Adding Rate and Review to your Windows 8 App

App Reviews can impact a user's decision to download or buy your app, and provide valuable feedback for enhancements and issues for v.next. It's important to make it apparent and easy for users to add a review for your app so you are sure to gather as many of these reports as possible.


Let's explore three ways that a user can get to the review page for your app:

1. Through the Windows StoreThis one is pretty obvious, but if a user visits the Reviews link on the page for your app in the Windows Store, they can choose "Write a Review," which brings them to the "Write a Review" page.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Through the Settings PaneThis one is provided automatically for every app on the Windows Store - but note that you will not see this link while you are developing/debugging you app! It will only be visible after your app has passed certification and has been installed from the store.
   
   If a user swipes from the right side of the screen, and chooses the Settings Charm, they will see a Rate and Review link:
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Through a Link you Provide
   While the built-in Settings Pane support for Rate and Review is great, there are times when you want the Rate and Review option to be a bit more apparent to the user. Maybe after so many days of using the app, you would like to try and coax the user to write a review through a link you provide.
   
   To create this link you'll first need the Package family name for your app. Open the Package.appxmanifest file and go to the Packaging tab. Copy out the Package family name:
   
   
   
   Now you can create a button or other control in your app which launches to the following URI:
   
   
   Windows.System.Launcher.LaunchUriAsync(new Uri("ms-windows-store:REVIEW?PFN=MY_PACKAGE_FAMILY_NAME"));
   
   (Just replace MY_PACKAGE_FAMILY_NAME with your app's PFN).