app-store-scraper: Your Gateway to iTunes & Mac App Store Data

For developers and data enthusiasts looking to tap into the rich trove of information available on Apple's iTunes and Mac App Stores, app-store-scraper offers a robust and easy-to-use Node.js module. This open-source project streamlines the process of extracting diverse data points, from individual app details to comprehensive review histories.

What is app-store-scraper?

app-store-scraper is a Node.js module designed to programmatically fetch data from the iTunes and Mac App Stores. Its goal is to provide a user-friendly interface, mirroring the functionality found in similar tools like google-play-scraper. Whether you're conducting market research, analyzing app trends, or building a custom application that relies on app store data, this module is an invaluable asset.

Key Features and Capabilities

The module provides a comprehensive suite of methods to interact with the App Store data:

• app: Retrieve the full details of a specific application using its id (trackId) or appId (bundleId). This includes information like title, description, genres, ratings, developer, screenshots, and more.
• list: Fetch lists of applications based on various criteria, such as top free iOS apps, top paid, or specific categories like 'Games' or 'Action.' You can also specify the number of results and country.
• search: Perform searches for apps based on a given term, with options for pagination and country-specific results.
• developer: Get a list of all applications published by a specific developer using their devId.
• privacy: Access the privacy policy details for an app, providing insights into data usage and tracking.
• suggest: Obtain search term suggestions, complete with a priority index indicating their popularity.
• similar: Discover apps that are 'customers also bought,' mimicking the recommendations on app detail pages.
• reviews: Scrape pages of user reviews for an app, with options for sorting (e.g., recent or helpful) and pagination.
• ratings: Retrieve detailed rating information, including the total number of ratings and a histogram breakdown by star count.
• versionHistory: Access the release notes and version history for any given application.

Easy Installation and Usage

Getting started with app-store-scraper is straightforward. Install it via npm:

npm install app-store-scraper

Once installed, you can integrate it into your Node.js projects with minimal effort. Here's a quick example to retrieve details for Candy Crush Saga:

var store = require('app-store-scraper');

store.app({id: 553834731})
  .then(console.log)
  .catch(console.log);

Performance with Memoization

Understanding that repeated requests for the same data can be inefficient, app-store-scraper includes a memoization feature. This allows you to cache results, reducing the number of actual requests made to the iTunes API or web pages. By default, it caches up to 1000 values per method, with a 5-minute expiration, making your data retrieval operations faster and more efficient.

Ideal for Data-Driven Projects

Whether you're a data scientist analyzing app store trends, a mobile app developer competitive researching, or simply someone needing programmatic access to app information, app-store-scraper provides a reliable and flexible solution. Its open-source nature means it's continually evolving with community contributions, ensuring its relevance and utility in the ever-changing landscape of app data.