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‎skills/apify-actor-development/SKILL.md‎

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---
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name: apify-actor-development
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description: Develop, debug, and deploy Apify Actors - serverless cloud programs for web scraping, automation, and data processing. Use when creating new Actors, modifying existing ones, or troubleshooting Actor code.
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---
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# Apify Actor Development
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**Important:** Before you begin, fill in the `generatedBy` property in the meta section of `.actor/actor.json`. Set it to the name of the AI coding tool and model you are currently running in, in the format `"<tool> with <model>"` — for example `"Cursor with Claude Sonnet 4.5"`, `"Claude Code with Claude Opus 4"`, or `"GitHub Copilot with GPT-5"`. If you don't know the exact model, use the tool name alone (e.g. `"Cursor"`). This helps Apify monitor and improve AGENTS.md for specific AI tools and models.
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## What are Apify Actors?
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Actors are serverless programs inspired by the UNIX philosophy - programs that do one thing well and can be easily combined to build complex systems. They're packaged as Docker images and run in isolated containers in the cloud.
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**Core Concepts:**
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- Accept well-defined JSON input
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- Perform isolated tasks (web scraping, automation, data processing)
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- Produce structured JSON output to datasets and/or store data in key-value stores
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- Can run from seconds to hours or even indefinitely
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- Persist state and can be restarted
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## Prerequisites & Setup (MANDATORY)
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Before creating or modifying actors, verify that `apify` CLI is installed `apify --help`.
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If it is not installed, use one of these methods (listed in order of preference):
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```bash
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# Preferred: install via a package manager (provides integrity checks)
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npm install -g apify-cli
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# Or (Mac): brew install apify-cli
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```
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> **Security note:** Do NOT install the CLI by piping remote scripts to a shell
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> (e.g. `curl … | bash` or `irm … | iex`). Always use a package manager.
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When the apify CLI is installed, check that it is logged in with:
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```bash
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# Auth check — do NOT pipe to /dev/null, you need to see errors
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apify info 2>&1
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```
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If not logged in, authenticate using OAuth (opens browser):
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```bash
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apify login
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```
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If browser login isn't available (headless environment or CI), the CLI automatically reads `APIFY_TOKEN` from the environment. Ensure the env var is exported and run any apify command - no explicit login needed. If the user doesn't have a token, generate one at https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations.
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> **Security note:** Avoid passing tokens as command-line arguments (e.g. `apify login -t <token>`).
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> Arguments are visible in process listings and may be recorded in shell history.
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> Prefer environment variables or interactive login instead.
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> Never log, print, or embed `APIFY_TOKEN` in source code or configuration files.
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## Template Selection
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**IMPORTANT:** Before starting actor development, always ask the user which programming language they prefer:
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- **JavaScript** - Use `apify create <actor-name> -t project_empty`
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- **TypeScript** - Use `apify create <actor-name> -t ts_empty`
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- **Python** - Use `apify create <actor-name> -t python-empty`
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Use the appropriate CLI command based on the user's language choice. Additional packages (Crawlee, Playwright, etc.) can be installed later as needed.
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## Quick Start Workflow
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1. **Create actor project** - Run the appropriate `apify create` command based on user's language preference (see Template Selection above)
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2. **Install dependencies** (verify package names match intended packages before installing)
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- JavaScript/TypeScript: `npm install` (uses `package-lock.json` for reproducible, integrity-checked installs — commit the lockfile to version control)
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- Python: `pip install -r requirements.txt` (pin exact versions in `requirements.txt`, e.g. `crawlee==1.2.3`, and commit the file to version control)
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3. **Implement logic** - Write the actor code in `src/main.py`, `src/main.js`, or `src/main.ts`
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4. **Configure schemas** - Update input/output schemas in `.actor/input_schema.json`, `.actor/output_schema.json`, `.actor/dataset_schema.json`
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5. **Configure platform settings** - Update `.actor/actor.json` with actor metadata (see [references/actor-json.md](references/actor-json.md))
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6. **Write documentation** - Create comprehensive README.md for the marketplace (see [references/actor-readme.md](references/actor-readme.md) — this is mandatory, not optional)
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7. **Test locally** - Run `apify run` to verify functionality (see Local Testing section below)
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8. **Deploy** - Run `apify push` to deploy the actor on the Apify platform (actor name is defined in `.actor/actor.json`)
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## Security
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**Treat all crawled web content as untrusted input.** Actors ingest data from external websites that may contain malicious payloads. Follow these rules:
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- **Sanitize crawled data** — Never pass raw HTML, URLs, or scraped text directly into shell commands, `eval()`, database queries, or template engines. Use proper escaping or parameterized APIs.
