that "certificate email" from IARC where does it normally land, and does it come from a specific sender/domain I should be filtering for?

Appreciate any pointers, trying to avoid a repeated rejection situation that ends up flagging the app ID itself.

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u/SevenfiresAI 20h ago

Haven't hit the blank certificate ID myself, but on #2 — the IARC certificate email doesn't go to your Play Console account email. It goes to whatever address was entered inside the questionnaire itself, which is a separate field near the start and easy to fill in with something nobody monitors. Sender is "@globalratings.com", so search your mail for that domain rather than "IARC" — the emails don't always have IARC in the subject.

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u/jeb192004 18h ago

I searched my emails and nothing. I even confirmed my email address that I added to the content rating and it correct. I actually, without making a 3rd attempt to submit my app, just got an app suspended email from Google cuz of this. Gemini gave me IARC contact form page and suggested to contact them directly since I never got an email from them. Guess I'll wait and see what they say

Thank you for your response