How to reply to App Store reviews, with templates
To reply to an App Store review, open your app in App Store Connect, click Ratings and Reviews in the sidebar, find the review and click Reply. Each review gets one public response that you can edit or delete at any time, and Apple notifies the customer, who can then update their review.
You need the Account Holder, Admin or Customer Support role. A new response shows as pending in App Store Connect and can take up to 24 hours to appear on the App Store. Replies work for iOS, macOS, watchOS and visionOS apps; tvOS apps only collect star ratings, and a rating without text has nothing to reply to.
By Redjan Hysa, founder of MetaRun · Facts checked October 12, 2026
- public response per review
- 1
- before a response appears on the App Store
- Up to 24 h
- can reply: Account Holder, Admin, Customer Support
- 3 roles
- for several quick edits, such as a typo fix
- 1 notification
- summary rating, shown separately in each storefront
- Per country
Reference tables
| Action | What the customer sees | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Reply | A notification, then your response under their review | Shows as pending in App Store Connect for up to 24 hours |
| Edit | The new text, marked as edited | Quick successive edits send one notification. Anyone with the role can edit, not only the author |
| Delete | The response disappears from the product page | Apple notes deletions don't take effect instantly |
| Customer edits their review | Their newest version replaces the old one | Your response stays public. Admin and Customer Support users are notified if notifications are on |
| Report a Concern | Nothing; the reviewer isn't told | For offensive content or spam, instead of replying |
| Review type | What they wrote | A reply that works |
|---|---|---|
| Bug report | 1 star: "Export crashes every time on my iPad since the update." | "Thanks for flagging this, and sorry about the crashes. Version 2.4 broke PDF export on some iPads, and the fix is in 2.4.1, which is in review now. If it still happens after updating, use the support link on our App Store page and we'll look at it with you." |
| Feature request | 3 stars: "Great app but I need dark mode." | "Thanks! Dark mode is our most requested feature and it's in progress. We'll update this reply when it ships." |
| Billing complaint | 1 star: "Charged twice for the yearly plan." | "Sorry about this. Payments go through Apple, so we can't see your charge or refund it ourselves. You can ask Apple about it, and request a refund, at reportaproblem.apple.com." |
| Angry one-star | 1 star: "Worst app ever. Deleted." | "Sorry it let you down. If you tell us what went wrong, in an updated review or through the support link on our App Store page, we'll look into it." |
| Praise | 5 stars: "Use it every day for my runs." | "Thank you, that made our week. If there's something you'd like to see next, the support link on our App Store page reaches us directly." |
| Fixed since | 2 stars, before 2.4.1: "Sync loses my notes." | "We fixed this sync bug in 2.4.1, out today. Update and your notes will sync again; if anything is still missing, contact us and we'll help recover it." |
| Not in English | 1 star, Germany: "Stürzt beim Export ab." | Answer in their language: "Danke für den Hinweis! Der Fehler ist in Version 2.4.1 behoben." |
Example values (version 2.4.1, PDF export) are placeholders. Keep each reply specific to what the person wrote; Apple recommends personalized responses over generic ones.
| Platform | Star ratings | Written reviews | Developer responses |
|---|---|---|---|
| iOS and iPadOS | Yes | Yes | Yes, shown on iOS 10.3 or later |
| macOS | Yes | Yes | Yes, shown on macOS 10.6.6 or later |
| visionOS | Yes | Yes | Yes, shown on visionOS 1 or later |
| watchOS | Yes, from an iOS device | Yes, from an iOS device | Yes |
| tvOS | Yes | No | No |
How to reply to a review in App Store Connect
You need the Account Holder, Admin or Customer Support role. Users with only Customer Support land straight on Ratings and Reviews when they pick an app.
- 01
Open Ratings and Reviews
In Apps, select the app, then click Ratings and Reviews in the sidebar.
- 02
Pick the platform and storefront
Choose the platform at the top right and the country or region at the top left. The All Versions, All Ratings and All Reviews filters narrow the list to one version, one star rating, or reviews that were edited or already have a response.
- 03
Reply
Find the review, click Reply, write your response and click Submit. It shows as pending until it's live on the App Store.
- 04
Edit or delete later
Click Edit Response next to the review. Change the text and click Save, or click Delete Response to remove it.
