# App Store & Google Play Reviews Scraper – New Only + Alerts (`kirozhang/app-review-monitor`) Actor

App Store & Google Play reviews scraper for your apps and competitors. Only new reviews each run, low-rating alerts, complaint topics, rating & version tracking, developer reply rate and an HTML report.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/kirozhang/app-review-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Kiro Zhang](https://apify.com/kirozhang) (community)
- **Categories:** Automation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.40 / 1,000 new reviews

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

> **Built for mobile product teams and ASO agencies.** One scheduled run per product: only reviews that are new since the last run on both stores, 1–2★ reviews flagged as alerts, rating and version changes, complaint topics and a shareable HTML report. Reviews you already received are never charged again.
>
> **Just need a one-off export?** Set *Reviews to backfill on the first run* (up to 500 per app and country) and run once: you get the newest App Store or Google Play reviews for $0.60 per 1,000 reviews plus $0.02 per app and country.
>
> **Why not a plain review scraper?** A scraper returns the same reviews on every run and leaves de-duplication, alerting and reporting to you. This monitor remembers what you already have (per *Tracking name*), merges App Store and Google Play, and only charges for new reviews.

> **Need all review platforms in one run?** [Reputation Monitor](https://apify.com/kirozhang/reputation-monitor) watches the app stores together with Google Maps, Yelp, Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Facebook, App Store and Google Play – same alerts, topics and report, one tracking name per client.

### What does this App Store & Google Play reviews scraper do?

**App Review Monitor** watches the **App Store and Google Play** for your apps — and your competitors' apps — and tells you what changed since the last run:

- 🆕 **Only new reviews.** The first run collects a baseline; every later run returns just the reviews you haven't seen yet. Perfect for a daily or hourly schedule.
- 🚨 **Low-rating alerts.** Reviews with ≤ 2★ (configurable) are flagged so you can react fast — pipe them to Slack, email, Jira or Zendesk.
- 🏷️ **Complaint topics.** Every review is tagged: *Crashes & bugs, Performance, Login & account, Pricing & subscription, Ads, UI & usability, Feature requests, Customer support, Sync & data loss, Notifications, Privacy*… The report shows the top complaints per app.
- ⭐ **Rating & version tracking.** Store rating and rating count with change vs. last run, a rating trend line, **new version detection** and **average rating by app version** (Google Play reviews carry the app version; App Store reviews don't) — see immediately if a release hurt your rating.
- 💬 **Developer reply rate** (Google Play) for you and your competitors.
- 🥊 **Competitor benchmarking.** Track rivals side by side: ratings, review volume, what their users complain about.
- 📊 **HTML report** after every run, ready to share with your team or client.

No login, no API keys, no developer-console access needed — it works for **any public app**, including competitors'.

### Who is it for?

- **App developers & product managers** — catch crash waves and broken releases in hours, not weeks.
- **Customer support & community teams** — answer angry reviews quickly and track reply rate.
- **ASO & mobile marketing agencies** — monitor ratings and sentiment for every client and their competitors, with a report you can forward.
- **Market researchers & investors** — follow ratings, release cadence and user pain points across a whole category.

### How to use it

1. Add **your apps** — paste App Store / Google Play links, App Store ids (`id1232780281`) or package names (`notion.id`).
2. Optionally add **competitor apps**.
3. Pick **countries** (App Store reviews are per country) and the **language** for Google Play reviews.
4. Run it once to build the baseline, then create a **Schedule** (daily is typical; hourly for big apps) with the same **Tracking name**.
5. Connect an **integration** (Slack, email, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, n8n, webhook) to get alerts and new reviews automatically.

### Output

#### Dataset – one row per new review

```json
{
    "appName": "Notion: Notes, Tasks, AI",
    "platform": "App Store",
    "country": "us",
    "isMyApp": true,
    "rating": 1,
    "sentiment": "negative",
    "isAlert": true,
    "topics": ["Crashes & bugs", "UI & usability"],
    "title": "Keeps glitching",
    "text": "Since the last update the app freezes when I open a page…",
    "author": "jane_d",
    "appVersion": "1.7.345",
    "date": "2026-10-07T18:22:10.000Z",
    "thumbsUp": 3,
    "developerReply": null,
    "reviewUrl": "https://…",
    "isBaseline": false
}
```

#### Summary & report (key-value store)

- **OUTPUT** – per app and country: store rating and rating count (with change since last run), current version and whether it's new, new reviews, average rating of new reviews, star distribution, alerts, top complaint topics, rating by app version, developer reply rate, latest alerts and a rating trend.
- **REPORT** – an HTML dashboard: KPIs, your apps vs. competitors, new releases and the latest low-rated reviews.

