These are general definitions, not the stores' wording. What a store allows or prohibits is set in its current policy; read it there. This is not legal advice.
- Developer policy / guidelines: the rules a store sets for apps and listings.
- App review (store review): the store's check of your app before or after it goes live. Not to be confused with a user review.
- User review / rating: public feedback and stars from users on the store page.
- Incentivized review: a rating or review given in exchange for a reward. Apple's App Review Guidelines name paid and incentivized feedback as attempts to manipulate reviews; check Google Play's current policy too.
- Rating manipulation: any attempt to distort ratings, reviews or install counts, for example fake or paid reviews.
- Review gating: steering happy users to a public review and unhappy users away from it. Check your store's policy before using any such flow.
- Data safety / privacy label: the store form where you disclose what data your app collects and shares. Google Play calls it the Data safety section and requires a privacy policy to complete it.
- Privacy policy: your public text on how you handle user data. Apple's guidelines require a link to it in the metadata and in the app.
- Appeal: your reply asking the store to reconsider a decision.
Example: a "5 stars for a free coin pack" prompt is an incentivized review request.
Related
- Incentivized reviews policy explained
- Private feedback vs public store reviews
- Back to the app testing glossary; see also AppReviewX terms and analytics and metrics terms.
On AppReviewX, store ratings are voluntary and unpaid, and never traded. See how AppReviewX works.