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Steam is replacing bulk review retrieval through store.steampowered.com/appreviews/<appid>?json=1 with the Steamworks Web API method IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews. Steam’s announcement schedules the legacy endpoint’s disablement for October 22, but the announcement text does not identify the year. The new method can be called without an API key; an app-associated key provides a higher rate limit.

What is changing?

The legacy store endpoint, https://store.steampowered.com/appreviews/<appid>?json=1, is being deprecated for bulk review retrieval. Steam directs developers to IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews, available at https://api.steampowered.com/IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews/v1/. Steam’s announcement says the old endpoint will be disabled on October 22; its displayed announcement date is October 2, but neither date includes a year in the available text. Confirm the current deadline in Steamworks before scheduling a cutover.

Steam describes the replacement as returning basically the same data, but it is not a drop-in URL change. Request parameters are packaged differently, several parameter names and types change, and the response schema differs. Steam says the move is intended to avoid slowdowns when the store is under heavy load and let developers use a higher frequency limit; it does not publish a measured reliability comparison.

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Does GetAppReviews require an API key?

No. Steam’s method-specific documentation says, “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; HTTP 429 indicates a rate-limited request. Supplying an optional Steamworks Web API publisher key associated with the app grants the higher rate limit.

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This method-specific exception differs from Steam’s general Web API guidance, which says Web API use requires an API key. For GetAppReviews, follow the method reference: anonymous retrieval is supported, but it has shared lower limits and may return a cached response.

How do I migrate from /appreviews?

1. Change the URL and request format

Send a GET request to https://api.steampowered.com/IUserReviewsService/GetAppReviews/v1/. The method requires appid and is a Service interface: Steam instructs callers to pass parameters through input_json. The old endpoint put parameters directly in the query string, so update request construction rather than simply swapping hosts.

For example, encode the method inputs as JSON inside input_json, then URL-encode that value for the query string. Add the optional key parameter when using an app-associated publisher key. Treat cursor values as data that may require URL encoding.

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2. Map the old parameters to the new ones

Legacy endpoint GetAppReviews Migration detail
appid appid Required by the new method.
language languages New value is a list. Empty means English; all requests all languages.
filter filter Use the new interface’s enum value rather than assuming the old string representation carries over.
review_type review_type Use an enum value in the new interface.
purchase_type purchase_type Use an enum value in the new interface.
Pagination parameters cursor Omit it or use * for the first page; send the returned cursor for the next page.
Page size num_per_page Defaults to 20; maximum is 100.

Steam documents additional new filtering options, including Funny sorting and filters for date range, playtime, Steam Deck, and hardware. Check the method’s current enum and parameter definitions when translating existing filter values.

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3. Choose filters with pagination behavior in mind

The Helpful filter defaults to a 30-day lookback, allows a maximum of 365 days, and uses zero for no limit. It can widen its day range until it finds results. For a full traversal where you need to know when the result set is exhausted, Steam recommends Recent or Updated: continue sending the returned cursor until a page contains no reviews.

  1. Make the first request with the desired app, language, filter, and page size; omit cursor or set it to *.
  2. Process the reviews and retain the cursor returned by the response.
  3. Make the next request with that cursor, URL-encoding it as needed.
  4. For Recent or Updated collection, continue until the response has an empty review list; do not treat a Helpful-filter page as a reliable indication that all matching reviews have been traversed.

4. Update response handling

Do not expect the legacy success field: check the HTTP status instead, including handling HTTP 429. Other schema changes include:

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  • author.num_games_owned is removed.
  • weighted_vote_score is numeric rather than a string.
  • Each review includes a refunded field.
  • total_matching and day_range_used are new fields.
  • The first page includes aggregate score fields only when review_type is All.

Responses contain reviews and a cursor for the next request. Adjust deserialization and downstream analytics so they handle the changed types, missing field, and newly added values.

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Operational checks after cutover

  • Unexpectedly stale reviews: anonymous responses may be cached for up to 10 minutes. Allow for that window when checking freshness.
  • HTTP 429 responses: anonymous calls share a lower rate limit. Use an app-associated key for the higher limit, and avoid retrying rapidly without backoff.
  • Pagination appears incomplete: verify cursor reuse and URL encoding. For exhaustive paging use Recent or Updated, as Helpful may widen its search range.
  • Missing aggregate fields: those fields are present on the first page only when review_type is All.
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Use the review data responsibly

Steam describes review analysis as a way to find nuance and trends in player feedback. Its review guidance is also explicit: “Don’t attempt to abuse or artificially manipulate the review system.” Use the endpoint to analyze feedback, not to interfere with how reviews are submitted or displayed.

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