# App Store Release Notes Scraper (`sivakivan/release-notes-scraper`) Actor Scrapes the What's New section from Apple App Store app pages. Returns the latest version, release date, and release notes for each app. - **URL**: https://apify.com/sivakivan/release-notes-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Ivan Šivák](https://apify.com/sivakivan) (community) - **Categories:** Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.00 / 1,000 results 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 a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use 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 Release Notes Scraper **Extract release notes from the Apple App Store automatically.** This Actor scrapes the "What's New" section from any App Store app page and returns the version number, release date, and release notes text for every new version — with built-in deduplication so repeat runs only return versions you haven't seen before. Try it on the [Apify platform](https://apify.com) with no setup required. ### What does App Store Release Notes Scraper do? App Store Release Notes Scraper visits Apple App Store app pages, parses the full version history from the "What's New" section, and pushes each new version as a structured record to a dataset. It uses version-history deduplication via Apify's Key-Value Store, so you can schedule it to run daily and only receive versions released since your last run. By default it covers eight major streaming apps: Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peacock. You can replace or extend that list with any App Store URL. ### Why use App Store Release Notes Scraper? - **Competitive intelligence for PMs** — track competitor app updates the moment they ship, without checking the App Store manually. - **Automated monitoring** — schedule daily or weekly runs; the KV-store deduplication guarantees you only see net-new versions. - **Structured output** — get clean JSON with version, date, and full release notes text, ready for export to CSV/Excel or downstream integrations. - **No infrastructure required** — runs serverless on the Apify platform with API access, scheduling, and webhook notifications built in. ### How to use App Store Release Notes Scraper 1. Open the Actor on Apify Console and click **Try for free**. 2. In the **Input** tab, review the pre-filled App Store URLs. Add, remove, or replace them with any App Store app page URL. 3. Leave the URL list empty to use the built-in default list of eight streaming apps. 4. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish (typically under 2 minutes). 5. Open the **Output** tab or **Dataset** tab to review results. 6. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, HTML, or Excel using the export buttons. For recurring monitoring, click **Schedule** to run the Actor automatically on a daily or weekly cadence. ### Input Configure the Actor using the **Input** tab in Apify Console or pass a JSON object to the API. | Field | Type | Required | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `startUrls` | Array of URL objects | No | Apple App Store app page URLs to scrape. Leave empty to use the built-in default list of 8 streaming apps. | **Example input:** ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spotify/id324684580" } ] } ```` Any valid Apple App Store app URL in the format `https://apps.apple.com/[country]/app/[app-name]/id[numeric-id]` will work. ### Output Each new version found produces one record in the dataset. You can download the dataset in JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel format from the Output tab. **Example output record:** ```json { "appName": "Netflix", "version": "8.120.0", "releaseDate": "2025-04-14", "releaseNotes": "Improved playback performance and fixed a crash on iPad when using Picture in Picture.", "appStoreUrl": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051", "scrapedAt": "2025-04-26T10:32:00.000Z" } ``` If an app has no "What's New" section, a record is still written with `version`, `releaseDate`, and `releaseNotes` set to `null`. ### Output data fields | Field | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | `appName` | String | App name as shown on the App Store page | | `version` | String | Version number (e.g. `8.120.0`) | | `releaseDate` | String | Release date in `YYYY-MM-DD` format | | `releaseNotes` | String | Full release notes text from the "What's New" section | | `appStoreUrl` | String | The App Store URL that was scraped | | `scrapedAt` | String | ISO 8601 timestamp of when the record was scraped | ### Pricing and cost App Store Release Notes Scraper uses a browser (Playwright) to render JavaScript-heavy App Store pages. A typical run covering 8 apps completes in under 2 minutes and costs approximately **0.02–0.05 compute units (CU)**. At Apify's free tier ($5 credit, $0.40/CU), that's roughly **100+ free runs per month**. Paid plans are available for higher volume or additional features like proxy rotation. ### Tips - **Schedule daily runs** — the built-in KV-store deduplication means each run only outputs versions released since the previous run. Scheduling is the intended use pattern. - **Any App Store app works** — not just streaming apps. Add any `apps.apple.com` URL to the input and the Actor will extract its release notes automatically. - **First run returns full history** — on the very first run for a given app, all versions visible in the "What's New" section are returned. Subsequent runs only return new ones. - **Reset history to re-scrape** — if you want to re-fetch all versions, delete the `seen-versions` key from the `version-history` Key-Value Store in the Apify Console before running. ### FAQ and support **Is scraping the App Store legal?** This Actor only scrapes publicly available pages — the same content visible to any visitor without logging in. It is your responsibility to ensure your use complies with Apple's Terms of Service and applicable law. The Actor does not bypass any access controls or authentication. **What if an app shows no "What's New" section?** Some apps do not publish release notes. In that case the Actor writes a record with `null` for version, date, and notes, so you know the app was checked. **The Actor found fewer versions than I expected — why?** The App Store typically shows only the most recent versions in the "What's New" section. The number of historical versions visible varies by app. **How do I add Google Play support?** Google Play is planned for a future version. For now the Actor only supports Apple App Store URLs. For bugs or feature requests, open an issue in the **Issues** tab on this Actor's page. For custom scraping solutions, contact the author via the Apify platform. # Actor input Schema ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): Apple App Store URLs to scrape. Add any app page URL — the actor will extract the app name automatically. Leave empty to use the default list of major streaming apps. Maximum 50 URLs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/disney/id1446075923" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-hbo-tv-movies/id1666653815" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hulu-stream-tv-shows-movies/id376510438" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-tv/id1174078549" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amazon-prime-video/id545519333" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paramount/id530168168" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peacock-tv-stream-live-events/id1508186374" } ] } ``` # 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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/disney/id1446075923" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-hbo-tv-movies/id1666653815" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hulu-stream-tv-shows-movies/id376510438" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-tv/id1174078549" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amazon-prime-video/id545519333" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paramount/id530168168" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peacock-tv-stream-live-events/id1508186374" } ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("sivakivan/release-notes-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/disney/id1446075923" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-hbo-tv-movies/id1666653815" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hulu-stream-tv-shows-movies/id376510438" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-tv/id1174078549" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amazon-prime-video/id545519333" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paramount/id530168168" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peacock-tv-stream-live-events/id1508186374" }, ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("sivakivan/release-notes-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 '{ "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/netflix/id363590051" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/disney/id1446075923" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-hbo-tv-movies/id1666653815" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hulu-stream-tv-shows-movies/id376510438" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-tv/id1174078549" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amazon-prime-video/id545519333" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paramount/id530168168" }, { "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/peacock-tv-stream-live-events/id1508186374" } ] }' | apify call sivakivan/release-notes-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=sivakivan/release-notes-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "App Store Release Notes Scraper", "description": "Scrapes the What's New section from Apple App Store app pages. Returns the latest version, release date, and release notes for each app.", "version": "0.2", "x-build-id": "bJnvYmqnFg3cTyldy" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/sivakivan~release-notes-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-sivakivan-release-notes-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/sivakivan~release-notes-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-sivakivan-release-notes-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/sivakivan~release-notes-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-sivakivan-release-notes-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "startUrls": { "title": "App Store URLs", "maxItems": 50, "type": "array", "description": "Apple App Store URLs to scrape. Add any app page URL — the actor will extract the app name automatically. Leave empty to use the default list of major streaming apps. Maximum 50 URLs.", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```