AppMaker WebView Studio

AppMaker WebView Studio is a lightweight Python + HTML tool that generates fully configured Android WebView wrapper projects. Each generated project contains a self-updating policy manifest so you can stay compliant when Google updates their SDK or Play policy requirements.

Features

• Intuitive web UI powered by Flask for configuring your Android WebView app.
• In-memory ZIP generation of a Gradle project with Kotlin activity boilerplate.
• Optional signed release builder that bundles a keystore, certificate summary, and ready-to-upload APK/AAB outputs when Android tooling is available.
• Bundled update script and /api/sdk-rules endpoint to keep Google policy data current.
• Automatic refresh mechanism that caches the latest rules locally with graceful fallbacks.

Getting started

1. Create a virtual environment and install dependencies:

   python -m venv .venv
   source .venv/bin/activate
   pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Launch the development server:

   flask --app app run --reload

3. Open http://127.0.0.1:5000 and fill out the form to generate a project.

4. Use the Build signed release package button after expanding the advanced signing panel to request a keystore, certificate summary, and release artifacts.

5. Use the Refresh rules from Google button to pull down the most recent SDK guidance.

6. Each generated ZIP includes tools/update_rules.py so the Android project can update itself before release.

Generating signed releases

AppMaker can attempt to build a signed release bundle directly from the web UI. When you provide keystore credentials in the advanced section and click Build signed release package, the server:

1. Generates a secure PKCS#12 keystore and keystore.properties wired into the Gradle project.
2. Produces a certificate summary (RELEASE_CERTIFICATE.txt) so you can archive signing fingerprints.
3. Runs assembleRelease and bundleRelease (if Gradle and the Android SDK are installed on the host) and packages any resulting APK/AAB files inside the download alongside the build log.

If the host environment lacks the Android toolchain, the download still includes the full project, keystore, and a tools/build_release.sh helper script. Install Android Studio or the command line SDK tools, set ANDROID_HOME/ANDROID_SDK_ROOT, then execute:

cd project
./tools/build_release.sh

The script prefers the Gradle wrapper when available and falls back to a system-wide gradle binary.

Environment variables

• SDK_RULE_SOURCE – Override the remote JSON manifest endpoint.
• APPMAKER_SECRET – Secret key for Flask session/flash support.
• PORT and FLASK_DEBUG – Override server defaults when running python app.py directly.

API

GET /api/sdk-rules returns the cached manifest, making it easy to integrate automated compliance checks into your pipeline.

{
  "rules": {
    "version": "2024.04",
    "updated": "2024-04-10T12:00:00Z",
    "requirements": [
      "Target API level 34 or above for new submissions.",
      "Declare data safety information for WebView usage in Play Console.",
      "Audit embedded web content for third-party cookies and trackers."
    ],
    "notes": [
      "This offline cache is bundled so AppMaker can start even without network access.",
      "Use the Refresh rules button to download the latest Android policy manifest."
    ]
  },
  "source": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GoogleChromeLabs/llms/main/android_webview_rules.json"
}

Tip: Deploy AppMaker behind a scheduler (such as cron or GitHub Actions) that hits /refresh-rules so the manifest automatically updates whenever Google publishes new rules.

License

This project is provided under the MIT license.