Photon‐induced reactions during the astrophysicalp‐ (or &ggr;‐) process occur at typical temperatures of 1.8 ⩽T9⩽ 3.3. Experimental data of (&ggr;,n), (&ggr;,p), or (&ggr;,&agr;) reactions — if available in the relevant energy region — cannot be used directly to measure astrophysical (&ggr;,n), (&ggr;,p), or (&ggr;,&agr;) reaction rates because of the thermal excitation of target nuclei at these high temperatures. Usually, statistical model calculations are used to predict photon‐induced reaction rates. The relations between experimental reaction cross sections, theoretical predictions, and astrophysical reaction rates will be critically discussed. © 2004 American Institute of Physics