Understanding the Need to Export App Store Reviews
Exporting app reviews to a spreadsheet can be crucial for developers and agencies who need to perform detailed analysis, generate reports, or simply maintain records. While the App Store Connect interface provides access to reviews, it doesn’t offer a direct export feature. Let’s dive into how you can achieve this efficiently.
Using App Store Connect API
The most direct way to programmatically retrieve your app reviews is through the App Store Connect API. This requires some setup, but it’s a powerful way to automate the extraction process.
Step 1: Set Up API Access
- Log in to your App Store Connect account.
- Navigate to Users and Access → Keys.
- Click the “+” button to create a new API key.
- Assign the key a name, and make sure to grant it App Manager privileges.
- Download the key file (.p8) and note down the key ID and issuer ID.
Step 2: Use the API to Fetch Reviews
With your API key, you can now write a script to fetch reviews. Here’s a basic example using Python:
import requests
import jwt
import time
# Replace these variables with your key details
key_id = 'YOUR_KEY_ID'
issuer_id = 'YOUR_ISSUER_ID'
private_key = open('AuthKey_YOUR_KEY.p8').read()
# Create the JWT token
expiration_time = int(time.time()) + 20 * 60
header = {'alg': 'ES256', 'kid': key_id}
payload = {'iss': issuer_id, 'exp': expiration_time, 'aud': 'appstoreconnect-v1'}
token = jwt.encode(payload, private_key, algorithm='ES256', headers=header)
# Make the API request
url = 'https://api.appstoreconnect.apple.com/v1/apps/YOUR_APP_ID/customerReviews'
headers = {'Authorization': f'Bearer {token}'}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
reviews = response.json()
# Process the reviews
# (Consider adding code here to write to a CSV file)
Exporting Reviews to a Spreadsheet
Once you have the reviews in JSON format, converting them to a CSV or Excel file can be done using Python’s csv or pandas library:
import csv
# Assume reviews are stored in a list of dictionaries
with open('reviews.csv', mode='w', newline='') as file:
writer = csv.DictWriter(file, fieldnames=reviews[0].keys())
writer.writeheader()
writer.writerows(reviews)
Alternative: Use ReviewTower
If setting up API access and scripting isn’t feasible for you, consider using tools like ReviewTower. ReviewTower allows you to monitor and manage app reviews from both the App Store and Google Play in one dashboard. Moreover, it enables exporting reviews to spreadsheets with just a few clicks, eliminating the need for custom scripts.
Key Takeaways
Exporting App Store reviews to a spreadsheet doesn’t have to be a complex task. By leveraging the App Store Connect API, you can automate this process with a little coding effort. For those looking for a more streamlined solution, ReviewTower provides an efficient alternative, offering immediate export capabilities along with comprehensive review management features.