# Google Play Store Scraper (`cirkit/google-play-store-scraper`) Actor

Scrape Google Play app data: keyword search, app details, top charts, developer portfolios and similar apps. Every record carries 57 fields — installs, ratings histogram, screenshots, IAP range, developer legal contact, permissions, data safety and reviews. No headless browser.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/cirkit/google-play-store-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Crikit](https://apify.com/cirkit) (community)
- **Categories:** E-commerce
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per event

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## Google Play Store Scraper

Pull Android app data straight from the Google Play Store — by keyword, by package name, off the top
charts, out of a developer's portfolio, or from Google's own "similar apps" graph. Every app comes
back as one flat row with **57 fields**: installs, ratings histogram, screenshots, in-app purchase
range, release and update dates, content rating, and the publisher's contact and legal details.

No headless browser, no API key, no login. Roughly **6 apps per second** at default concurrency.

### What it does

Pick a **mode**, fill in the one list it reads, and run:

| Mode | Reads | Returns |
|---|---|---|
| **Search** | `searchTerms` | Apps matching each keyword, in store rank order |
| **App details** | `appIds` | The full record for package names or Play Store URLs you already have |
| **Top charts** | `collection` + `category` | A ranked chart — Top free, Top paid or Top grossing, overall or per category |
| **Developer** | `developerIds` | Every app a publisher has on the store |
| **Similar** | `appIds` | The apps Google shows as similar to yours — your real competitive set |

Any mode can be enriched per app with **user reviews**, **declared Android permissions**, the
**Data Safety** disclosure, and the **similar apps** list.

### Fields

Every row carries the same keys, so a dataset mixing modes still exports to one clean CSV.

**Identity** `appId` · `url` · `title` · `summary` · `description` · `descriptionHtml`
**Media** `icon` · `headerImage` · `screenshots` · `video` · `videoImage` · `previewVideo`
**Ratings** `score` · `scoreText` · `ratingsCount` · `reviewsCount` · `histogram` (1–5 star counts)
**Installs** `installs` · `minInstalls` · `maxInstalls`
**Money** `price` · `currency` · `priceText` · `free` · `originalPrice` · `discountEndDate` · `offersIap` · `iapRange`
**Availability** `available` · `preregister` · `earlyAccessEnabled` · `isAvailableInPlayPass`
**Taxonomy** `genre` · `genreId` · `categories`
**Publisher** `developer` · `developerId` · `developerInternalId` · `developerEmail` · `developerWebsite` · `developerAddress` · `developerLegalName` · `developerLegalEmail` · `developerLegalAddress` · `developerLegalPhone` · `privacyPolicy`
**Compliance** `contentRating` · `contentRatingDescription` · `adSupported`
**Release** `released` · `updatedTimestamp` · `updatedAt` (ISO) · `version` · `recentChanges` · `androidVersion` · `androidVersionText` · `androidMaxVersion`
**Provenance** `source` · `searchTerm` · `collection` · `category` · `developerQuery` · `similarTo` · `rank`
**Enrichment (opt-in)** `permissions` · `dataSafety` · `similarApps` · `reviews`
**Run context** `country` · `language` · `scrapedAt`

`rank` is the app's position in the result Google returned, preserved per keyword or chart — which
is what makes this usable for ASO tracking rather than just a list of apps.

### Example input

Keyword research with full records and 50 reviews each:

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchTerms": ["habit tracker", "budget planner"],
  "maxItems": 100,
  "fullDetail": true,
  "maxReviewsPerApp": 50,
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en"
}
```

The top 200 free finance apps in Germany:

```json
{
  "mode": "topCharts",
  "collection": "TOP_FREE",
  "category": "FINANCE",
  "maxItems": 200,
  "country": "de",
  "language": "de"
}
```

Your competitive set, with permissions and data-safety disclosures:

```json
{
  "mode": "similar",
  "appIds": ["com.myfitnesspal.android"],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "includePermissions": true,
  "includeDataSafety": true
}
```

### Example output (trimmed)

