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app-scout

Analyzes public App Store and Google Play data to surface app market opportunities.

Updated Aug 21, 2026
Search Tags:#idea validation#market research#competitor analysis#app store#google play#review mining#geo-gap
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/allen-hsu/mobile-shipkit --skill app-scout-allen-hsu
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: app-scout
Source: https://github.com/allen-hsu/mobile-shipkit/tree/main/skills/app-scout
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/allen-hsu/mobile-shipkit --skill app-scout-allen-hsu

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes scripts (resource) components.

What problem does it solve? Deciding what app to build usually requires expensive market-intelligence subscriptions. This Skill screens app ideas using only free public store data — iTunes Search/Lookup APIs, legacy iTunes RSS charts, and Google Play listing pages — so you can validate demand, spot abandoned competitors, and find geographic gaps before writing any code. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Opportunity Strategies as Commands: Run geo-gap (strong in one country, absent in another), zombies (popular but unmaintained), weak (high ratings count, low star rating), and paid-gaps (paid apps lacking strong free alternatives) scans per country and genre. - Competitor & Review Mining: Fetch Google Play reviews with complaint keyword extraction, map competitors across synonym search terms, and pull Play facts like installs bucket, ads, and IAP flags. - One-Shot Reports: Generate a consolidated markdown report covering charts, geo-gaps, zombies, weak incumbents, and paid-gaps across multiple countries. - Use Case: You wonder whether a Japanese hit app category has room in the US market. Run the geo-gap command for jp → us in a genre, then mine Play reviews of weak incumbents to find the complaints your first screenshots should answer. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to run an app-scout geo-gap scan from Japan to the US for the Health & Fitness genre and summarize the top opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions about app-scout

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find app market opportunities without paid tools?▼

Run the geo-gap, zombies, weak, or paid-gaps commands against public store data. The script queries iTunes charts and Google Play pages per country and genre, scoring opportunities by rating counts, staleness, and localization gaps.

How to analyze Google Play reviews for competitor complaints?▼

Use the reviews command with a package name and --stars 1,2,3 to fetch low-rated reviews via the Play batchexecute endpoint. It tallies unigram and bigram complaint keywords, including CJK text, so you can see what users dislike.

Can I get App Store reviews with this approach?▼

No, App Store reviews are currently unavailable because the reviews RSS returns empty and the amp-api token is gone. The complaints command works around this by finding the app's Google Play twin and reading those reviews instead.

Does the script need any npm dependencies or API keys?▼

No dependencies or keys are required. It is a single zero-dependency Node.js script using built-in fetch, with file-based caching in .scout-cache and automatic retries on 403/429 rate limits.

What are the limitations of using rating counts for market sizing?▼

Rating counts and Play installs buckets are only proxies for volume, not exact downloads or revenue. Use them to shortlist ideas, then purchase AppFigures or AppMagic estimates to size the top competitors before committing.

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