# Google Play Reviews Scraper & Change Monitor (`luminar/google-play-reviews-change-monitor`) Actor

Export Google Play reviews with ratings, app versions, and developer replies. Track known apps for new or edited reviews and reply changes, with stable keys for your feedback database.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/luminar/google-play-reviews-change-monitor.md
- **Developed by:** [Luka](https://apify.com/luminar) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Marketing
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $9.50 / 1,000 review scan batches

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#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

Turn Google Play reviews into a feedback table you can refresh after each release.

- Export reviews with app versions and published developer replies.
- Compare repeat scans for **NEW**, **UPDATED**, and **DEVELOPER\_REPLY\_CHANGED** records.
- Keep stable app + review keys for your existing feedback database.

![Actual Google Play review output](https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/qc0CkEyEWVNFOIQ0X/records/review-output.png)

### 🚀 Start in 60 seconds

Enter a package ID such as `com.spotify.music`, leave **Export reviews** selected, and run. The default scans up to 100 reviews. Download the Dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

```json
{"appIds":["com.spotify.music"],"workflow":"export","country":"us","language":"en","sort":"newest","maxReviewsPerApp":100}
```

### 🎯 Choose the right workflow

| Workflow | Result | Repeat behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Export reviews | Matching review rows from the requested window | Fresh export each run |
| Track review changes | NEW, UPDATED and DEVELOPER\_REPLY\_CHANGED rows | Compares with the same watch-list name, apps and filters |

The first monitoring run can emit existing reviews as NEW or seed a baseline without change rows. Subsequent runs recheck the entire selected window, including overlapping reviews. An older review outside that window is not rechecked. Increase the review-slot limit to deepen overlap.

### 📦 What you get

Each review row has a stable `appId` + `reviewId`, review link, rating, text, update date, helpful count, published app version and developer reply fields. Optional source fields remain null. Change rows include old/new values and a deterministic `changeId`. A reply belongs to its source review; Google does not provide a separate reply ID in the verified response.

`requestCountry` and `requestLanguage` describe your storefront request. They do not identify where a reviewer lives or their personal device. Review author names are the public display names only.

### 🎛️ Input guide

Use up to 10 known app IDs or Google Play app URLs. Choose newest/helpful, storefront country and language. Optional rating/device filters apply at the source; date, keyword and exact app-version filters apply within the scanned window. Review slots include rows rejected by output filters.

Maximums: 10,000 review slots and 100 pages per app, 20,000 slots total per run, and 20,000 saved matching reviews per watch list. Each page requests up to 100 reviews. A source may return fewer or stop early. Collection uses at most 210 seconds and leaves time for delivery.

Use the same watch-list name and filters to compare repeated runs. Run each watch list sequentially. If a delivery stops, recover its original run before starting another run against that watch list; this prevents recharging an uncertain delivery.

### 💰 Pricing

**$0.0095 per batch of up to 100 distinct source reviews scanned per app**. Partial batches count as one. Both workflows use this scan-capacity price, with no start fee for nonempty scans. Included export/change rows are not charged separately. Each paid batch has a scan receipt row in the same Dataset; use recordType to distinguish reviews, changes, and scan receipts.

| Scan | Total charge |
|---|---:|
| 1 app, 1–100 scanned reviews | $0.0095 |
| 5 apps, 1,000 reviews each | $0.4750 |
| 2 apps, 10,000 reviews each | $1.9000 |

An unchanged monitoring run or a filter yielding no rows still incurs the verified scan-capacity charge. Tiny scans can cost more than per-review competitors. This is not a universal cheapest claim. A positively verified empty collection costs $0.003; invalid input, no targets, or wholly unverified source attempts are free. Your spending limit must cover the full requested scan before collection begins.

### ✅ Coverage you can trust

**COMPLETE** means the source ended for your requested app, sort and filters. **CAPPED** means a configured review/page boundary was reached while continuation remained. **PARTIAL** means some targets failed; **FAILED** means no requested source was verified. Details appear in the run's OUTPUT record.

