Universal Web Scraper
AI-driven data extraction from 55+ Actors across all major platforms. This skill automatically selects the best Actor for your task.
Prerequisites
(No need to check it upfront)
.envfile withAPIFY_TOKEN- Node.js 20.6+ (for native
--env-filesupport)
Workflow
Copy this checklist and track progress:
Task Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Understand user goal and select Actor
- [ ] Step 2: Fetch Actor schema
- [ ] Step 3: Ask user preferences (format, filename)
- [ ] Step 4: Run the scraper script
- [ ] Step 5: Summarize results and offer follow-ups
Step 1: Understand User Goal and Select Actor
First, understand what the user wants to achieve. Then select the best Actor from the options below.
Instagram Actors (12)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| apify/instagram-profile-scraper | Profile data, follower counts, bio info |
| apify/instagram-post-scraper | Individual post details, engagement metrics |
| apify/instagram-comment-scraper | Comment extraction, sentiment analysis |
| apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper | Hashtag content, trending topics |
| apify/instagram-hashtag-stats | Hashtag performance metrics |
| apify/instagram-reel-scraper | Reels content and metrics |
| apify/instagram-search-scraper | Search users, places, hashtags |
| apify/instagram-tagged-scraper | Posts tagged with specific accounts |
| apify/instagram-followers-count-scraper | Follower count tracking |
| apify/instagram-scraper | Comprehensive Instagram data |
| apify/instagram-api-scraper | API-based Instagram access |
| apify/export-instagram-comments-posts | Bulk comment/post export |
Facebook Actors (14)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| apify/facebook-pages-scraper | Page data, metrics, contact info |
| apify/facebook-page-contact-information | Emails, phones, addresses from pages |
| apify/facebook-posts-scraper | Post content and engagement |
| apify/facebook-comments-scraper | Comment extraction |
| apify/facebook-likes-scraper | Reaction analysis |
| apify/facebook-reviews-scraper | Page reviews |
| apify/facebook-groups-scraper | Group content and members |
| apify/facebook-events-scraper | Event data |
| apify/facebook-ads-scraper | Ad creative and targeting |
| apify/facebook-search-scraper | Search results |
| apify/facebook-reels-scraper | Reels content |
| apify/facebook-photos-scraper | Photo extraction |
| apify/facebook-marketplace-scraper | Marketplace listings |
| apify/facebook-followers-following-scraper | Follower/following lists |
TikTok Actors (14)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| clockworks/tiktok-scraper | Comprehensive TikTok data |
| clockworks/free-tiktok-scraper | Free TikTok extraction |
| clockworks/tiktok-profile-scraper | Profile data |
| clockworks/tiktok-video-scraper | Video details and metrics |
| clockworks/tiktok-comments-scraper | Comment extraction |
| clockworks/tiktok-followers-scraper | Follower lists |
| clockworks/tiktok-user-search-scraper | Find users by keywords |
| clockworks/tiktok-hashtag-scraper | Hashtag content |
| clockworks/tiktok-sound-scraper | Trending sounds |
| clockworks/tiktok-ads-scraper | Ad content |
| clockworks/tiktok-discover-scraper | Discover page content |
| clockworks/tiktok-explore-scraper | Explore content |
| clockworks/tiktok-trends-scraper | Trending content |
| clockworks/tiktok-live-scraper | Live stream data |
YouTube Actors (5)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| streamers/youtube-scraper | Video data and metrics |
| streamers/youtube-channel-scraper | Channel information |
| streamers/youtube-comments-scraper | Comment extraction |
| streamers/youtube-shorts-scraper | Shorts content |
| streamers/youtube-video-scraper-by-hashtag | Videos by hashtag |
Google Maps Actors (4)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| compass/crawler-google-places | Business listings, ratings, contact info |
| compass/google-maps-extractor | Detailed business data |
| compass/Google-Maps-Reviews-Scraper | Review extraction |
| poidata/google-maps-email-extractor | Email discovery from listings |
Other Actors (6)
| Actor ID | Best For |
|----------|----------|
| apify/google-search-scraper | Google search results |
| apify/google-trends-scraper | Google Trends data |
| voyager/booking-scraper | Booking.com hotel data |
| voyager/booking-reviews-scraper | Booking.com reviews |