### Alerts in Slack, reply tracking, keyword alerts and a shareable report

All optional, all included in the price below – nothing extra is charged.

- **Slack or webhook alerts** – paste a Slack Incoming Webhook URL (or any https webhook for Make, Zapier, n8n, Teams) and get one summary message after each run: new reviews, alerts with links, and the report link. Choose when: only when there are alerts, whenever there is anything new, or after every run.
- **Reply tracking** – set *Remind me about unanswered alerts after (hours)*, e.g. 48. Alert reviews are re-checked on later runs; if the business has not replied by then you get one reminder, and the report shows the alert reply rate and the median time to reply. Works for Google Play – the App Store review feed does not include developer replies.
- **Keyword alerts and custom topics** – flag any review that mentions words like `refund`, `food poisoning` or a staff member's name, whatever its rating (`alertReason: "keyword"`), and count your own topics such as `Parking: parking, car park, valet`.
- **Shareable report link** – turn on *Shareable report link* to keep the HTML report, with 7- and 30-day trends, at one fixed URL per Tracking name that updates after every run (`OUTPUT.reportUrl`). Send it to a client or your team; reviewer names are never included. The link starts working a minute or two after the first run.

### How much does it cost?

Pay per event — no subscription:

| Event | Free & Starter | Scale | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| App check (one app in one country: ratings, version, metrics, report) | $0.02 | $0.016 | $0.014 |
| New review saved | $0.0006 | $0.0005 | $0.0004 |

**Examples**

- 1 app + 2 competitors, US only, checked daily, ~20 new reviews/day across the three apps → about **$2.20 per month**.
- Agency: 20 apps × 3 countries, daily, ~200 new reviews/day in total → about **$40 per month**.

Reviews you have already received are never charged again. On the Apify free plan a run checks up to 3 app/country combinations.

To cap spending, set **Maximum cost per run** in the run options – the Actor stops cleanly when it is reached and keeps what it already saved.

### Automations: Slack, email, n8n, Make, Zapier

- **n8n – ready-made workflow:** [Negative reviews → Slack](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/JFOMYybxejeFmBbUK/records/n8n-google-maps-negative-reviews-to-slack). In n8n choose *Import from URL* and paste the link, add your Apify API token as a *Header Auth* credential (`Authorization` = `Bearer YOUR_TOKEN`), edit the input and activate. The template is set up for Google Maps; change the Actor in the URL to `app-review-monitor` and the input to your apps.
- **Make or Zapier:** use the Apify app → *Run an Actor* with this Actor and the same input → filter on `isAlert = true` → Slack, Gmail or Google Sheets.
- **Apify only:** add a *Schedule* (daily is typical), then connect Slack or email in the Actor's *Integrations* tab.

### Reliability

An automated health check runs this Actor against live pages every week, and open issues are checked twice a day. If something looks wrong, open an issue with the run ID and you'll get an answer within 24 hours.

### Tips & limits

- **App Store** reviews are read newest first, up to 2,000 per country per run — plenty for daily monitoring of even very popular apps.
- **Google Play** reviews are grouped by language, not by country, so a Play app is checked once per run in the language you choose.
- Keep the same **Tracking name** — changing it starts a new baseline.
- Use `isAlert` as the filter in your Slack/email integration to receive only negative reviews.

### FAQ

**Do I need access to App Store Connect or Google Play Console?** No. Only public store data is used, which is also why you can monitor competitors.

**Can it reply to reviews?** No, it is read-only. Use the `reviewUrl` to jump to the review.

**Where is the history stored?** In a named key-value store `app-review-monitor-history` in your own Apify account.

**Missing a store or a feature?** Open an issue on the **Issues** tab — requests are welcome.

# Actor input Schema

## `myApps` (type: `array`):

Required. One app per line: an App Store or Google Play URL, an App Store id (id1232780281) or an Android package name (notion.id). These apps get alerts.

## `competitorApps` (type: `array`):

Optional. Competitor apps in the same formats, tracked side by side for benchmarking.

## `countries` (type: `array`):

App Store reviews and ratings are per country. Google Play reviews are per language, so Play apps are checked once (store data from the first country).

