# apple.search_apps

**stable** **Advanced**

Search iOS apps in the App Store.

`GET /v1/apple/search_apps`

## What you get

A list of Apple results in Onekey's unified shape, in `data` (an array). An empty array is a normal, successful answer and is charged like any other; a source that reports "nothing found" as an error returns a free `404 not_found` instead.

## What it costs

- **Advanced · 5 credits** for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
- **Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).**
- **Free** if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | What it is | Constraints |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `q` | string | yes | (required) | Search query | max 200 chars; trimmed, repeated spaces collapsed |
| `country` | string | no | `us` | Two-letter storefront country code | max 2 chars; must match `[a-z]{2}`; trimmed, lowercased |

## Request

```bash
curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/apple/search_apps?q=chess" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/apple/search_apps",
    params={"q": "chess"},
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
body = res.json()

if body["success"]:
    print(body["data"])
else:
    print(body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"])
```

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({ q: "chess" });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.onekey.dev/v1/apple/search_apps?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
});
const body = await res.json();

if (body.success) console.log(body.data);
else console.error(body.error.code, body.error.message);
```

## Recorded response

A real Apple response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are `null`.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "329218549",
        "name": "Chess.com - Play and Learn",
        "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chess-com-play-and-learn/id329218549?uo=4",
        "category": "Games",
        "stats": {
          "rating": 4.8098,
          "ratingCount": 830858
        }
      },
      "ext": {
        "bundleId": "com.chess.iphone",
        "developer": "Chess.com",
        "contentRating": "4+",
        "sizeBytes": 466626560,
        "minimumOs": "17.0"
      },
      "package": {
        "version": "4.10.31"
      },
      "listing": {
        "price": 0,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "content": {
        "createdAt": "2009-10-29T03:18:55Z",
        "updatedAt": "2026-09-22T15:02:40Z"
      },
      "media": {
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple211/v4/6e/aa/f4/6eaaf4ec-3dd4-d3a9-e148-9e17f75ab2ce/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007epad-0-1-0-0-85-220.png/512x512bb.jpg"
      }
    },
    {
      "entity": {
        "id": "311395856",
        "name": "Chess ∙",
        "url": "https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chess/id311395856?uo=4",
        "category": "Games",
        "stats": {
          "rating": 4.51935,
          "ratingCount": 206389
        }
      },
      "ext": {
        "bundleId": "R6WLZBVJLW.ChessFree",
        "developer": "Optime Software LLC",
        "contentRating": "4+",
        "sizeBytes": 87625728,
        "minimumOs": "12.0"
      },
      "package": {
        "version": "2.11"
      },
      "listing": {
        "price": 0,
        "currency": "USD"
      },
      "content": {
        "createdAt": "2009-04-18T17:28:16Z",
        "updatedAt": "2024-02-16T21:18:35Z"
      },
      "media": {
        "thumbnailUrl": "https://is1-ssl.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Purple126/v4/d2/fb/1d/d2fb1da9-0a90-b1ef-4302-252cd69bfbbc/AppIcon-0-0-1x_U007emarketing-0-5-0-0-85-220.png/512x512bb.jpg"
      }
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "apple",
    "endpoint": "search_apps",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 5,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}
```

## Field mapping

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's [unified schema](https://onekey.dev/docs/schema.md). Fields the source lacks come back as `null`.

| Source path | Onekey field | Transform |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `trackId` | `entity.id` | `toString` |
| `trackName` | `entity.name` | - |
| `bundleId` | `ext.bundleId` | - |
| `version` | `package.version` | - |
| `artistName` | `ext.developer` | - |
| `trackViewUrl` | `entity.url` | `safeUrl` |
| `price` | `listing.price` | `toNumber` |
| `currency` | `listing.currency` | - |
| `primaryGenreName` | `entity.category` | - |
| `contentAdvisoryRating` | `ext.contentRating` | - |
| `averageUserRating` | `entity.stats.rating` | `toNumber` |
| `userRatingCount` | `entity.stats.ratingCount` | `toNumber` |
| `fileSizeBytes` | `ext.sizeBytes` | `toNumber` |
| `releaseDate` | `content.createdAt` | `toIsoDate` |
| `currentVersionReleaseDate` | `content.updatedAt` | `toIsoDate` |
| `minimumOsVersion` | `ext.minimumOs` | - |
| `artworkUrl512` | `media.thumbnailUrl` | `safeUrl` |

## Caching and freshness

- Fresh for about 2 minutes. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
- Between 2 minutes and 15 minutes the cached copy is still served instantly and marked `stale: true` while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
- If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 1 hour more (marked stale).
- A "not found" is remembered for 1 minute and is free.
- The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

## What can go wrong

| Status | Code | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | Check the `x-api-key` header. |
| 402 | `insufficient_credits` | [Add credits](https://onekey.dev/pricing); your balance must cover the price. |
| 404 | `not_found` | Unknown endpoint path. |
| 422 | `invalid_params` | Fix the parameters using the table above. Free. |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Wait `Retry-After` seconds, then retry. |
| 502 | `upstream_error` | The source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff. |

See [Errors](https://onekey.dev/docs/errors.md) for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: stable (verified against the live source).