This document provides an overview of how to use an alternative rating prompt, instead of the Google In-App Review.

What is this rating prompt?

This is an interaction by Alchemer that is primarily used as a solution for alternate app stores but also can serve as an optional alternative to the Google In-App Review prompt.

Example alternative rating prompt

Who is this for?

This rating prompt will mainly be used for these three use cases:

    A. Customers who have their app on an app store that is not the Play Store

    B. Customers who have an app on the Play Store and other app stores

    C. Customers who don’t want to use Google In-App Review

Using this prompt

For a separate app not in the Google Play Store

If you have separate apps for each app store you can set customAppStoreURL in each app within your ApptentiveConfiguration to utilize the alternative rating prompt.

Tutorial

1. Get your app’s store URL
2. Create your ApptentiveConfiguration within your Application class
3. Set your app store URL as a String to ApptentiveConfiguration‘s customAppStoreURL
4. Register Alchemer Mobile Apptentive.register(this, configuration)

class MyApplication : Application() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()
        val configuration = ApptentiveConfiguration(
            apptentiveKey = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_KEY", 
            apptentiveSignature = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_SIGNATURE"
        )
        configuration.customAppStoreURL = "YOUR_APP_STORE_URL"
        Apptentive.register(this, configuration)
    }
}

With one app in multiple stores using build variants

If you have one app and deploy it to multiple app stores, you can use build variants to build up different AABs or APKs for different stores.

Tutorial

1. Go to your app’s build.gradle file
2. Create different buildTypes for each app store you’ll release to
3. Add buildConfigFields to each of them
   a. These will allow these variables to be accessed through the generated BuildConfig file when the app is built

android {
    ...

    buildTypes {
        debug {
          ...
        }
        releaseGoogle {
            buildConfigField "String", "CUSTOM_STORE_URL", "null"
        }
        releaseAmazon {
            buildConfigField "String", "CUSTOM_STORE_URL", "\"YOUR_APP_STORE_URL\""
        }
    }
}

    4. Sync your project with the updated Gradle file
        a. This will create build variants that you can view within the Build Variants tab in Android Studio

Build variants in Android Studio

    5. Build your project
        a. This will create the BuildConfig file with the CUSTOM_STORE_URL variable

    6. Set BuildConfig.CUSTOM_STORE_URL to customAppStoreURL for ApptentiveConfiguration within your Application file

class MyApplication : Application() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()
        val configuration = ApptentiveConfiguration(
            apptentiveKey = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_KEY", 
            apptentiveSignature = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_SIGNATURE"
        )
        configuration.customAppStoreURL = BuildConfig.CUSTOM_STORE_URL
        Apptentive.register(this, configuration)
    }
}

    7. Click Generate Signed Bundle / APK… in the Build dropdown for Android Studio

    8. Get to the last part of that flow

    9. Select the Build Variants you want to generate
        a. Command (⌘) + Click to select multiple Build Variants on Mac
        b. Control (Ctrl) + Click to select multiple Build Variants on PC

    10. Select Finish

    11. Collect the builds from the Destination Folder that you set in the Generate Signed Bundle /   APK… process

As an alternative to Google In-App Review

If you prefer the alternative rating prompt compared to the Google In-App Review, this section help with the why and how.

Why shouldn’t you use the Alternative Rating Prompt instead of In-App Review?

The main reasons why someone would not want to use the Rating Dialog instead of Google In-App Review:

• Google In-App Review is the recommended solution by Google to collect user reviews
• With Google In-App Review the end customer can review the app without leaving it
• Google In-App Review won’t bother you if you’ve already reviewed it
  – This information is immediately available to Google
  – The Rating Dialog will not show for you again if the end customer selects the Rate or Decline option, but has no knowledge if they did review

Why use the Alternative Rating Prompt instead of In-App Review?

The main reasons why someone would want to use the alternative rating prompt instead of Google In-App Review:

• Google In-App Review has internal limitations on how often it can be shown
  – These cannot be changed or queried about
  – These are there for the benefit of the app user
• You want to provide a more personal message
• You can customize the look and feel of the alternative rating prompt.
  – See the Interface Customization and Cookbook Overview articles for more info and ideas

Tutorial

1. Find your Play Store URL
   a. Google Chrome example: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome
2. Create your ApptentiveConfiguration within your Application class
3. Set your Play Store URL as a String to ApptentiveConfiguration‘s customAppStoreURL
4. Register Alchemer Mobile Apptentive.register(this, configuration)

class MyApplication : Application() {
    override fun onCreate() {
        super.onCreate()
        val configuration = ApptentiveConfiguration(
            apptentiveKey = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_KEY", 
            apptentiveSignature = "YOUR_APPTENTIVE_SIGNATURE"
        )
        configuration.customAppStoreURL = "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.android.chrome"
        Apptentive.register(this, configuration)
    }
}