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

Google Play returns reviews written in this language.

## `trackingId` (type: `string`):

Stable name for this group of apps, e.g. one per product ('notion-us'). Runs with the same name share history, so only reviews you have not received yet are returned and charged.

## `alertMaxRating` (type: `integer`):

Reviews with this many stars or fewer are flagged as alerts (isAlert = true).

## `maxReviewsFirstRun` (type: `integer`):

How many of the newest reviews per app and country to save on the first run (baseline). Each saved review is one 'review' charge.

## `maxReviewsPerRun` (type: `integer`):

Safety cap for very popular apps.

## `includeReviewText` (type: `boolean`):

Store the full review text.

## `slackWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional. A Slack <a href="https://api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks" target="_blank">Incoming Webhook</a> URL (https://hooks.slack.com/services/…). After a run you get one summary message in that channel. Stored encrypted.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional. Any https endpoint (Make, Zapier, n8n, a Microsoft Teams workflow or your own server). Receives one JSON POST per run with counts, items and the report link. Stored encrypted.

## `notifyOn` (type: `string`):

When the Slack / webhook message is sent.

## `alertKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. A review that mentions any of these words or phrases is flagged as an alert whatever its rating, e.g. <code>refund</code>, <code>food poisoning</code>, <code>lawyer</code> or a staff member's name. Case- and accent-insensitive.

## `customTopics` (type: `array`):

Optional. One topic per line: <code>Topic name: word, phrase, word</code>, e.g. <code>Parking: parking, car park, valet</code>. Matching reviews get the topic in <code>customTopics</code> and the report counts them. Built-in topics stay as they are.

## `unansweredAlertHours` (type: `integer`):

Optional (empty or 0 = off; 48 is a good start). Alert reviews are re-checked on later runs; if the business has not replied after this many hours you get one reminder in the Slack / webhook message, and the report shows the alert reply rate and median time to reply. Re-checked reviews are not charged again.

## `publicReport` (type: `boolean`):

Off by default. When on, the HTML report with 7- and 30-day trends is kept at one fixed link per Tracking name (shown in OUTPUT.reportUrl and in notifications) – send it to a client or your team. Anyone with the link can open it; reviewer names are never included.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "myApps": [
    "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notion-notes-tasks-ai/id1232780281",
    "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=notion.id"
  ],
  "competitorApps": [
    "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442",
    "md.obsidian"
  ],
  "countries": [
    "us"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "alertMaxRating": 2,
  "maxReviewsFirstRun": 100,
  "maxReviewsPerRun": 2000,
  "includeReviewText": true,
  "notifyOn": "alerts",
  "alertKeywords": [
    "crash",
    "refund",
    "scam"
  ],
  "customTopics": [
    "Login: login, log in, sign in, password"
  ],
  "unansweredAlertHours": 48,
  "publicReport": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `reviews` (type: `string`):

No description

## `report` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (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 = {
    "myApps": [
        "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notion-notes-tasks-ai/id1232780281",
        "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=notion.id"
    ],
    "competitorApps": [
        "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442",
        "md.obsidian"
    ],
    "alertKeywords": [
        "crash",
        "refund",
        "scam"
    ],
    "customTopics": [
        "Login: login, log in, sign in, password"
    ],
    "unansweredAlertHours": 48
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("kirozhang/app-review-monitor").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 = {
    "myApps": [
        "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notion-notes-tasks-ai/id1232780281",
        "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=notion.id",
    ],
    "competitorApps": [
        "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442",
        "md.obsidian",
    ],
    "alertKeywords": [
        "crash",
        "refund",
        "scam",
    ],
    "customTopics": ["Login: login, log in, sign in, password"],
    "unansweredAlertHours": 48,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("kirozhang/app-review-monitor").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 '{
  "myApps": [
    "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/notion-notes-tasks-ai/id1232780281",
    "https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=notion.id"
  ],
  "competitorApps": [
    "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/obsidian-connected-notes/id1557175442",
    "md.obsidian"
  ],
  "alertKeywords": [
    "crash",
    "refund",
    "scam"
  ],
  "customTopics": [
    "Login: login, log in, sign in, password"
  ],
  "unansweredAlertHours": 48
}' |
apify call kirozhang/app-review-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,kirozhang/app-review-monitor"
        }
    }
}
```

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/WoCqE5pQY4A3I0nNk/builds/MSPBydU30s8PbX0xc/openapi.json