Privacy Policy
Last updated 25 July 2026
The short version. App Store Operator is an open-source MCP server that runs entirely on your own machine. It has no backend, no analytics, and no telemetry. The author collects, receives, and stores nothing. Everything it saves stays in one folder on your computer, and deleting that folder removes all of it.
What this policy covers
This policy applies to the app-store-operator npm package and to any distribution of it — the Claude plugin, the desktop extension bundle, and directory listings that install the same server. It is published by Yusuf Demirci, the sole author and maintainer.
It does not cover Apple or SensorTower, which are independent third parties with their own policies. App Store Operator is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to either company.
Data collection
No personal data is collected by the author. There is no account to create, no API key to issue, no license check, and no server operated by the author that the software talks to. Nothing about your usage — keywords searched, apps analysed, errors encountered, or how often you run it — is reported anywhere.
The software ships no analytics SDK, no crash reporter, and no update pinger.
What each tool touches
The server exposes four read-only tools. Two of them require no account at all. The table below states exactly what leaves your machine for each.
| Tool | Account | What leaves your machine |
|---|---|---|
search_app_store | None | Your keyword and country code go to Apple's public App Store search. |
prepare_iae | None | Nothing. This tool is pure local computation and contacts no external service. |
research_rivals | Free SensorTower account | Your keyword and country code go to Apple, then to SensorTower through a browser window you sign in to yourself. |
get_app_details | Free SensorTower account | The App Store app IDs you supply go to Apple's public lookup API and to SensorTower through that same browser session. |
The SensorTower sign-in
research_rivals and get_app_details need download and revenue estimates, which come from SensorTower. To get them, the server opens a real Chromium browser window on your machine and asks you to sign in to a free SensorTower account. A paid plan is not required.
You type your credentials into SensorTower's own page in that window. The server never reads, intercepts, or stores your password, and the author never receives it. The resulting browser session is saved to a local browser profile so you are not asked to sign in on every call.
Your use of SensorTower is governed by SensorTower's own terms and privacy policy, and your use of App Store data by Apple's.
Where data is stored
Everything the server writes lives under a single directory in your home folder:
~/.app-store-operator/cache.json— cached tool results, keyed by keyword and country, so repeated questions do not re-fetch.~/.app-store-operator/profile— the Chromium browser profile holding your SensorTower session cookies.
Both stay on your machine. Neither is uploaded, synced, or backed up by the software.
Third-party sharing
The author shares no data with anyone, because the author receives none. The software itself contacts exactly two third parties, both of them directly from your machine:
- Apple — public App Store search and lookup endpoints, to resolve keywords and app IDs.
- SensorTower — via the browser window you sign in to, for download and revenue estimates.
No data is sold, rented, or shared for advertising. There are no third-party trackers.
Retention and deletion
Cached results expire after 24 hours by default. You can change that window with the ASO_CACHE_TTL_HOURSenvironment variable. The browser profile persists until you remove it or SensorTower's session expires.
Because you hold all of it, you can delete all of it at any time — no request to the author, and nothing to wait for:
rm -rf ~/.app-store-operatorThat removes the cache and the saved SensorTower session together. Uninstalling the npm package removes the code.
Children
App Store Operator is a developer tool intended for professional use and is not directed at children under 13.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the revised version will be posted at this URL with an updated date above. Material changes will also be noted in the project's CHANGELOG.
Contact
Questions about this policy, or about what the software does with your data:
- Email: me@yusufdemirci.co
- GitHub issues: meyusufdemirci/app-store-operator