How developer responses work
Your reply sits under the customer's review on your product page, and only one response per review is shown. When you respond, Apple notifies the customer, who can update the review. If they do, their newest version replaces the old one and your response stays visible under it, so a reply that thanked someone for a bug report can end up under a review that now says the bug is fixed. Edit it when that happens.
All ratings, reviews and responses are public. Apple's own advice is to write for a public audience, which also means the next shopper reading that one-star review is the person you're answering too.
Apple's review response guidelines
Guideline 5.6.1 says to treat customers with respect when responding, keep responses targeted to the user's comments, and leave out personal information, spam and marketing. The wider Code of Conduct (5.6) adds no harassment, intimidation or bullying, and 5.6.3 forbids manipulating reviews, so never offer anything in exchange for a changed rating.
Apple's ratings page adds practical rules. Keep it concise and address the feedback. Personalize rather than paste the same reply under similar reviews. If someone reports a download error or a billing issue, direct them to Apple Support, since Apple handles App Store payments. If a review contains offensive material or spam, use Report a Concern instead of replying.
Does replying to reviews improve your rating?
Apple says addressing feedback on your product page can help you create a better user experience and improve your app's rating, and the mechanism is the notification: the reviewer hears from you and can revise the review. Apple also says ratings and reviews influence how your app ranks in search. Nobody outside Apple can tell you by how much, so treat a reply as a chance at one revised review and a signal to every later reader.
The summary rating is calculated per country or region. You can reset it when you release a new version (Admin or App Manager role), which applies to every country at once, keeps the written reviews, and can't be undone after release. Apple recommends doing it sparingly, because few ratings can put people off.
Which reviews to answer first
Apple suggests prioritizing the lowest ratings and reviews that mention technical issues with the current version. After a major release, reply quickly to new and updated reviews while people are paying attention. When an update fixes something older reviews complained about, say so in the release notes and reply to those reviews too; Apple calls this an effective way to win back unhappy users. MetaRun's review tools group complaints by theme, which turns twenty sync complaints into one fix and twenty short replies.
Reviews per storefront and language
A rating or review belongs to the country or region where the customer first bought the app, and App Store Connect shows one storefront at a time, chosen from the menu at the top left. A German review on the German store needs a German reply; machine translation is fine if you check it. Apple's AI review summaries appear on product pages in the U.S. and eight English-language storefronts, generated from individual reviews and refreshed regularly, and you can report a concern about a summary from Ratings and Reviews.
Reply to reviews with the App Store Connect API
GET /v1/apps/{id}/customerReviews lists reviews with rating, title, body, nickname, date and territory. It filters by rating and territory, sorts by rating or createdDate, and exists[publishedResponse]=false returns reviews without a published reply (Apple notes a review can have a reply that isn't published yet).
POST /v1/customerReviewResponses creates a response, or overwrites the existing one, from a responseBody. Its state reads PENDING_PUBLISH until it's live, then PUBLISHED. DELETE /v1/customerReviewResponses/{id} removes it. The API key needs the Admin or Customer Support role.
Common problems and how to fix them
Review response is pending and not showing on the App Store
Why: Responses take up to 24 hours to appear and show as pending in App Store Connect until then. You may also be looking at a different country's App Store than the one the review was written in.
Fix: Wait a day, then check the product page in the reviewer's storefront. Through the API, the response's state changes from PENDING_PUBLISH to PUBLISHED when it's live.
Can't find a review in App Store Connect
Why: Ratings and Reviews shows one platform and one country or region at a time, and a filter may be set. Star-only ratings never appear as reviews, tvOS apps have no written reviews, and a customer's new review replaces their old one.
Fix: Check the platform menu (top right), the country or region menu (top left), and reset All Versions, All Ratings and All Reviews. Search the storefront where the customer bought the app.
Reply posted to the wrong review
Why: There's no undo, and Apple notifies the customer when you respond, so assume the wrong reviewer has seen it.
Fix: Click Edit Response next to that review, then Delete Response. Post the reply on the right review. If the stray reply could confuse its reader, a short corrected reply in its place is better than silence.
No Reply button next to reviews
Why: App Manager, Developer and Marketing users can view ratings and reviews but not respond. On tvOS there are no written reviews to answer.