| maxcopell/tripadvisor-reviews | TripAdvisor reviews |
| vdrmota/contact-info-scraper | Contact enrichment from URLs |
Actor Selection by Use Case
| Use Case | Primary Actors |
|----------|---------------|
| Lead Generation | compass/crawler-google-places, poidata/google-maps-email-extractor, vdrmota/contact-info-scraper |
| Influencer Discovery | apify/instagram-profile-scraper, clockworks/tiktok-profile-scraper, streamers/youtube-channel-scraper |
| Brand Monitoring | apify/instagram-tagged-scraper, apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper, compass/Google-Maps-Reviews-Scraper |
| Competitor Analysis | apify/facebook-pages-scraper, apify/facebook-ads-scraper, apify/instagram-profile-scraper |
| Content Analytics | apify/instagram-post-scraper, clockworks/tiktok-scraper, streamers/youtube-scraper |
| Trend Research | apify/google-trends-scraper, clockworks/tiktok-trends-scraper, apify/instagram-hashtag-stats |
| Review Analysis | compass/Google-Maps-Reviews-Scraper, voyager/booking-reviews-scraper, maxcopell/tripadvisor-reviews |
| Audience Analysis | apify/instagram-followers-count-scraper, clockworks/tiktok-followers-scraper, apify/facebook-followers-following-scraper |
Multi-Actor Workflows
For complex tasks, chain multiple Actors:
| Workflow | Step 1 | Step 2 |
|----------|--------|--------|
| Lead enrichment | compass/crawler-google-places → | vdrmota/contact-info-scraper |
| Influencer vetting | apify/instagram-profile-scraper → | apify/instagram-comment-scraper |
| Competitor deep-dive | apify/facebook-pages-scraper → | apify/facebook-posts-scraper |
| Local business analysis | compass/crawler-google-places → | compass/Google-Maps-Reviews-Scraper |
Can't Find a Suitable Actor?
If none of the Actors above match the user's request, search the Apify Store directly:
node ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/search_actors.js --query "SEARCH_KEYWORDS"
Replace SEARCH_KEYWORDS with 1-3 simple terms (e.g., "LinkedIn profiles", "Amazon products", "Twitter").
Step 2: Fetch Actor Schema
Fetch the Actor's input schema and details:
node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/fetch_actor_details.js --actor "ACTOR_ID"
Replace ACTOR_ID with the selected Actor (e.g., compass/crawler-google-places).
This returns:
- Actor info (title, description, URL, categories, stats, rating)
- README summary
- Input schema (required and optional parameters)
Step 3: Ask User Preferences
Skip this step for simple lookups (e.g., "what's Nike's follower count?", "find me 5 coffee shops in Prague") — just use quick answer mode and move to Step 4.
For larger scraping tasks, ask:
- Output format:
- Quick answer - Display top few results in chat (no file saved)
- CSV - Full export with all fields
- JSON - Full export in JSON format
- Number of results: Based on character of use case
Cost safety: Always set a sensible result limit in the Actor input (e.g., maxResults, resultsLimit, maxCrawledPages, or equivalent field from the input schema). Default to 100 results unless the user explicitly asks for more. Warn the user before running large scrapes (1000+ results) as they consume more Apify credits.
Step 4: Run the Script
Quick answer (display in chat, no file):
node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "ACTOR_ID" \
--input 'JSON_INPUT'
CSV:
node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "ACTOR_ID" \
--input 'JSON_INPUT' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.csv \
--format csv
JSON:
node --env-file=.env ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/reference/scripts/run_actor.js \
--actor "ACTOR_ID" \
--input 'JSON_INPUT' \
--output YYYY-MM-DD_OUTPUT_FILE.json \
--format json
Step 5: Summarize Results and Offer Follow-ups
After completion, report:
- Number of results found
- File location and name
- Key fields available
- Suggested follow-up workflows based on results:
| If User Got | Suggest Next |
|-------------|--------------|
| Business listings | Enrich with vdrmota/contact-info-scraper or get reviews |
| Influencer profiles | Analyze engagement with comment scrapers |
| Competitor pages | Deep-dive with post/ad scrapers |
| Trend data | Validate with platform-specific hashtag scrapers |
Error Handling
APIFY_TOKEN not found - Ask user to create .env with APIFY_TOKEN=your_token
Actor not found - Check Actor ID spelling
Run FAILED - Ask user to check Apify console link in error output
Timeout - Reduce input size or increase --timeout