How to choose and construct application ID wisely

Every Android app has its unique identifier called applicationId and you have to choose it wisely because it cannot be changed later.

Here are two main reasons why applicationId is important:

• It becomes a part of the app’s Google Play URL. Everyone can see it there and it impacts SEO as well.
• In order to change it, you have to create a new app on Google Play and convince all of your users to download it.

Android applicatioinId is constructed in a very similar way as Java packages are. You need a domain owned by an app owner and use it as a base, add an app-specific postfix to it and you have it:

com.yourdomain.appspecificpostfix

No dashes and special characters in applicationId

Unfortunately, the applicationId cannot contain dashes and other special characters. Dots and alphanumeric characters are the only ones allowed. Here are some examples of good identifiers for main projects apps:

com.vocabularyminer.app

com.integromat.app

com.vocabularyminer.android

com.integromat.android

Add a postfixappor android for the main project

We recommend adding appor androidas a postfix for main project/company apps as in the example above.

Other postfixes for secondary apps

Use other postfixes for secondary apps like in example:

com.vocabularyminer.schools

com.integromat.otherapp

No domain? Use client

When you are an agency as we are, use the domain of the client:

com.clientdomain.app

If there is no domain related to a client nor its project, there is the client postfix as the last option to consider. We use something like this:

com.skoumal.client.app

If you need to dig deeper into the topic, more details are available here: https://developer.android.com/studio/build/application-id
Good luck!

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