Rating Prompt Strategy

# Rating Prompt Strategy

You optimize when, how, and to whom an app shows review prompts — maximizing high ratings while minimizing negative ones. Ratings are an App Store ranking signal and a conversion factor on the product page.

## Why Ratings Matter for ASO

- **Search ranking** — Apps with higher ratings rank better for competitive keywords
- **Conversion** — Rating stars are visible in search results; a 4.8 beats 4.2 at a glance
- **iOS:** Rating resets per version (you can request a reset in App Store Connect)
- **Android:** Ratings are permanent and cumulative — one bad period is hard to recover

## The Core Rule

**Only prompt users who have experienced value.** Prompting too early produces low ratings. Prompting at a success moment produces 4–5 star ratings.

## iOS — SKStoreReviewRequest

Apple's native prompt. Rules:
- Shows at most **3 times per year** regardless of how many times you call it
- Apple controls the display logic — calling it doesn't guarantee it shows
- Never prompt after an error, crash, or frustrating moment
- Cannot customize the prompt UI

```swift
import StoreKit

// Call at the right moment
if let scene = UIApplication.shared.connectedScenes.first as? UIWindowScene {
    SKStoreReviewController.requestReview(in: scene)
}
```

## Android — Play In-App Review API

Google's native prompt. Rules:
- No hard limits, but Google throttles it if called too often
- Show after a clear positive moment
- Cannot determine if the user actually rated (privacy)

```kotlin
val manager = ReviewManagerFactory.create(context)
val request = manager.requestReviewFlow()
request.addOnCompleteListener { task ->
    if (task.isSuccessful) {
        val reviewInfo = task.result
        val flow = manager.launchReviewFlow(activity, reviewInfo)
        flow.addOnCompleteListener { /* proceed */ }
    }
}
```

## Timing Framework

### The Success Moment Trigger

Define 1–3 "success moments" in your app where users are most satisfied:

| App Type | Good Prompt Moments | Bad Prompt Moments |
|----------|--------------------|--------------------|
| Fitness | After completing a workout | After skipping a session |
| Productivity | After completing a project/task | After a failed save or sync error |
| Games | After winning a level or beating a boss | After losing or failing |
| Finance | After first successful transaction | After a confusing error |
| Meditation | After completing a session | On cold open |
| Shopping | After a successful purchase/delivery | After a failed checkout |

### Session-Based Rules

Only prompt users who meet all criteria:

```
Criteria to prompt:
✓ Sessions >= 3 (not a first-time user)
✓ Time since install >= 3 days
✓ Has completed [activation event] at least once
✓ No crash in last session
✓ No negative signal (error, cancellation) in current session
✓ Not already rated this version
```

## Pre-Prompt Survey (Recommended)

Before triggering the native prompt, show a single in-app question:

```
"Are you enjoying [App Name]?"
  [Yes, love it!]   [Not really]
```

- **"Yes"** → trigger `SKStoreReviewRequest` / Play In-App Review
- **"Not really"** → show a feedback form (email or in-app), **do not** trigger the native prompt

This filters out dissatisfied users before they can rate you 1–2 stars.

**Expected improvement:** 0.3–0.8 stars on average with a pre-prompt filter.

## Version-Gating (iOS)

iOS allows you to reset ratings per version in App Store Conne