# App Store & Google Play Search / Rankings Scraper (`datamule/app-store-search-scraper`) Actor

Search the Apple App Store and Google Play by keyword and get the ranked list of apps — rank, title, developer, rating, price, genre, IDs. Built for ASO keyword tracking and competitor discovery. Pay per app.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/datamule/app-store-search-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Datamule](https://apify.com/datamule) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools
- **Stats:** 3 total users, 2 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.35 / 1,000 app results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## App Store & Google Play Search and Rankings Scraper

Search an app keyword and receive the Apple App Store or Google Play results in the source's observed order, with rank, app identity, publisher, rating, price, category, and URL.

### Try it now

```json
{
  "searchTerms": ["habit tracker"],
  "store": "google_play",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxResults": 5
}
```

This input requests at most five Google Play results for one keyword in the US English storefront.

### Real output

The row below is copied verbatim from the existing local dataset produced by the input above.

```json
{
  "store": "google_play",
  "query": "habit tracker",
  "country": "us",
  "rank": 1,
  "appId": "org.isoron.uhabits",
  "bundleId": "org.isoron.uhabits",
  "title": "Loop Habit Tracker",
  "developer": "Álinson S Xavier",
  "rating": 4.720721,
  "ratingCount": null,
  "price": 0.0,
  "currency": "USD",
  "genre": "Productivity",
  "url": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.isoron.uhabits",
  "icon": "https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/p0AgkzxC9Vus-E82psxrb7p8VtrVJMfXKcU9hNTW8tTG7G3yAGBqxCIyUmwibUyT1Mx7DAzkrJnPLo4VEYDwlbI"
}
```

The dataset overview uses these fields, in this order:

| store | query | country | rank | title | developer | rating | price | genre | appId |
|---|---|---|---:|---|---|---:|---:|---|---|
| google\_play | habit tracker | us | 1 | Loop Habit Tracker | Álinson S Xavier | 4.720721 | 0.0 | Productivity | org.isoron.uhabits |

### Pricing

| PPE event | FREE-tier unit price | FREE-tier list equivalent | Example result cap | Maximum example event charge |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| `app` | $0.0005 per app result | $0.50 per 1,000 app results | 5 | $0.0025 |

The Actor charges the `app` event only for records it pushes. A source can return fewer records than requested, so the event charge can be lower than the cap. The $0.0025 maximum excludes Apify infrastructure costs and is not a demand or revenue guarantee.

### Inputs

| Field | Required | Accepted format | Default or prefill | Limits and store behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `searchTerms` | Yes | Non-empty JSON array of keyword strings | Console prefill: `["meditation", "habit tracker"]`; no runtime default | Each term is searched separately. The schema does not set a maximum number of terms, so keep the list small to control result count and cost. |
| `store` | No | `app_store` or `google_play` | `app_store` | Selects one source for the whole run. The two stores have different catalogs and ranking systems. |
| `country` | No | Two-letter country or storefront code such as `us`, `gb`, `sg`, or `de` | `us` | The Actor lowercases the value. Both sources use it, and results can differ by country. |
| `language` | No | Two-letter language code such as `en` or `de` | `en` | The Actor lowercases the value. Google Play uses it; the App Store ignores it. |
| `maxResults` | No | Integer | `50` | Schema range: 1–200 per term. The App Store can return up to 200; Google Play is clamped to roughly 30. |

The same keyword can return different apps and a different order across stores, countries, or languages. `rank` is the source's observed result order at run time; the Actor does not normalize or combine the two ranking systems.

### Output fields

| Field | Type | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| `store` | string | Source used: `app_store` or `google_play`. |
| `query` | string | Search term that produced the row. |
| `country` | string or null | Country or storefront code sent to the source. |
| `rank` | integer | One-based position in the returned source order. |
| `appId` | string or null | App Store numeric track ID as a string, or Google Play package ID. |
| `bundleId` | string or null | Apple bundle ID or Google Play package ID. |
| `title` | string or null | App name reported by the source. |
| `developer` | string or null | Developer or publisher name reported by the source. |
| `rating` | number or null | Average user rating when the source returns it. |
| `ratingCount` | integer or null | Rating count for App Store results; the current Google Play search path returns `null`. |
| `price` | number or null | Listed numeric price; free Google Play apps are recorded as `0.0`. |
| `currency` | string or null | Currency code reported by the source. |
| `genre` | string or null | Primary genre or category. |
| `url` | string or null | Canonical app detail URL. |
| `icon` | string or null | App icon URL reported by the source. |

### Use cases

- Take keyword-rank snapshots for app store optimization work.
- Compare the apps visible for the same term across countries or between the two stores.
- Find competing apps, their publishers, ratings, prices, and categories.
- Schedule repeated runs and compare exported datasets to track source-order changes over time.

### Source, coverage, freshness, and responsible use

Apple results come from the public iTunes Search API. Google Play results come from the public catalog through the maintained `google-play-scraper` search client. The Actor fetches both sources at run time and does not maintain a historical index.

Source catalogs, localization, availability, and ranking logic differ. The App Store supports up to 200 requested results per term, while Google Play usually exposes roughly 30 through this search path. A returned list is a current source observation, not a complete catalog or a promise that the same order will appear later.

Use the data in line with Apple and Google terms and applicable law. Do not use ratings or rankings as proof of quality, and avoid decisions that require stronger evidence than a public catalog snapshot.

### Troubleshooting

- **Input rejected:** `searchTerms` must be a non-empty array, and `maxResults` must be an integer from 1 to 200. Use only `app_store` or `google_play` for `store`.
- **Zero results:** check the keyword and two-letter country code. For Google Play, also check the language code. Try a broad public term such as `habit tracker`; a source can also return no data during a temporary failure.
- **Fewer results than requested:** the source may have fewer matches. Google Play is limited to roughly 30 even when `maxResults` is higher.
- **Ranks differ from another storefront or later run:** country, language, catalog changes, and each store's own ranking logic can change both membership and order.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerms` (type: `array`):

Keywords to search each store for. You get back the ranked list of apps the store shows for each term.

## `store` (type: `string`):

Which store to search.

## `country` (type: `string`):

Two-letter country/storefront code (e.g. us, gb, sg, de). Rankings are country-specific.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Two-letter language code for Google Play (e.g. en, de). Ignored for the App Store.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Max ranked apps to return per search term. App Store returns up to 200; Google Play up to ~30.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "meditation",
    "habit tracker"
  ],
  "store": "app_store",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchTerms": [
        "meditation",
        "habit tracker"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("datamule/app-store-search-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "searchTerms": [
        "meditation",
        "habit tracker",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("datamule/app-store-search-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"])
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchTerms": [
    "meditation",
    "habit tracker"
  ]
}' |
apify call datamule/app-store-search-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=datamule/app-store-search-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/aejgcKxdUNCcybT7n/builds/OkkaJgaeOkhRP4C3F/openapi.json