How to Export App Store Reviews to a Spreadsheet

Why Exporting App Store Reviews Matters

Exporting your app reviews to a spreadsheet allows for deeper analysis and archiving outside of the App Store Connect environment. It enables you to track trends over time, identify recurring issues, and share insights with your team efficiently.

Exporting Reviews Manually via App Store Connect

App Store Connect provides a native way to export reviews, but it's not immediately obvious. Here’s how you can do it:

Log into App Store Connect: Navigate to App Store Connect → My Apps and select your app.
Access Reviews: Go to Activity → Ratings and Reviews. Here, you'll see all the user reviews for your app.
Select Reviews to Export: While App Store Connect does not provide a direct export button, you can copy and paste the reviews into a spreadsheet manually. Use your keyboard shortcuts (Cmd+C/Ctrl+C) to copy and paste them into a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets.

Automating the Export Process with Scripts

If you're handling a large volume of reviews, manual export becomes impractical. Automation can save time. Here’s a simple script-based approach using Python:

import requests
import json
import csv

# Replace 'YOUR_APP_ID' with your actual app ID
app_id = 'YOUR_APP_ID'

# Fetch reviews from the App Store API
url = f'https://itunes.apple.com/rss/customerreviews/id={app_id}/json'
response = requests.get(url)
data = response.json()

# Write reviews to a CSV file
with open('app_reviews.csv', 'w', newline='') as csvfile:
    fieldnames = ['author', 'title', 'content', 'rating', 'date']
    writer = csv.DictWriter(csvfile, fieldnames=fieldnames)
    writer.writeheader()
    for entry in data['feed']['entry']:
        writer.writerow({
            'author': entry['author']['name']['label'],
            'title': entry['title']['label'],
            'content': entry['content']['label'],
            'rating': entry['im:rating']['label'],
            'date': entry['updated']['label']
        })

This script uses the iTunes RSS feed to pull reviews in JSON format and then writes the data to a CSV file. Customize the fields as necessary to fit your needs.

Using ReviewTower for Streamlined Review Management

If you're looking for a more robust solution that doesn’t require coding knowledge, consider using ReviewTower. With ReviewTower, you can export reviews to a spreadsheet with just a few clicks. Simply set up an automated export schedule, and ReviewTower will send the data directly to your inbox or preferred cloud storage.

Considerations and Best Practices

Data Privacy: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations when sharing reviews outside of your organization.
Regular Updates: Set a schedule for review exports to maintain up-to-date insights.
Data Analysis: Use spreadsheets to filter, sort, and chart your review data for deeper insights.

By exporting app store reviews to a spreadsheet, you can enhance your app development strategy with data-driven decisions, informed by real user feedback. Whether you choose a manual approach, automate the process with scripts, or use a comprehensive tool like ReviewTower, you’ll be better equipped to understand and respond to your user base effectively.