App reviews and feedback glossary
Short, plain definitions of the terms app makers meet every day. Each one comes with an example.
A
App Store optimization (ASO)
App Store optimization (ASO) is the work of making your store page easier to find and more likely to win downloads.
App Store rating
An App Store rating is the 1 to 5 star score people give an app, shown as one overall score per country.
C
Churn rate
Churn rate is the percent of customers who stop paying or stop using a product during a set time, such as a month.
Competitive analysis
Competitive analysis means studying rival apps to find where they win, where they fail, and where you can stand out.
CSAT (customer satisfaction score)
CSAT, or customer satisfaction score, measures how happy people were with one thing, like a support chat.
Customer Effort Score (CES)
Customer Effort Score (CES) measures how easy it was for someone to get a task done.
Customer feedback loop
A customer feedback loop is the cycle of hearing feedback, acting on it, and telling people what changed.
D
Developer response
A developer response is the public reply an app maker posts under a user's App Store review.
F
Feature request
A feature request is a message from a user asking for something your product can't do yet.
Feedback tagging
Feedback tagging means labeling each piece of feedback with a topic, like bug or price, so you can count themes.
I
In-app review prompt
The in-app review prompt is Apple's built-in pop-up that lets people rate your app without leaving it.
Incentivized reviews
Incentivized reviews are reviews or ratings that people leave in return for a reward, like cash or free coins.
J
Jobs to be done (JTBD)
Jobs to be done (JTBD) looks at the goal a person is trying to reach, not the features they ask for.
N
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Net Promoter Score (NPS) measures loyalty by asking how likely people are to recommend you, on a 0 to 10 scale.
P
Product-market fit
Product-market fit means your product meets a real need so well that people stay, pay and tell their friends.
R
Rating reset
A rating reset clears your app's overall App Store star rating, so it starts fresh with a new version.
Retention rate
Retention rate is the share of users who are still active, or still paying, after a set time.
Review bombing
Review bombing is a sudden flood of bad reviews, often about something other than how well the app works.
Review sentiment analysis
Review sentiment analysis sorts reviews by the mood they show, such as good, bad or mixed.
V
Voice of the customer (VoC)
Voice of the customer (VoC) means gathering what customers say, in their own words, and using it to guide your choices.
Go deeper with a guide
All guides →How to respond to App Store reviews (with copy-paste templates)
A simple way to reply to App Store reviews, good and bad. Includes copy-paste reply templates, what Apple allows, and mistakes to avoid.
How to handle a wave of 1-star reviews after a bad update
A calm, step-by-step plan for when an update goes wrong and 1-star reviews pour in. Find the cause, stop the damage, reply well, and recover your rating.
How to get more App Store reviews (without breaking Apple's rules)
Get more App Store ratings and reviews the right way. When to ask, how Apple's review prompt works, the 3-per-year limit, and what Apple bans.