Use Google Play App Search, Lookup & Reviews Scraper with Python

Search Google Play by keyword or look up apps directly by package ID, with ratings, installs, pricing, developer contact details, and optional user reviews across dozens of countries and languages.

1. Choose the data you need

Review the published README for supported collection modes, examples, and limits. The recipe below uses the current published input definition.

2. Prepare a source-based input

This JSON contains published prefills and required-field defaults. Review every value for your task before running it; it is not a promise of successful collection.

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

Download input.example.json and save your reviewed copy as input.json.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`mode`	string	required	What to scrape.
`searchQuery`	string	optional	Keyword to search for in mode=search, for example `photo editor` or `calculator`.
`appIds`	array	optional	Package names or Google Play URLs. Used by details, reviews, similar, permissions, and dataSafety modes.
`packageNames`	array	optional	Android package names such as `com.whatsapp`. Play URLs are also accepted.
`startUrls`	array	optional	Full Google Play app URLs, for example `https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whatsapp`.
`developerId`	string	optional	Numeric Google Play developer ID or a developer page URL, used in mode=developer.
`developerName`	string	optional	Display name shown on Google Play, for example `Google LLC`, used in mode=developer.
`country`	string	optional	Storefront for search results, pricing, and availability. Reviews are selected by Language, not Country.
`language`	string	optional	Language for app pages and the review bucket. Google Play uses this language, not Country, to choose reviews.
`maxItems`	integer	optional	Hard cap on dataset rows. Search returns at most 250 apps per query. For similar mode one seed app is one row.
`maxReviewsPerApp`	integer	optional	Reviews to collect for each app. Google Play returns at most 4,500 reviews per page; the actor paginates up to this cap.
`reviewSort`	string	optional	Order used when fetching reviews.
`includeDetails`	boolean	optional	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	optional	Add the app's permission list to app records. Works in search, details, developer, and similar modes.
`includeDataSafety`	boolean	optional	Add shared data, collected data, security practices, and the privacy policy URL to app records.
`proxyConfiguration`	object	optional	Optional. The actor works without a proxy; use one only if Google Play blocks your runs.

3. Start an Actor run

Set APIFY_TOKEN in your environment. Python 3.10 or newer is sufficient; this recipe uses no third-party packages.

Execution may incur charges. Review current pricing on Apify. The request asks for a 120-second timeout and a charge limit; these settings are subject to Apify’s pricing and do not guarantee an all-inclusive spending cap.

import json
import os
import urllib.request

# Save the schema-derived example as input.json; review and edit it first.
with open("input.json", encoding="utf-8") as stream:
    actor_input = json.load(stream)

token = os.environ["APIFY_TOKEN"]
request = urllib.request.Request(
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/VCknmnj5f5O6X56Ho/runs?timeout=120&maxTotalChargeUsd=0.50",
    data=json.dumps(actor_input).encode("utf-8"),
    headers={"Authorization": "Bearer " + token, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
    method="POST",
)
# This starts a potentially billable run. Do not automatically retry this POST.
with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=40) as response:
    run = json.load(response)["data"]
print("Run ID:", run["id"])
print("Status:", run["status"])
# Inspect and download results in Apify Console once the run succeeds.

4. Inspect the actual results

Open the run in Apify Console and wait for a successful completion. Use the published output schema to locate results and the dataset schema to understand declared views. Missing or optional record fields must not be treated as guaranteed values.

Google Play apps, reviews, permissions, data safety labels, developer catalogs, and similar apps.

Questions before you run

Which inputs are required?

The published required fields are mode

What does this guide verify?

The fields, prefills, and schema links are rendered from the published build. This is a usage recipe, not a paid live extraction test. Source availability and collection results can vary.

What if the run request times out?

Check Apify Console before retrying. The first request may already have created a run. Do not automatically repeat a run-creation POST.

Open on Apify Full Actor reference

Generated from source build yabCXYoj5lcWqvbGd and its README and schemas. Source changes regenerate this guide; no third-party editorial claims are inferred.