Driver FixRecommendedSound, Wi-Fi or graphics acting up? Check drivers firstFind missing or outdated drivers fast.Check DriversOctober DealsAmazon USOctober deal check: compare before you payAmazon US: current deals, useful picks and tech finds.Check DealsSlow PC?RecommendedPC slow today? Run a repair scan before it gets worseResolve common Windows issues and optimize system performance.Scan Now×
Skip to content
Mountain View desk3 min

How to Read and Reply to Google Play Reviews with the Developer API

Use reviews.list to retrieve and paginate app reviews, then reviews.reply to create or update a reply with the required OAuth scope and Play Console access.
Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Use the Google Play Developer API’s reviews.list method to retrieve reviews for an app, then send a reply—or update an existing one—with reviews.reply. Both calls require the androidpublisher OAuth scope, and the caller must also have permission to reply to reviews in Play Console.

What you need before making API calls

  • The app’s package name and access to its Google Play developer account.
  • Authentication with the OAuth scope https://www.googleapis.com/auth/androidpublisher.
  • A user account with the relevant review-reply permission. Google identifies CAN_REPLY_TO_REVIEWS_GLOBAL as the developer-level permission for replying to reviews. Permission changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate, so verify access in Play Console before deploying the workflow. See Google’s Users resource.

Use Google’s client libraries where they fit your language and application architecture, or call the documented REST endpoints directly. See the Google Play Developer API overview.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

For collaborators, Google advises adding separate Play Console users and granting only the permissions they need rather than sharing developer-account credentials. See Google Play Console user access guidance.

Free tools Windows power users keep installed

One-click scans. No signup required.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Retrieve reviews for an app

Call reviews.list with the app’s package name. It is an authenticated GET request with no request body. The method returns reviews along with pagination information; do not assume one response contains every review.

GET https://androidpublisher.googleapis.com/androidpublisher/v3/applications/{packageName}/reviews

The path parameter is packageName. Optional query parameters include token, startIndex, maxResults, and translationLanguage. Follow the pagination data in the response when retrieving further results, and set a translation language when it suits your workflow. The response includes reviews[], tokenPagination, and pageInfo. Consult the reviews.list method reference for the current request and response definitions.

Read the review and check for an existing reply

Each review has a reviewId and a comments[] array. A comment is user-provided or developer-provided, so inspect both before preparing a response.

  • userComment can include the review text, star rating from 1 to 5, reviewer language, timestamps, app version, device details, and additional device metadata.
  • developerComment records a reply’s text and when it was last modified. Its presence lets your workflow detect an existing reply before deciding whether to create or update one.

Use the returned reviewId for the reply request; do not substitute a reviewer name or another field. Google documents the review and comment fields in the Review resource reference.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Send or update a reply

Post a JSON body containing replyText to the reply endpoint for the app and review. The same method creates a reply or updates an existing one.

POST https://androidpublisher.googleapis.com/androidpublisher/v3/applications/{packageName}/reviews/{reviewId}:reply
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "replyText": "Thanks for reporting this. We’re looking into the issue."
}

Keep the reply within the API’s approximately 350-character limit; longer replies are rejected. HTML tags are stripped, so send plain text rather than relying on markup. The response includes the applied replyText and its lastEdited timestamp. See the reviews.reply method reference.

Build a reliable review-reply workflow

  1. Authenticate and confirm access. Request the androidpublisher OAuth scope and confirm that the calling user can access the developer account, target app, and review-reply permission.
  2. List reviews for the package. Call reviews.list with the package name. Use pagination parameters and response tokens as needed, and choose translationLanguage if appropriate.
  3. Inspect each review. Read its user comment and any developer comment. Use the review’s reviewId to identify the reply target.
  4. Send the reply. POST replyText to the review’s :reply endpoint, keeping the text within the documented approximate limit.
  5. Record the result. Retain the returned replyText and lastEdited fields as confirmation of the applied reply.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Quota and access troubleshooting

Google publishes a default quota of 3,000 queries per minute per quota bucket. Reply to Reviews APIs share a bucket with Publishing and Monetization APIs; actual available quota can depend on the account and API configuration. Check current usage in Google Cloud Console and request additional quota from Google if needed. See Google Play Developer API quotas.

  • Permission errors: Verify the caller’s Play Console access and review-reply permission. If permission was just changed, allow up to 48 hours for propagation.
  • Missing reviews: Check pagination rather than treating a single list response as complete.
  • Reply rejected: Check that the JSON includes replyText, that the path uses the correct package name and reviewId, and that the reply does not exceed the approximate character limit.
  • Quota errors: Review usage and the applicable quota bucket in Google Cloud Console; available limits can vary by configuration.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

More from the Wire

  1. World desk4 min
    How to Spot an AI Voice Scam Before Sending MoneyDon’t rely on how a caller sounds. Pause, call back through a known number, and verify the emergency with another trusted person before sending money.
  2. Mountain View desk4 min
    Google’s SynthID Detector: How to Check AI-Generated Images, Video and AudioGoogle’s SynthID Detector looks for an embedded watermark in supported images, video and audio. Here is what its results do—and do not—show.
  3. Redmond desk20 min
    How to create a link to File or Folder in Windows 11Windows 11 gives you several ways to point to a file or folder without moving or duplicating it. You can create a desktop shortcut,…
Recommended PC Tool
Recommended PC Tool
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?Free driver scan
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They SpreadFree repair scan

Two free Windows tools

One Free Minute Could Fix That PC

Before you go - each of these free tools takes about a minute and tackles what quietly slows a Windows PC down.

Special offer. View Outbyte info, uninstall instructions, EULA, and Privacy Policy.