Answer new Google Play reviews while they are still fresh

SKILL.md---
name: google-play-reviews-to-answer
description: "Every morning: new Google Play reviews with rating, device and app version, low ratings first, and a question on who replies. Use when the user asks for this, or when it runs on a schedule."
---

# Google Play new reviews to answer

Every morning: new Google Play reviews with rating, device and app version, low ratings first, and a question on who replies.

A one-star review answered the same day often turns into a three-star update; one answered a month later rarely does. The Play Console shows reviews well but doesn't remind anyone, and the reviews API only reaches back a week, so a missed week is gone from the automation for good.

Every morning the agent collects the reviews written or changed since the last run, puts one and two stars first with their device and app version, and drafts short replies. Support and product leads see whether a bad version is behind the ratings, and answer from the card.

## Two ways to get the data

Use the API or MCP route when you have an MCP server, a CLI or an API token for the app. Otherwise, if you can drive a browser the user is signed in to (Claude in Chrome, a Playwright or Chrome DevTools MCP server), use the browser route. Say which one you used.

## Route A: API or MCP server

### What you need

- A Google Cloud service account added in Play Console (Users and permissions) with the Reply to reviews permission, the Google Play Android Developer API enabled, and its key in `GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS`.
- The app's package name.

If something is missing, say what and stop; do not invent numbers.

### Steps

1. **List recent reviews** (Google Play Console): Call `GET https://androidpublisher.googleapis.com/androidpublisher/v3/applications/{packageName}/reviews?maxResults=100`, paging with `token`. It returns production reviews with text that were created or changed in the last 7 days.
2. **Keep the new ones**: Keep reviews whose `comments[0].userComment.lastModified` is after the last run (saved in a small JSON file) and that have no `developerComment` yet. Read `starRating`, `text`, `appVersionName`, `androidOsVersion`, `deviceMetadata` and `reviewerLanguage`, allowing for missing fields.
3. **Sort and draft**: Put 1 and 2 stars first. Group complaints that repeat on the same `appVersionName`, and draft a plain-text reply of at most 350 characters for each low rating, in the reviewer's language.
4. **Ask, then reply** (Google Play Console): Post the list as an ask. For each reply you approve, call `POST .../reviews/{reviewId}:reply` with `replyText`. Each reply posts publicly under the review, so send only the ones that were approved.

## Route B: the browser

### What you need

- Signed in to Google with a Play Console user who can view app information and has the **Reply to reviews** permission on the app.

If something is missing, say what and stop; do not invent numbers.

### Steps

Start at https://play.google.com/console/. The user is signed in already; never type passwords or codes, and ask if a sign-in page appears.

1. **Open the app's reviews**: Pick the developer account if asked, open the app, and in the left menu go to **Ratings and reviews > Reviews**.
2. **Filter to new, unanswered reviews**: Set the filters above the list: **Reply state** to `Unreplied`, **Date** to the last day (or since the last run), and leave the rating open. Sort by **Most recent**.
3. **Read the low ratings first**: Each review shows its stars, text, device, Android version and app version. Note everything with 1 or 2 stars first, then the rest, and the average of the batch.
4. **Group repeated complaints**: Where several low ratings name the same problem on the same app version, say so, and check **Android vitals** for that version before drafting a reply.
5. **Draft, ask, then reply**: Draft a plain-text reply of at most 350 characters per low rating in the reviewer's language. Report the list and ask who replies. After approval, click **Reply** under the review, paste the text and **Send**.

Note: The console shows all reviews, not just the last 7 days the API returns, and it includes translated text with the original on hover. Star-only ratings without text do not appear in the Reviews list; they count in Ratings.

## The report

- **New reviews** since yesterday, with the average rating.
- **Low ratings first**: stars, text, device, Android version and app version.
- **Repeated complaints** by app version.
- **Draft replies** for the low ratings, and the ask: who replies.

## Post it to Briefkin

When `BRIEFKIN_TOKEN` is set, or `~/.config/briefkin/env` exists (the installer from https://briefkin.dev/docs writes it), also send the result to the user's Briefkin board as one card. Keep the `item_key` the same on every run so the card updates in place, use a new `event_id` per run, and put today's real numbers in place of the example ones. If the request fails, say so once and carry on.

```bash
[ -n "${BRIEFKIN_TOKEN:-}" ] || . ~/.config/briefkin/env
curl -sS -X POST "${BRIEFKIN_URL:-https://briefkin.dev}/v1/events" \
  -H "authorization: Bearer $BRIEFKIN_TOKEN" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d @- <<'JSON'
{
  "v": 1,
  "event_id": "google-play-reviews-to-answer/<date of this run, e.g. 2026-10-16>",
  "item_key": "google-play-reviews-to-answer",
  "project": "Acme Notes for Android",
  "source": "Google Play new reviews to answer skill",
  "kind": "action",
  "title": "11 new Play reviews, 4 at one or two stars",
  "summary": "**11 new reviews** since yesterday morning, averaging **3.4 stars**. **4** are low ratings, and 3 of those mention crashes on version 5.8.0.",
  "action": {
    "request": "Who replies to the 4 low-star reviews?",
    "options": [
      "Send the drafts",
      "Support replies",
      "I will reply",
      "Skip today"
    ]
  },
  "widget": [
    {
      "type": "Table",
      "props": {
        "columns": [
          "Stars",
          "Review",
          "Device",
          "Version"
        ],
        "align": [
          "right",
          "left",
          "left",
          "left"
        ],
        "rows": [
          [
            1,
            "\"Crashes every time I open a project since the update.\"",
            "Pixel 8, Android 15",
            "5.8.0"
          ],
          [
            1,
            "\"Lost my offline notes after updating.\"",
            "Galaxy S23, Android 14",
            "5.8.0"
          ],
          [
            2,
            "\"Crashes when I attach a photo.\"",
            "Redmi Note 12, Android 13",
            "5.8.0"
          ],
          [
            2,
            "\"Sync is slow on mobile data.\"",
            "Galaxy A54, Android 14",
            "5.7.2"
          ],
          [
            4,
            "\"Love the new widgets, wish they were resizable.\"",
            "Pixel 7, Android 15",
            "5.8.0"
          ],
          [
            5,
            "\"Best notes app I have used.\"",
            "OnePlus 12, Android 15",
            "5.8.0"
          ]
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "Callout",
      "props": {
        "text": "3 of the 4 low ratings mention crashes on 5.8.0. Check Android vitals for that version before you reply.",
        "tone": "warn"
      }
    }
  ]
}
JSON
```

Widgets come from the Briefkin catalog (https://briefkin.dev/v1/catalog). Without a token, just give the user the report.

## Run it on a schedule

Suggested: Daily at 9:00 (`0 9 * * *`). From cron, with the agent signed in on that machine:

```bash
0 9 * * * claude -p "Run the google-play-reviews-to-answer skill"
# Codex: codex exec, Gemini CLI: gemini -p, Copilot CLI: copilot -p, OpenCode: opencode run
```

Or use the agent's own scheduler (Claude Code routines, Codex automations, Claude or ChatGPT scheduled tasks): https://briefkin.dev/skills/google-play-reviews-to-answer#schedule

Source: https://briefkin.dev/skills/google-play-reviews-to-answer