How to Export Your Google Play Purchase History
There is no "download" button in the Play Store's order history — a frustration documented for years in Google's own support communities. The official export route is Google Takeout. Here's the whole process, end to end.
Why Takeout is the answer
When people ask Google how to download their Play purchase history, the answer from support threads is consistent: the Play interface shows orders on screen, but the way to get your data as a file is Google Takeout — Google's official data export tool. It's free, it's run by Google itself, and no third party ever touches your account.
The export, step by step
Sign in with the Google account that holds your Play purchases. Works on phone or computer.
Every service is selected by default; you only want one, and a smaller export arrives faster.
Scroll the list of services to find it.
Destination: download link via email. Frequency: export once. Format: ZIP.
A Play-only export is small and usually ready within minutes.
From the link in Google's email. The link expires, so don't postpone it for weeks.
Finding Purchase History.json in the ZIP
Unzip the archive. Inside, the path you're looking for is:
Takeout/
└── Google Play Store/
├── Purchase History.json ← what you acquired, with dates
├── Order History.json ← amounts, payment and refund details
├── Installs.json ← install activity per device
└── Library.json ← your library items
Exact contents vary by account — see what the export typically contains for the per-file breakdown and its limits. For the anatomy of the main file, see Purchase History.json Explained.
Sensitive-data precautions
- Order History can include payment-method related fields. The ZIP is not something to email around or drop into a random website.
- Prefer local tools. Whatever reads the file should do it on your device, not on someone else's server.
- Delete the ZIP when done. Your Google account remains the source of truth; you can always export again.
What you can do with the export
The files are JSON: complete, but raw. For a one-off question, a text editor and Ctrl+F work. For anything recurring — search, filters, totals, stats — you either convert to CSV and live in a spreadsheet, or you wait for tooling built for the job.
FAQ
Can I download my Play purchase history as a file?
The Play Store interface has no export or download button. The official way to get your purchase history as a file is Google Takeout: select Google Play Store, create the export, download the ZIP.
Where is Purchase History.json inside the ZIP?
Unzip the archive and open the Takeout folder, then the Google Play Store folder. Purchase History.json sits there alongside files like Order History.json, Installs.json and Library.json.
Can I open the export in Excel or Google Sheets?
Not directly — the files are JSON, not CSV. You can convert them with a script or an online converter, or read them in a text editor for a one-off search. Spreadsheet import requires a JSON-to-CSV conversion step.
Is it safe to upload my Takeout ZIP to a website?
Be careful: Order History can contain payment-method related fields. Prefer tools that process the file locally on your own device, and delete the ZIP when you're done.
Skip the JSON.
App Purchase Vault is in pre-launch: pick the ZIP, get a searchable archive. On-device only.