# App Store MCP server: two kinds, and which one you need

URL: https://storelift.net/guide/app-store-mcp-server/
Language: en
Updated: 2026-09-23

“App Store MCP server” covers two different things. An App Store Connect MCP server works on your developer account through Apple's API: your apps' metadata, builds, releases and reports. A public-store ASO MCP server reads what the store shows everyone: search results and ranks, the apps above you, charts, reviews and listing pages. Storelift's MCP server is the second kind, for the App Store and Google Play. It asks for no App Store Connect or Play Console credentials and cannot change your listing.

## Two kinds of App Store MCP server

Both are MCP servers — tools an assistant such as Claude can call — and both mention the App Store. They answer different questions because they read different data.

|  | App Store Connect MCP | Public-store ASO MCP |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reads | Your developer account, through the App Store Connect API | The public App Store (and, for some servers, Google Play) |
| Needs | An App Store Connect API key or a sign-in with access to your team | No store credentials; the store's public pages |
| Covers | Only apps in your account | Any app the store shows, including rivals |
| Answers | Questions about your own apps' metadata, builds and releases, and the reports the API exposes | Where you rank, who ranks above you, what changed on a listing, what reviewers say, where you sit in the charts |
| Can change data | Depends on the server; some edit metadata or manage releases | Usually read-only |

The same split exists for Google Play: a Play Console integration works on your developer account, while a public-store server reads the Play search results and listing pages.

## Which kind Storelift's MCP server is

A public-store ASO MCP server. Its 8 tools read what Storelift measures each night on the public App Store and Google Play for the apps you track: keyword ranks per storefront, the apps above you, rank history, your store page and its dated changes, reviews, App Store charts, and whether AI assistants name your app.

- It needs a Storelift API key or OAuth sign-in (Pro or Studio plan), not an App Store Connect key.
- It is read-only. No tool changes a listing, a keyword or a setting.
- It has no App Store Connect, Play Console or Apple Ads tools, so it does not return impressions, conversion rates, downloads, revenue or ad data.
- It does not return the iOS keyword field of any app, because Apple does not publish it.

The full tool list and setup are on the ASO MCP server guide.

## Play Store MCP server: what Storelift covers on Google Play

Four of the tools take a platform or return Google Play data alongside the App Store:

- get_keywords and get_rivals with platform: "android" — ranks in Google Play search and the apps above you there.
- get_store_page — the Play page: install count, rating histogram, ad and in-app purchase flags.
- get_reviews — recent Google Play reviews next to the App Store feed.

Charts are App Store only. Google Play publishes no chart list, so the server returns none rather than a number it would have to invent. Search demand per term is an App Store signal and is not reported for Play. More on how Play ranks are read: Google Play rank tracking.

## Which one you need

Sort by the question you want answered:

| Question | Kind of server |
| --- | --- |
| Why did my rank for a keyword drop this week? | Public-store ASO |
| Which apps rank above me, and on which terms? | Public-store ASO |
| What are reviewers complaining about since the last release? | Either; public-store servers read the public review feed |
| Update the subtitle for the next version | App Store Connect |
| How many impressions and downloads did the listing get? | App Store Connect (or Play Console) |
| Is my app mentioned when people ask assistants about my category? | Public-store ASO, if it measures AI answers |

They are not exclusive. An MCP client such as Claude Code or Claude Desktop can connect several servers at once, and the assistant calls whichever one holds the answer.

## Connecting Storelift's server

In Claude Code, add the hosted endpoint and sign in with /mcp:

claude mcp add --transport http storelift https://storelift.net/mcp

In Claude.ai, add https://storelift.net/mcp as a custom connector. Claude Desktop and other clients can run the npm package storelift-mcp with an API key; the config is on the MCP server guide. To turn the tools into a full review of one app, use the free ASO audit skill.

## FAQ

Q: What is an App Store MCP server?
A: An MCP server that gives an AI assistant tools for App Store data. Some work on your App Store Connect account; others read the public store — ranks, rivals, charts, reviews and listing pages.

Q: Is Storelift an App Store Connect MCP server?
A: No. It reads the public App Store and Google Play and needs no App Store Connect credentials. It cannot read your App Store Connect analytics or change your metadata.

Q: Is there a Play Store MCP server in Storelift?
A: The same server covers Google Play: keyword ranks, the apps above you, the Play page and reviews. Charts are App Store only, because Google Play publishes no chart list.

Q: Does Storelift's MCP server have Apple Search Ads tools?
A: No. It has no Apple Ads tools and returns no ad data.

Q: Can I use an App Store Connect MCP and Storelift together?
A: Yes. MCP clients such as Claude Code and Claude Desktop connect several servers at once; the assistant picks the one that holds the data for each question.