Does AppReviewBot fetch the entire review history?
Summary
AppReviewBot begins monitoring from when you add an app and fetches new reviews going forward. It does NOT automatically fetch complete historical archives.
How Initial Fetching Works
When you add an app:
- Initial fetch: Gets the most recent reviews on first add
- Forward monitoring: Fetches new reviews at regular intervals
- Ongoing: Continues monitoring all new reviews going forward
Why Not Full History?
Storage and Performance
Popular apps can have millions of reviews. Storing complete history for all apps would require significant resources and slow down dashboard performance.
App Store Limitations
App store APIs have rate limits. Fetching complete history for high-volume apps could take days or weeks and would block monitoring of new reviews.
Relevance
Most teams focus on recent feedback for actionable insights. Reviews from years ago rarely inform current product decisions.
Getting Historical Reviews
Option 1: Connect Your Store Account
The easiest way to access extended historical data is to connect your developer account:
- Go to Sidebar → Store Accounts
- Connect your Apple App Store or Google Play Console account
- AppReviewBot will use your developer credentials to retrieve deeper review history directly from the store
This is the recommended approach and works for your own apps at no additional cost.
Connect Apple App Store account Connect Google Play Store account
Option 2: Request Historical Import
For specific needs such as compliance or research beyond what the Store Account provides:
- Contact support@appreviewbot.com
- Provide your app ID and desired date range
- Processing takes 3-7 days depending on volume
Option 3: Start Now, Build History
Most common approach if you're just getting started:
- Add your app today
- Build a comprehensive dataset going forward
- No additional cost
- Suitable for ongoing monitoring
Data Retention
Once AppReviewBot fetches a review:
- Permanently stored in your account
- Remains searchable indefinitely
- Retained even if deleted from app stores
- Only removed if you unsubscribe from the app or close your account
Questions?
See common questions in our Ratings & Reviews FAQ.