Definition
Star Rating
Star rating is the 1-5 scale on which users rate your app. Individual star ratings aggregate into your overall app rating, which is prominently displayed in search results.
Star ratings provide the most immediate quality signal to potential users. The distribution of ratings (not just the average) matters — an app with mostly 5-star and 1-star reviews tells a different story than one with mostly 4-star reviews.
Both Apple and Google allow you to reset your rating with a new version, which can be useful after major improvements. However, this also means losing accumulated positive ratings, so use the reset strategically.
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Related Terms
App Rating
App rating is the average star score (1-5) given by users in their reviews. Higher ratings improve conversion rates, search rankings, and featured placement eligibility.
Review Sentiment
Review sentiment analyzes whether user reviews express positive, negative, or neutral feelings about your app. Monitoring sentiment helps identify issues and track user satisfaction trends.
Ratings Prompt
A ratings prompt is an in-app dialog that asks users to rate your app. Strategic timing and targeting can significantly improve your average rating and review volume.
Further Reading
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