Google opens Connected Apps Platform preview for Search and Gemini
On October 28, 2026, Google opened a phased preview of its Connected Apps Platform, letting developers build MCP-based apps that run in Search, the Gemini app, or both. Fees, app selection logic and conversion measurement are not yet explained.
- Google opened a phased preview of the Connected Apps Platform on October 28, 2026, for Search and the Gemini app.
- Search may start completing tasks through apps, but Google has not explained fees, app selection or conversion tracking.
- Sign up for the preview, check whether your services can be exposed through MCP, and plan your own measurement.
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Google opened a preview of its Connected Apps Platform on October 28, 2026. It is a single route for developers to build apps that work inside Google Search and the Gemini app. Google also says more than 50 Connected Apps are now live across the two products.
What is Google’s Connected Apps Platform?
It is a developer platform that lets companies register, test and submit apps once and have them appear in Search, the Gemini app, or both, according to Google’s announcement. Developers integrate through a cloud-hosted MCP server, or through Android MCP using the AppFunctions APIs, then use the new Google Connected Console. They pick the surface before review, and once live they can track traffic, latency and error rates and manage brand details such as verified logos.
Access opens in phases, with more developers, markets and Google products to follow over the coming months. Adobe, Experian, Localiza and Peloton integrations are live in Gemini and are due in Search in the coming weeks. Calm launches in both. Search Engine Roundtable notes that building an app is not enough: searchers must add it in their personalized Google Search settings.
Do Google’s Connected Apps matter for SEO?
Yes, mainly for brands that sell a service rather than just publish content, because Search can now call a business’s service instead of only linking to its site. Marie Haynes, quoted by Search Engine Roundtable, called it bigger for search marketers and argued that being found will depend on helping people and their agents get things done. That is her view, not a Google statement.
Google’s John Mueller wrote on LinkedIn, as quoted there, that he is excited about connected apps as a search platform but that it is “still extremely early.” He also said he does not work on the product.
The open questions matter as much as the launch. PPC Land points out that the post gives no fees, no list of markets and no explanation of how Google chooses between competing apps. The console metrics are operational, not marketing metrics, and the post shows no link to Google Ads, Analytics or conversion tracking. Because users must connect an app before it shows up, early reach may depend on adoption as much as on a good integration.
Treat this as a new visibility channel to watch, not a replacement for website SEO. Nothing in the sources says Connected Apps affect organic rankings.
How to prepare for Google’s Connected Apps Platform
- Sign up for the preview and read the documentation at developers.google.com/connected-apps, which Google links in its post.
- List the actions you could expose, such as booking, checking availability or ordering, and ask your developers whether you already run an MCP server.
- Decide on surface: Search, Gemini or both is chosen before review, so agree on this with product and legal teams early.
- Plan your own measurement. Since the console does not show conversions, think about how you will separate this traffic from other channels once it exists.
- Protect your brand name by preparing logo and account verification materials, as Google mentions verified logos and authenticated accounts.
- Monitor Google for details on fees, markets, app selection and data sharing, and for the Search rollout of the first partner apps.