Fix: Ask the Account Holder or an Admin to add the Customer Support role to your user in Users and Access.
Do it from Claude Code, Codex, Cursor or Xcode with MetaRun
Reviews arrive per storefront, in every language, and App Store Connect shows them one at a time. Answering the ones that matter (the bug report with one star, the feature request that keeps coming back) gets pushed to someday.
For a coding agent this is useful in a second way: the complaint and the code are in the same session. Your agent can read a review about a crash, look at the code path, and draft a reply that says the fix is in 2.4.1.
Before you start
- An API key with the Admin or Customer Support role, to reply.
- A decision on tone, and on what you're willing to promise in public.
- For crash complaints: the code or crash logs to check against.
How the agent runs it
- 01
Pull and sort
Your agent reads recent reviews and sorts them by what needs an answer: low ratings with specific complaints first.
- 02
Find the themes
aso_mine_reviews groups complaints and praise without an extra model call, and lists words users use that your listing doesn't.
- 03
Draft replies
The agent drafts. Each reply is a preview showing the review and the exact text that will appear under it.
- 04
Post on approval
The apply posts the reply. It's public as soon as Apple processes it, so this is the step to read carefully.
An example session
Pull this week's 1- and 2-star reviews for com.example.app and group them by complaint.
- apple_list_reviewsThis week's reviews, lowest rating first.
- aso_mine_reviewsTop complaint theme: sync on iPad. Top praise: the widget.
- apple_preview_respond_to_reviewPreview: the reply, exactly as it will appear under the review.
- Your agent asks before running apple_apply_respond_to_review. You read the preview above and approve.
- apple_apply_respond_to_reviewPosted. Public once Apple processes it.
Illustrative: your apps, versions and numbers will differ. The tool names and their order are real.
The MetaRun tools involved
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| apple_list_reviewsread | Customer reviews with rating, territory, text and any existing reply. |
| apple_get_review_summaryread | Apple's AI summary of your reviews, the one shown on the product page. |
| aso_mine_reviewsread | Praise and complaint themes, plus keywords users use that your listing doesn't. |
| aso_get_territory_ratingsread | Star ratings per storefront and the worldwide average. |
| apple_preview_respond_to_reviewpreview + apply | Preview a public reply, or an edit to an existing one. |
| apple_preview_delete_review_responsepreview + apply | Remove a reply. |
Each preview has an apply twin that only runs with the confirm token from a fresh preview, and refuses if App Store Connect changed in between.
What Apple enforces along the way
Replies are public
A developer response appears under the review on the App Store. Each review has one response; replying again replaces it.
The key needs the right role
Responding needs an App Store Connect API key with the Admin or Customer Support role. A key with a narrower role reads reviews but can't reply.
Ratings without text can't be answered
Only written reviews take a response. Star-only ratings show up in averages, not in the review list.
No ratings endpoint in the API
Apple's API has no per-storefront ratings call. MetaRun reads ratings from the public store lookup instead, so the numbers match what shoppers see.
Set up your agent
Connect once, then ask in plain words. Pick your agent:
Claude Code Anthropic
Run claude mcp add --transport http --scope user metarun https://metarun.dev/api/mcp, then run /mcp in Claude Code and sign in to MetaRun in your browser.
01 · Add the server
Run it in any terminal. --scope user makes MetaRun available in every project; leave it out to limit it to the current one.
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user metarun https://metarun.dev/api/mcp02 · Sign in
In a Claude Code session, run /mcp, choose metarun and authenticate. MetaRun opens in your browser, where you pick read-only or read and change. From a plain shell, claude mcp login metarun does the same.
/mcp03 · Optional: add the skills too
The MetaRun plug-in bundles the same server with six mission skills (release handoff, worldwide pricing, localization, review inbox, ASO audit, store media).
claude plugin marketplace add metarun/metarun-skills
claude plugin install metarun-skills@metarunThen ask Claude Code
- Ask Claude Code: Pull this week's 1- and 2-star reviews for com.example.app and group them by complaint.
- Ask Claude Code: Three people say sync loses data on iPad. Find where that could happen in Sources/Sync, then draft replies saying the fix ships in 2.4.1.
