Market Research Skill | Agent Skills

Market Research

Conduct market research using Apify Actors to extract data from multiple platforms.

Prerequisites

(No need to check it upfront)

.env file with APIFY_TOKEN
Node.js 20.6+ (for native --env-file support)

Workflow

Copy this checklist and track progress:

Task Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Identify market research type (select Actor)
- [ ] Step 2: Fetch Actor schema
- [ ] Step 3: Ask user preferences (format, filename)
- [ ] Step 4: Run the analysis script
- [ ] Step 5: Summarize findings

Step 1: Identify Market Research Type

Select the appropriate Actor based on research needs:

| User Need | Actor ID | Best For | |-----------|----------|----------| | Market density | compass/crawler-google-places | Location analysis | | Geospatial analysis | compass/google-maps-extractor | Business mapping | | Regional interest | apify/google-trends-scraper | Trend data | | Pricing and demand | apify/facebook-marketplace-scraper | Market pricing | | Event market | apify/facebook-events-scraper | Event analysis | | Consumer needs | apify/facebook-groups-scraper | Group research | | Market landscape | apify/facebook-pages-scraper | Business pages | | Business density | apify/facebook-page-contact-information | Contact data | | Cultural insights | apify/facebook-photos-scraper | Visual research | | Niche targeting | apify/instagram-hashtag-scraper | Hashtag research | | Hashtag stats | apify/instagram-hashtag-stats | Market sizing | | Market activity | apify/instagram-reel-scraper | Activity analysis | | Market intelligence | apify/instagram-scraper | Full data | | Product launch research | apify/instagram-api-scraper | API access | | Hospitality market | voyager/booking-scraper | Hotel data | | Tourism insights | maxcopell/tripadvisor-reviews | Review analysis |

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 Findings

After completion, report:

Number of results found
File location and name
Key market insights
Suggested next steps (deeper analysis, validation)

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

Agent Skills: Market Research

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