URL for sending a user to the app review page on device's app store

Question

What's the URL to launch in order to bring the iTunes App Store to the front, and open it to show the Reviews page of an app? I want to send my users to the "Write a Review" page.

Some other SO answers provided URLs like the one below, but it doesn't seem to work:

itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?id=12345678&pageNumber=0&sortOrdering=1

Any suggestions for a URL that'll work on iPhone and iPad?

Solution 1

Update: iOS 4.2 seems to have fixed this and links now open the App Store app directly rather than the review page.

This article Dissecting iTunes links explains everything.

Heading straight to a review form

It’s also possible to send someone straight to the review form for an app.

https://userpub.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZUserPublishing.woa/wa/addUserReview?id=337064413&type=Purple+Software

Simply replace the ID with your app’s ID to create a URL for your app.

On a desktop or laptop, this will take you directly to the review form in iTunes for the app or item. On an iPhone or iPod touch, this will open MobileSafari, then open iTunes or the App Store app on the reviews page, leaving the user only one tap away from writing a review.

To find out an item’s ID, right (Mac & PC) or control-click (Mac) on a link to the item in iTunes and select Copy Link. The result will look something like this.

http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/dig-your-own-hole/id19605549

http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/consume-mobile-isp-packages/id337064413?mt=8

The ID is the number in the URL after “id’.

It might be worth noting that this URL was created using iTunes 8. I don't think there’s a way to create review links in iTunes 9, so maybe this URL is being phased out. Use with caution.

Update: @mareMtl has provided an alternative review link for apps. Please note that it only works on iPhone OS devices.

itms-apps://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?type=Purple+Software&id=337064413

Solution 2

I tried a bunch of different links, this is only one working for me on iPhone AND iPad consistently:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?pageNumber=0&sortOrdering=1&type=Purple+Software&mt=8&id=YOUR_APP

Solution 3

Check out Appirater - http://arashpayan.com/blog/index.php/2009/09/07/presenting-appirater/

Every time the user launches your app, Appirater will see if they’ve used the app for 30 days and launched it at least 15 times. If they have, they’ll be asked to rate the app, and then be taken to your app’s review page in the App Store.

Solution 4

this works for me: itms-apps://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewContentsUserReviews?type=Purple+Software&id=584691809

View more solutions

Comments

[psychotik]

itms-apps://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/vi‌​ewContentsUserReview‌​s?type=Purple+Softwa‌​re&id=337064413 is what I went with. FWIW, this works too: itms-apps://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewC‌​ontentsUserReviews?t‌​ype=Purple+Software&‌​id=337064413. Apparently "type=Purple+Software" is important, which I was missing

[David Dollar]

Neither of these links work on iPad for me, are they iPhone only?

[Ali Raees]

What happens when your app is not already on the store? how will you retrieve the appID or solve this issue?

[psychotik]

You AppID is assigned after you create the app but before you submit your binary. So just create the app in iTunes Connect and then use that ID.

[clozach]

@David Dollar: while I don't own an iPad, I believe you can use a link of the form 'itms-apps://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/v‌​iewSoftware?id=APP_I‌​D' for iPad-only apps. Or perhaps you meant that the link isn't linking you to an iPhone-only or Universal app when linked from your iPad?

[Kenny Wyland]

Every time I use this URL in my iPhone (Universal) app I get the error "Cannot connect to iTunes Store". Any update to this url format?

[Seb T.]

@Kelvin : this is still working on iOS 4.3. I firstly tested using the Simulator and then nothing was working on my 4.3 environment, but on device this is working fine.

[firesofmay]

What is Purple Software : the "type=Purple+Software" has to be there and it has to be literally "Purple Software" - it's not the name of your company, it's a codename for iPhone applications Link : stackoverflow.com/questions/3124080/…

[Bashevis]

Make sure the "type=Purple+Software" is in there. Doesn't work without it!

[John]

works for me on both iphone and ipad, but on devices only, not in simulator.

[stifin]

How did you know that you could use this service? Is there a reference or document that explains these services and their arguments?

[Bids]

You can also use [Appirater rateApp] to manually send users to the review page.

[Jonny]

iOS 4.2 is just too old and this answer should be updated for relevance.

[user1709076]

when i use this link i see a page that says 'your app' is only available on iPad. You can download 'your app' for your iPad in the App Store. My app is a universal app