- Ask Claude Code: Reply to the five most helpful reviews this month. Show me every reply before posting.
claude -p runs one request with no interactive session. The browser sign-in can't complete inside -p, so sign in once interactively first, or configure the server with a personal access token in CI. Tools missing from --allowedTools are refused in -p mode.
Read-only check, safe to schedule
claude -p "Summarize the last 7 days of reviews for com.example.app: count by rating, the top three complaint themes, and reviews with no reply. Read only." \
--allowedTools "mcp__metarun__apple_list_reviews,mcp__metarun__apple_get_review_summary,mcp__metarun__aso_mine_reviews,mcp__metarun__aso_get_territory_ratings,mcp__metarun__apple_preview_respond_to_review,mcp__metarun__apple_preview_delete_review_response"Only reads and previews are on that list, so nothing can reach App Store Connect unattended. Run applies in an interactive session where Claude Code can ask you.
Codex OpenAI
Run codex mcp add metarun --url https://metarun.dev/api/mcp; Codex detects MetaRun's sign-in and opens it in your browser.
01 · Add the server
Codex sees that MetaRun offers sign-in and starts it straight away, in your browser. Pick read-only or read and change.
codex mcp add metarun --url https://metarun.dev/api/mcp02 · Sign in again later
If the sign-in expires or you disconnected it in MetaRun's settings. --no-browser prints the link instead, for SSH sessions.
codex mcp login metarun03 · Or edit ~/.codex/config.toml
The Codex CLI, the IDE extension and Codex in the ChatGPT desktop app read the same file, so one entry covers all three.
[mcp_servers.metarun]
url = "https://metarun.dev/api/mcp"Then ask Codex
- Ask Codex: Pull this week's 1- and 2-star reviews for com.example.app and group them by complaint.
- Ask Codex: Three people say sync loses data on iPad. Find where that could happen in Sources/Sync, then draft replies saying the fix ships in 2.4.1.
- Ask Codex: Reply to the five most helpful reviews this month. Show me every reply before posting.
codex exec runs one request without an interactive session and with its approval policy set to never. MetaRun's reads and previews still run, because they're marked read-only; anything that would ask is refused.
Read-only check, safe to schedule
codex exec "Summarize the last 7 days of reviews for com.example.app: count by rating, the top three complaint themes, and reviews with no reply. Read only."Applies are refused in codex exec by design. Don't set MetaRun's approval mode to approve just to make them pass; keep App Store changes in an interactive session.
Cursor Anysphere
Add https://metarun.dev/api/mcp to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or use the install link) and sign in to MetaRun when Cursor opens your browser.
01 · Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or .cursor/mcp.json for one project)
{
"mcpServers": {
"metarun": {
"url": "https://metarun.dev/api/mcp"
}
}
}02 · Or use the install link
Opens Cursor with the server filled in.
https://cursor.com/link/mcp/install?name=metarun&config=eyJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL21ldGFydW4uZGV2L2FwaS9tY3AifQ%3D%3D03 · Sign in
When Cursor connects, MetaRun opens in your browser. Pick read-only or read and change, and you're back in the editor with the tools listed under MCP.
Then ask Cursor
- Ask Cursor: Which reviews mention the widget, and what do they say?
- Ask Cursor: Draft a reply to the German review about pricing, in German.
- Ask Cursor: List reviews that already have a reply that's older than the latest version.
The Cursor CLI runs one request without the editor with agent -p. Allow only the read tools the request needs in ~/.cursor/cli-config.json (Mcp(metarun:tool_name) rules), and keep MetaRun's apply tools out of that list.
Read-only check, safe to schedule
agent -p "Summarize the last 7 days of reviews for com.example.app: count by rating, the top three complaint themes, and reviews with no reply. Read only." --output-format jsonDon't run it with --force for MetaRun: that approves every tool, applies included.
Xcode Apple
In Xcode 27, add the plug-in from https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills (Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins, Add from URL) and click Sign in next to MetaRun.
01 · Add the MetaRun plug-in
In Xcode 27, open Settings, Intelligence, Plug-ins. Choose Add Plug-in, then Add from URL, and paste:
https://github.com/metarun/metarun-skills02 · Or with one click
Opens Xcode's plug-in sheet with the repository filled in.
xcode://agent-plugin-clone?repo=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2Fmetarun%2Fmetarun-skills03 · Sign in
Install MetaRun from the list, then click Sign in next to it. MetaRun opens in your browser; pick read-only or read and change.
