---
name: apify
description: Scrape TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, X, Google and thousands of other sites with Apify's ready-made scrapers (Actors). Use when the user wants trending posts, a competitor's content, comments, search results or any public web data in bulk. Needs APIFY_API_KEY.
---

# Apify

Key: `APIFY_API_KEY`. Get one at https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations

## Run a scraper and get the results in one call

```bash
curl -s -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/clockworks~tiktok-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?timeout=120" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"hashtags":["streetfood"],"resultsPerPage":20}'
```

The reply is a JSON array, one item per result. In the URL, an Actor id's `/` becomes `~`.

## Good Actors to start with

- `clockworks/tiktok-scraper`: TikTok posts by hashtag, profile or search (`hashtags`, `profiles`, `searchQueries`).
- `apify/instagram-scraper`: Instagram posts, profiles and hashtags.
- `apify/google-search-scraper`: Google results (`{"queries":"best espresso grinder","maxPagesPerQuery":1}`).
- `streamers/youtube-scraper`: YouTube videos and channels.

Each Actor's page on https://apify.com/store lists its input fields. Read it before the first run.

## Long runs

The one-call form stops at 300 seconds. For bigger jobs, start a run and poll it:

```bash
curl -s -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/clockworks~tiktok-scraper/runs" -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_API_KEY" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{...}'
curl -s "https://api.apify.com/v2/actor-runs/$RUN_ID?waitForFinish=60" -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_API_KEY"
curl -s "https://api.apify.com/v2/datasets/$DATASET_ID/items?clean=true&format=json" -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_API_KEY"
```

Most Actors charge per result. Ask for a small number first.