App ratings & reviews
App ratings (the star score) and reviews (the written feedback) are among the most powerful forces in ASO because they do two jobs at once: they influence where you rank and they heavily influence whether someone installs once they see your listing. A low rating quietly suppresses both. Ratings are also one of the few things a developer can directly influence through good product experience and well-timed prompts — within the limits the stores set on how often you may ask.
- Ratings and reviews do double duty: they influence ranking AND heavily drive conversion — a low rating suppresses installs.
- Rating volume and recency matter — a steady stream of fresh, positive ratings ("rating velocity") is a lever you control.
- Apple’s SKStoreReviewController shows the rating prompt at most 3 times per 365 days per user, and Apple decides when (or whether) it appears — so prompt only at genuine moments of delight.
- Google’s In-App Review API has its own quota that Google keeps unpublished and can change — so apply your own logic to pick the right moment.
- Reviews are a free product-feedback stream — mining them for bugs and feature requests is core ASO and product work.
Why ratings matter twice — and the prompt limits
Ratings feed both sides of discovery. On the ranking side, the average score, the volume of ratings, and their recency are widely understood to be a major factor. On the conversion side, the rating is one of the first things a browsing user checks — a 4.7 with thousands of ratings converts far better than a 3.9 with a handful, so a weak rating costs you installs even when you rank. Both stores give you an in-app way to ask, with guardrails: Apple’s SKStoreReviewController will display the prompt at most three times per user per 365-day period, and Apple itself controls when (or whether) it actually appears. Google’s In-App Review API also enforces a quota, but Google keeps the exact value unpublished and adjustable, so you’re expected to apply your own timing logic.
The consequence is that you can’t spam for ratings — you get a small number of chances, so timing them well matters enormously.
- Ranking + conversion both depend on rating average, volume, and recency.
- Apple: prompt shown ≤3 times / 365 days per user; Apple decides if it appears.
- Google: In-App Review API quota is unpublished and adjustable — time it yourself.
How to earn ratings honestly and use reviews
Because your prompts are limited, ask at a genuine moment of delight — after the user completes a meaningful task or hits a win — not on first launch or mid-task. Build a great experience first; prompting a frustrated user just harvests one-star ratings. Never buy or fake reviews (both stores ban it, and it’s reputational poison) and never gate the prompt to push happy users to the store while routing unhappy ones to a private form — Apple prohibits that pattern. Beyond the score, reviews are a goldmine: read them for recurring bugs, feature requests, and the exact language real users use to describe your app, and feed that back into both the product and your metadata. Replying to reviews (where the store supports it) also builds trust.
In short: earn ratings with a good experience and well-timed asks, and treat reviews as continuous, free product and keyword research.
- Prompt at real moments of delight; never on first launch or mid-task.
- Never buy/fake reviews or gate the prompt by sentiment — both are banned.
- Mine reviews for bugs, feature requests, and the user’s own language.
Frequently asked questions
Do app ratings affect ranking or just conversion?
Both. Ratings (average, volume, and recency) are widely understood to be a major ranking factor, and they heavily influence conversion because users check the rating before installing. A low rating suppresses installs even when you rank well, which is why rating velocity is a core ASO lever.
How often can I ask users for a rating?
On iOS, Apple’s SKStoreReviewController shows the prompt at most three times per user per 365-day period, and Apple decides whether it actually appears. On Android, Google’s In-App Review API enforces a quota that Google keeps unpublished and can change, so you should apply your own timing logic.
Can I filter out unhappy users before prompting for a rating?
No — routing happy users to the store prompt while diverting unhappy ones to a private form is prohibited (Apple bans this pattern). Ask everyone at a genuine moment of delight, and use the in-app review APIs rather than custom gating.
What should I do with written reviews?
Treat them as free, continuous product and keyword research: read them for recurring bugs, feature requests, and the exact language users use to describe your app, then feed that into your roadmap and your metadata. Reply where the store supports it to build trust.
Put this into practice.
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