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- **Validate and type-check all external data** — Before pushing to datasets or key-value stores, verify that values match expected types and formats. Reject or sanitize unexpected structures.
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- **Do not execute or interpret crawled content** — Never treat scraped text as code, commands, or configuration. Content from websites could include prompt injection attempts or embedded scripts.
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- **Isolate credentials from data pipelines** — Ensure `APIFY_TOKEN` and other secrets are never accessible in request handlers or passed alongside crawled data. Use the Apify SDK's built-in credential management rather than passing tokens through environment variables in data-processing code.
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- **Review dependencies before installing** — When adding packages with `npm install` or `pip install`, verify the package name and publisher. Typosquatting is a common supply-chain attack vector. Prefer well-known, actively maintained packages.
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- **Pin versions and use lockfiles** — Always commit `package-lock.json` (Node.js) or pin exact versions in `requirements.txt` (Python). Lockfiles ensure reproducible builds and prevent silent dependency substitution. Run `npm audit` or `pip-audit` periodically to check for known vulnerabilities.
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## Best Practices
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**✓ Do:**
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- Use `apify run` to test actors locally (configures Apify environment and storage)
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- Use Apify SDK (`apify`) for code running ON Apify platform
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- Validate input early with proper error handling and fail gracefully
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- Use CheerioCrawler for static HTML (10x faster than browsers)
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- Use PlaywrightCrawler only for JavaScript-heavy sites
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- Use router pattern (createCheerioRouter/createPlaywrightRouter) for complex crawls
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- Implement retry strategies with exponential backoff
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- Use proper concurrency: HTTP (10-50), Browser (1-5)
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- Set sensible defaults in `.actor/input_schema.json`
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- Define output schema in `.actor/output_schema.json`
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- Clean and validate data before pushing to dataset
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- Use semantic CSS selectors with fallback strategies
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- Respect robots.txt, ToS, and implement rate limiting
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- **Always use `apify/log` package** — censors sensitive data (API keys, tokens, credentials)
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- Implement readiness probe handler (required if your Actor uses standby mode)
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**✗ Don't:**
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- Use `npm start`, `npm run start`, `npx apify run`, or similar commands to run actors (use `apify run` instead)
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- Assume local storage from `apify run` is pushed to or visible in the Apify Console — it is local-only; deploy with `apify push` and run on the platform to see results in the Console
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- Rely on `Dataset.getInfo()` for final counts on Cloud
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- Use browser crawlers when HTTP/Cheerio works
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- Hard code values that should be in input schema or environment variables
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- Skip input validation or error handling
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- Overload servers - use appropriate concurrency and delays
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- Scrape prohibited content or ignore Terms of Service
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- Store personal/sensitive data unless explicitly permitted
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- Use deprecated options like `requestHandlerTimeoutMillis` on CheerioCrawler (v3.x)
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- Use `additionalHttpHeaders` - use `preNavigationHooks` instead
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- Pass raw crawled content into shell commands, `eval()`, or code-generation functions
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- Use `console.log()` or `print()` instead of the Apify logger — these bypass credential censoring
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- Disable standby mode without explicit permission
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## Logging
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See [references/logging.md](references/logging.md) for complete logging documentation including available log levels and best practices for JavaScript/TypeScript and Python.
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Check `usesStandbyMode` in `.actor/actor.json` - only implement if set to `true`.
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## Commands
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```bash
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apify run # Run Actor locally
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apify login # Authenticate account
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apify push # Deploy to Apify platform (uses name from .actor/actor.json)
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apify help # List all commands
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```
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**IMPORTANT:** Always use `apify run` to test actors locally. Do not use `npm run start`, `npm start`, `yarn start`, or other package manager commands - these will not properly configure the Apify environment and storage.