04 · Ask the coding assistant
Claude Agent, Codex and Gemini in Xcode all get MetaRun's tools and its six workflow skills.
Attach build 312 to version 2.4 and tell me what blocks submission.Then ask Xcode
- Ask Xcode: Find reviews that mention crashes on iOS 26 and check them against our crash logs.
- Ask Xcode: Draft replies for the crash reports pointing to 2.4.1.
- Ask Xcode: What's our average rating per storefront?
Claude Anthropic
In Claude, open Customize, Connectors, Add custom connector, paste https://metarun.dev/api/mcp and click Connect to sign in to MetaRun.
01 · Add a custom connector
In Claude, open Customize, then Connectors, and choose Add custom connector. Name it MetaRun and paste the server URL:
https://metarun.dev/api/mcp02 · Connect
Click Connect. Claude opens MetaRun in your browser to sign in; pick read-only or read and change.
03 · Team and Enterprise
An Owner adds the connector once under Organization settings, Connectors. Each member then clicks Connect and signs in to their own MetaRun account.
Then ask Claude
- Ask Claude: What are people complaining about in my reviews lately?
- Ask Claude: Write friendly replies to the three worst reviews and show me before posting.
- Ask Claude: Which countries rate my app lowest?
Frequently asked questions
Can you delete a review response?
Yes. In Ratings and Reviews, click Edit Response next to the review, then Delete Response. Through the API, DELETE /v1/customerReviewResponses/{id} does the same, and Apple notes deletions take a while to reach the App Store.
Can you edit an App Store review response?
Yes, at any time, and you don't have to be the person who wrote it. Edited responses are marked as edited, and several quick edits send the customer one notification.
Do developer responses notify users?
Yes. Apple notifies the customer when you respond, and they can update their review in return.
Is there a character limit for App Store review responses?
Apple doesn't publish one in its help pages or in the API reference. Its guidance is to keep responses concise, and a few sentences is plenty.
Can I reply to reviews with the App Store Connect API?
Yes. List reviews with GET /v1/apps/{id}/customerReviews, then create or replace a response with POST /v1/customerReviewResponses. The key needs the Admin or Customer Support role.
Can I remove a negative review?
No. You can reply, or use Report a Concern if the review is offensive, spam or otherwise breaks Apple's terms. The reviewer isn't told you reported it.
Will your agent post replies on its own?
No. Each reply is a preview first and the apply needs your approval in your agent. Replies are public, so this is one to keep on ask.
Can it reply in the reviewer's language?
Yes. Your agent writes the reply; MetaRun posts it under the review in whatever language you approved.
Can I edit or delete a reply later?
Yes. Replying again replaces the existing response, and apple_preview_delete_review_response removes it.
Why can't it see some ratings?
Star-only ratings have no text and no reply option. They count in your averages, which aso_get_territory_ratings reports per storefront.
Sources
- Apple: Respond to reviews
- Apple: Ratings and reviews overview
- Apple: View ratings and reviews
- Apple: Add and edit users
- Apple: Reset an app overview rating
- Apple: Ratings, reviews, and responses
- Apple: App Review Guidelines, 5.6 Developer Code of Conduct
- Apple: Creating your product page
- Apple: List all customer reviews for an app
- Apple: Create or update a response to a customer review
- Apple: Delete a response to a customer review
- Apple: CustomerReviewResponseV1.Attributes
Related guides
Guide
What's New and promotional text: the limits, when each one locks, examples for every kind of update, and what App Review rejects.
Guide
The 100-character keyword field: Apple's rules, a worked example, per-language fields, and how to research and measure keywords.
Guide
The pre-submission checklist, every review status, export compliance, rejections and expedites.
Guide
The 7-day percentage schedule, the 30-day pause budget, and what to do when a bad build is rolling out.
Guide
Create a team or individual key, pick the right role, find the Key ID and Issuer ID, and fix 401 and 403 errors.
All guides
Releases, TestFlight, pricing, subscriptions, localization, screenshots and more.
With MetaRun: ASO rank tracking
MetaRun
Do this from your AI agent or MetaRun's dashboard, with a preview before every change. 14-day free trial, no card.