Google Play App Search, Lookup & Reviews Scraper: one-request API, MCP and n8n

{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "calculator",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxItems": 3,
  "maxReviewsPerApp": 100,
  "reviewSort": "newest",
  "includeDetails": false,
  "includePermissions": false,
  "includeDataSafety": false
}

---
name: google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper
description: "Google Play apps, reviews, permissions, data safety labels, developer catalogs, and similar apps. Runs the Apify Actor nimbryxo-studio/google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper. Use when the user needs Google Play data with fields such as id, packageName, appId, name, title, url and an Apify token is available."
compatibility: "Needs network access, curl, and an APIFY_TOKEN environment variable. Runs are billed to the token owner's Apify account."
metadata:
  actor: "nimbryxo-studio/google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper"
  store-url: "https://apify.com/nimbryxo-studio/google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper"
---

# Google Play App Search, Lookup & Reviews Scraper

Use this skill to fetch Google Play data with the Apify Actor `nimbryxo-studio/google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper` and work with the returned rows.

## Before running

1. Check that `APIFY_TOKEN` is set in the environment. Never print it or write it to a file.
2. Build `input.json` from the user's request using the fields below. Keep limits small for a first run.
3. Confirm the search terms or URLs with the user if the request is ambiguous.

## Input fields

| Field | Type | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `mode` | one of `search`, `details`, `reviews`, `developer`, `similar`, `permissions`, `dataSafety`, required | What to scrape. |
| `searchQuery` | string | Keyword to search for in mode=search, for example `photo editor` or `calculator`. |
| `appIds` | array | Package names or Google Play URLs. Used by details, reviews, similar, permissions, and dataSafety modes. |
| `packageNames` | array | Android package names such as `com.whatsapp`. Play URLs are also accepted. |
| `startUrls` | array | Full Google Play app URLs, for example `https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp`. |
| `country` | string | Storefront for search results, pricing, and availability. Reviews are selected by Language, not Country. |
| `language` | string | Language for app pages and the review bucket. Google Play uses this language, not Country, to choose reviews. |
| `maxItems` | integer | Hard cap on dataset rows. Search returns at most 250 apps per query. For similar mode one seed app is one row. |
| `maxReviewsPerApp` | integer | Reviews to collect for each app. Google Play returns at most 4,500 reviews per page; the actor paginates up to this cap. |
| `reviewSort` | one of `newest`, `rating`, `helpfulness` | Order used when fetching reviews. |
| `includeDetails` | boolean | Fetch the full app page for search and developer results, and include app metadata in permissions/dataSafety output. Adds one request per app. |
| `includePermissions` | boolean | Add the app's permission list to app records. Works in search, details, developer, and similar modes. |
| `includeDataSafety` | boolean | Add shared data, collected data, security practices, and the privacy policy URL to app records. |

Example `input.json` (the Actor's published prefill):

```json
{
  "mode": "search",
  "searchQuery": "calculator",
  "country": "us",
  "language": "en",
  "maxItems": 3,
  "maxReviewsPerApp": 100,
  "reviewSort": "newest",
  "includeDetails": false,
  "includePermissions": false,
  "includeDataSafety": false
}
```

## Run

```bash
curl -sS -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/nimbryxo-studio~google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d @input.json > results.json
```

The call waits for the run to finish and returns the dataset items as a JSON array. If the run needs more than 300 seconds the API answers with HTTP 408; then start the run with `POST /v2/acts/nimbryxo-studio~google-play-app-search-lookup-and-reviews-scraper/runs`, poll `GET /v2/actor-runs/{runId}` until `SUCCEEDED`, and read `GET /v2/datasets/{defaultDatasetId}/items`.

## Output

Each item is one record. Published fields include: `id`, `packageName`, `appId`, `name`, `title`, `url`, `sourceUrl`, `developer`, `developerId`, `developerUrl`, `developerEmail`, `developerWebsite`, `developerAddress`, `developerLegalName`, `developerLegalEmail`, `developerLegalAddress`, `developerLegalPhone`, `privacyPolicy`, `rating`, `score`.

Summarise what was found, cite the record URLs when present, and say how many items came back. Do not invent values for empty fields.