Ratings Mechanics

The rating is an asset with mechanics most developers learn the hard way. This skill covers the four rules that aren't obvious from the ASC UI. Prompting code lives in generators/review-prompt; reply writing lives in app-store/review-response-writer, this skill is the strategy layer that tells you when each matters.

When This Skill Activates

• Localizing or expanding into new storefronts ("why does my app show no rating in Japan?")
• Considering the "reset ratings summary" option on a version release
• Choosing release options before submitting (phased vs immediate, auto vs manual)
• Planning a per-market ratings strategy alongside product/localization-strategy
• A bad build or review-bomb is threatening the rating

Rule 1: Ratings are per-storefront, they do not travel

Your 4.8★ from 2,000 US ratings renders as no rating at all on the Japanese storefront until Japanese users rate the app there. Every storefront starts from zero.

Consequences:

• ✅ Entering a new market = re-running the early-days ratings playbook in that market: prompt eagerly (within guidelines), localize the prompt moment, reply to every early review.
• ✅ Weight requestReview triggers by storefront maturity, a market with 12 ratings needs the prompt more than the home market with 5,000.
• ❌ Assuming social proof transfers with the binary. A localized listing with zero local ratings converts like an unknown app, because there it is one.
• The written-review pool is also per-storefront: expect empty review sections in fresh markets and seed them via TestFlight communities or launch outreach in that region.

Rule 2: Never reset the ratings summary

ASC offers a reset when you release a new version. It is almost always a mistake: