Steam is replacing bulk review retrieval through https://store.steampowered.com/appreviews/<appid>?json=1 with the Steamworks Web API method IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews. The new method can be called without an API key, but anonymous requests share a lower rate limit and may be cached for up to 10 minutes. Steam’s announcement says the old endpoint will be disabled on October 22; the announcement text available does not specify the year.
What is changing?
The legacy Store endpoint, https://store.steampowered.com/appreviews/<appid>?json=1, is being deprecated for bulk user-review retrieval. Steam directs developers to the Steamworks announcement and the replacement method, IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews. Steam says the replacement should return basically the same data, but it requires a different HTTP request format and has differences in parameters and response fields.
The announcement says the old endpoint will be disabled on October 22. Its displayed text gives October 2 as the announcement date but does not identify a year, so the shutdown year cannot be established from that announcement text alone. Treat the change as a migration rather than a choice between two equivalent, supported endpoints.
Does GetAppReviews require an API key?
No. Steam’s method-specific documentation states: “This method does not require a key, and anonymous responses may be cached for up to 10 minutes.” Anonymous calls share a lower rate limit; requests without an app-associated key can receive HTTP 429 when rate-limited. The optional key is a Steamworks Web API publisher authentication key associated with the app, and using it provides the higher rate limit.
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This is an explicit exception to Steam’s general Web API guidance, which says Web API use requires an API key. For this method, follow the GetAppReviews reference, which documents anonymous access. Use an associated key when your workload needs the higher rate limit; do not expose a publisher key in a client-side game or other untrusted environment.
How do I migrate from /appreviews?
1. Change the endpoint and request envelope
Send a GET request to https://api.steampowered.com/IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews/v1/. The required app identifier is appid. This is a Steam Service interface: pass the method’s parameters through input_json, rather than carrying over the legacy endpoint’s separate query-parameter layout. The API reference documents the current parameter names and allowed values.
2. Convert the old parameters
| Legacy request | GetAppReviews | Migration note |
|---|---|---|
language |
languages |
The new parameter is a list. An empty value means English; all requests all languages. |
filter, review_type, purchase_type |
Same concepts, supplied through input_json |
Values formerly sent as strings map to enum values in the new interface. Check the method reference for the accepted values. |
| Legacy pagination parameters | cursor |
Omit the cursor or send * for the first page; send the response cursor to request the next page. URL-encode cursor values when constructing the request. |
| Page size | num_per_page |
The default is 20; the maximum is 100. |
Do not assume that an old request can be migrated by changing only its hostname. The parameter envelope, language name, enum values, pagination, and available filters all matter.
3. Choose filters based on the collection you need
GetAppReviews adds Funny sorting and filters for date range, playtime, Steam Deck, and hardware. The Helpful filter has a special pagination behavior: its day range defaults to 30 days, can be set as high as 365 days, and zero means no limit. It can widen that range until it finds results. For a complete walk through reviews, use Recent or Updated and continue paging until the returned review list is empty; Helpful may keep widening its search window rather than reach the same clear end of results.
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4. Read the new response and handle errors
The new response does not include a success field, so check the HTTP status instead. A successful response includes reviews and a cursor for the next request. Aggregate score fields appear on the first page only when review_type is All.
| Response item | What to change |
|---|---|
success |
Removed. Use the HTTP status to identify request failure, including HTTP 429 for rate limiting. |
author.num_games_owned |
Removed from the author data. |
weighted_vote_score |
Now numeric rather than a string. Update parsing and downstream storage accordingly. |
refunded |
New per-review field. |
total_matching, day_range_used |
New response fields; account for them if your consumer validates or stores the complete response. |
What should a migration test cover?
- Verify the encoded
input_jsonrequest includes the requiredappidand uses the new parameter names and enum values. - Test first-page retrieval both with the cursor omitted and with
cursor=*, then follow the returned cursor to another page. - For full collection, test Recent or Updated pagination through an empty review list; separately validate any desired date, language, purchase-type, or hardware filters.
- Test response parsing against numeric
weighted_vote_score, absentsuccessandauthor.num_games_owned, and the new review and aggregate fields. - Exercise anonymous requests and, if the service requires a higher rate limit, requests with an app-associated publisher key. Handle HTTP 429 and remember that anonymous results may be cached for up to 10 minutes.
Why is Steam moving review retrieval?
Steam says moving bulk retrieval to the Web API is intended to avoid slowdowns when the store is under heavy load and to allow developers a higher frequency limit. That is Steam’s stated rationale, not a published performance comparison: the available official material does not establish a measured reliability or speed improvement between the two endpoints.
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Steam also frames review access as a way for developers to understand nuance and trends in player feedback. Use retrieved reviews for analysis without manipulating the system: Steam’s review guidance says, “Don’t attempt to abuse or artificially manipulate the review system.”
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