Reviews may be edited or reordered during pagination. Duplicate source IDs are suppressed. Absence from a newest/helpful/capped window never produces a REMOVED event. Only observed changes to trustworthy matching reviews update the watch list.

### 🔌 API and automation

Send the example JSON through the Actor API and download the default Dataset. Upsert reviews by `stableId`; deduplicate change events by `changeId`. Keep one watch-list name per feedback collection, with sequential runs. No private Google developer credentials are needed.

### ⚠️ Not yet supported

Global app discovery; all worldwide reviews; private reviewer contacts; identity enrichment; sentiment or AI scores; deletion events; guaranteed rechecks of reviews outside your bounded scan; simultaneous runs on one watch list.

### ❓ FAQ and support

**Why are version/reply fields empty?** Google does not publish them on every review. Missing values remain null.

**Why did no change rows appear?** The observed matching reviews may be unchanged, or the first run may be seeding a baseline. Check OUTPUT coverage and scanned counts.

**Where can I report a problem?** Open the Actor's Issues tab with the run ID, app ID and requested locale. Do not share credentials or private user information.

# Actor input Schema

## `workflow` (type: `string`):

Export matching reviews, or compare the same bounded review window against a saved watch list.

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

Up to 10 package IDs or public Google Play app URLs. At most 20,000 requested review slots per run.

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

Two-letter request context, such as us or gb. This is not the reviewer’s location.

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

Language request context, such as en or de. Source availability varies.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Newest for repeat monitoring, or helpful for a feedback overview.

## `rating` (type: `integer`):

0 means all ratings; 1–5 requests only that source rating.

## `device` (type: `string`):

Optional source device filter. Returned reviews do not expose a verified reviewer device identity.

## `since` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO UTC timestamp, inclusive. Filters the scanned window; it does not expand it.

## `until` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO UTC timestamp, inclusive.

## `keyword` (type: `string`):

Optional case-insensitive text filter. Scanned review batches are still charged.

## `appVersion` (type: `string`):

Optional exact published review version. Reviews without a version do not match.

## `monitorNamespace` (type: `string`):

Use the same name and filters on repeat runs. Do not run the same watch list concurrently. A stopped delivery must be recovered in its original run.

## `firstRun` (type: `string`):

Emit existing matching reviews as NEW, or save a baseline without change rows. Both scan the requested window.

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

Maximum source reviews scanned per app, including reviews rejected by your output filters. Billed in batches of up to 100 per app.

## `maxPagesPerApp` (type: `integer`):

Each page has up to 100 reviews. Limit 100; the review-slot limit also applies.

## `maxRuntimeSecs` (type: `integer`):

10–210 seconds for collection, with additional platform time reserved for delivery.

## `maxBuyerChargeUsd` (type: `number`):

Preflight reserves your complete requested scan. Lower review slots or increase this limit if rejected.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "workflow": "export",
  "appIds": [
    "com.spotify.music"
  ],
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "sort": "newest",
  "rating": 0,
  "device": "all",
  "monitorNamespace": "default",
  "firstRun": "emit_new",
  "maxReviewsPerApp": 100,
  "maxPagesPerApp": 100,
  "maxRuntimeSecs": 210,
  "maxBuyerChargeUsd": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

All delivered review, change, and scan receipt records from this run.

# 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 = {
    "appIds": [
        "com.spotify.music"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("luminar/google-play-reviews-change-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 = { "appIds": ["com.spotify.music"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("luminar/google-play-reviews-change-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 '{
  "appIds": [
    "com.spotify.music"
  ]
}' |
apify call luminar/google-play-reviews-change-monitor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,luminar/google-play-reviews-change-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/K5U9xfMbXmgH5uli8/builds/yPKgkpqqIXpS8ggwH/openapi.json