```json
{
  "appId": "com.spotify.music",
  "url": "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.spotify.music&hl=en&gl=us",
  "source": "search",
  "searchTerm": "music streaming",
  "rank": 1,
  "title": "Spotify: Music and Podcasts",
  "score": 4.32,
  "ratingsCount": 34781234,
  "histogram": { "1": 1820331, "2": 512980, "3": 1104772, "4": 3241009, "5": 28102142 },
  "installs": "1,000,000,000+",
  "minInstalls": 1000000000,
  "free": true,
  "offersIap": true,
  "iapRange": "$0.99 - $199.99 per item",
  "genre": "Music & Audio",
  "developer": "Spotify AB",
  "developerEmail": "support@spotify.com",
  "developerLegalName": "Spotify AB",
  "contentRating": "Teen",
  "adSupported": true,
  "released": "Oct 6, 2011",
  "updatedAt": "2026-08-04T09:12:18.000Z",
  "version": "9.0.42.123",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en"
}
```

### Things worth knowing

**Search returns 22–30 apps per keyword.** That is Google's own limit — the store renders a single
results cluster and there is no deeper page to fetch, for anyone. For more volume, pass more
keywords, or use **Top charts**, which paginates properly (200+ apps in one call).

**`fullDetail` is on by default, and it is the point.** With it off you get only the 12 fields the
listing page carries — title, ID, icon, developer, price, score, summary. With it on, each app is
fetched individually for the complete 57-field record. Turn it off when you only need a ranked list
of package names and want it fast.

**`maxItems` is a hard cap on billable rows** across the whole run, counted after de-duplication.
Set it to `0` to take everything the store returns.

**Nothing charges except a real app record.** If a query legitimately returns nothing, the run still
writes one row explaining what happened, free. If a single app 404s mid-run, that failure is written
as its own free row and the rest of the run continues. You are never billed for a miss.

**Country changes the answer.** Prices, availability and chart order are all per-store. Set both
`country` and `language`; a mismatched pair returns English copy with local pricing.

**Proxy.** Google Play serves datacenter IPs the same payload as residential ones, so the default
Apify datacenter proxy is all this needs. Residential is available but is not worth the cost here.

### Reliability

Each app lookup is retried with exponential backoff on transient failures and abandoned immediately
on a genuine 404. Enrichment calls (permissions, data safety, similar, reviews) can never sink a
record — they fail to `null` and the app row is still written. A `RUN_SUMMARY` record in the run's
key-value store reports what was requested, what was written, and every query that failed.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

Pick the source of apps. Each mode reads exactly one input list below — the others are ignored.

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

Keywords to search, one per row. Used when mode is 'search'. Google Play returns roughly 22-30 apps per keyword — this is the store's own cap, so use several keywords for more volume.

## `appIds` (type: `array`):

Package names (com.spotify.music) or full Play Store URLs. Used when mode is 'detail' or 'similar'.

## `developerIds` (type: `array`):

Developer names as they appear on the store (Google LLC) or numeric developer IDs. Used when mode is 'developer'.

## `collection` (type: `string`):

Which top chart to read. Used when mode is 'topCharts'.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Restrict the top chart to one category. Leave empty for the overall chart. Used when mode is 'topCharts'.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Hard cap on billable app records for the whole run, across every keyword or developer. Set 0 to scrape everything the store returns.

## `fullDetail` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch the complete 57-field record for every app. Leave off to get only the 12 fields the listing page carries (title, ID, icon, developer, price, score, summary) — faster, but far thinner. Always on in 'detail' mode.

## `maxReviewsPerApp` (type: `integer`):

Attach up to this many user reviews to each app record. 0 skips reviews entirely. Reviews are included in the app record at no extra charge.

## `reviewsSort` (type: `string`):

Order in which reviews are pulled. Only used when 'Reviews per app' is above 0.

## `includePermissions` (type: `boolean`):

Attach the app's declared Android permissions, grouped by type. One extra request per app.

## `includeDataSafety` (type: `boolean`):

Attach the Data Safety disclosure — what the app collects, what it shares, and why. One extra request per app.

## `includeSimilarApps` (type: `boolean`):

Attach the list of apps Google shows as similar. One extra request per app.

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

Two-letter store country code. Changes pricing, availability and chart rankings.

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

Two-letter language code for titles, descriptions and reviews.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel app lookups. Lower this if you start seeing failures.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Google Play serves datacenter IPs the same payload as residential ones, so the default datacenter proxy is all this actor needs.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchTerms": [
    "habit tracker"
  ],
  "collection": "TOP_FREE",
  "category": "",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "fullDetail": true,
  "maxReviewsPerApp": 0,
  "reviewsSort": "NEWEST",
  "includePermissions": false,
  "includeDataSafety": false,
  "includeSimilarApps": false,
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxConcurrency": 8,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `datasetItems` (type: `string`):

Every app collected by this run, one record per app.

## `datasetItemsCsv` (type: `string`):

All apps in CSV format.

## `datasetItemsXlsx` (type: `string`):

All apps in Excel format.

## `developerLeads` (type: `string`):

Publisher contact details pulled from each app's store listing.

## `consoleRun` (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 = {
    "mode": "search",
    "searchTerms": [
        "habit tracker"
    ],
    "maxItems": 100,
    "country": "us",
    "language": "en"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("cirkit/google-play-store-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 = {
    "mode": "search",
    "searchTerms": ["habit tracker"],
    "maxItems": 100,
    "country": "us",
    "language": "en",
}

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

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

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

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchTerms": [
    "habit tracker"
  ],
  "maxItems": 100,
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en"
}' |
apify call cirkit/google-play-store-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,cirkit/google-play-store-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/UMGSALpQy0hR28auu/builds/ZI7EdQwkl3iz2XVgM/openapi.json