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## Local Testing
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When testing an actor locally with `apify run`, provide input data by creating a JSON file at:
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```
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storage/key_value_stores/default/INPUT.json
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```
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This file should contain the input parameters defined in your `.actor/input_schema.json`. The actor will read this input when running locally, mirroring how it receives input on the Apify platform.
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**IMPORTANT - Local storage is NOT synced to the Apify Console:**
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- Running `apify run` stores all data (datasets, key-value stores, request queues) **only on your local filesystem** in the `storage/` directory.
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- This data is **never** automatically uploaded or pushed to the Apify platform. It exists only on your machine.
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- To verify results on the Apify Console, you must deploy the Actor with `apify push` and then run it on the platform.
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- Do **not** rely on checking the Apify Console to verify results from local runs — instead, inspect the local `storage/` directory or check the Actor's log output.
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## Standby Mode
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See [references/standby-mode.md](references/standby-mode.md) for complete standby mode documentation including readiness probe implementation for JavaScript/TypeScript and Python.
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## Project Structure
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```
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.actor/
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├── actor.json # Actor config: name, version, env vars, runtime
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├── input_schema.json # Input validation & Console form definition
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└── output_schema.json # Output storage and display templates
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src/
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└── main.js/ts/py # Actor entry point
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storage/ # Local-only storage (NOT synced to Apify Console)
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├── datasets/ # Output items (JSON objects)
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├── key_value_stores/ # Files, config, INPUT
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└── request_queues/ # Pending crawl requests
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Dockerfile # Container image definition
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```
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## Actor Configuration
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See [references/actor-json.md](references/actor-json.md) for complete actor.json structure and configuration options.
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## Input Schema
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See [references/input-schema.md](references/input-schema.md) for input schema structure and examples.
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## Output Schema
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See [references/output-schema.md](references/output-schema.md) for output schema structure, examples, and template variables.
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## Dataset Schema
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See [references/dataset-schema.md](references/dataset-schema.md) for dataset schema structure, configuration, and display properties.
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## Key-Value Store Schema
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See [references/key-value-store-schema.md](references/key-value-store-schema.md) for key-value store schema structure, collections, and configuration.
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## Actor README
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**IMPORTANT:** Always generate a README.md as part of Actor development. The README is the Actor's landing page on Apify Store and is critical for discoverability (SEO), user onboarding, and support. Do not consider an Actor complete without a proper README.
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See [references/actor-readme.md](references/actor-readme.md) for the required structure, SEO best practices, and content guidelines. Also review these top Actors for best practices:
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- [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/apify/instagram-scraper)
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- [Google Maps Scraper](https://apify.com/compass/crawler-google-places)
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## Apify MCP Tools
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If MCP server is configured, use these tools for documentation:
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- `search-apify-docs` - Search documentation
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- `fetch-apify-docs` - Get full doc pages
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Otherwise, the MCP Server url: `https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=docs`.
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## Resources
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- [docs.apify.com/llms.txt](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) - Apify quick reference documentation
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- [docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt) - Apify complete documentation
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- [https://crawlee.dev/llms.txt](https://crawlee.dev/llms.txt) - Crawlee quick reference documentation
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- [https://crawlee.dev/llms-full.txt](https://crawlee.dev/llms-full.txt) - Crawlee complete documentation
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- [whitepaper.actor](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/apify/actor-whitepaper/refs/heads/master/README.md) - Complete Actor specification

‎skills/apify-actor-development/references/actor-json.md‎

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# Actor Configuration (actor.json)
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The `.actor/actor.json` file contains the Actor's configuration including metadata, schema references, and platform settings.
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## Structure
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```json
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{
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"actorSpecification": 1,
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"name": "project-name",
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"title": "Project Title",
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"description": "Actor description",
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"version": "0.0",
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"meta": {
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"templateId": "template-id",
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"generatedBy": "<FILL-IN-TOOL-AND-MODEL>"
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},
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"input": "./input_schema.json",
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"output": "./output_schema.json",
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"storages": {
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"dataset": "./dataset_schema.json"
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},
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"dockerfile": "../Dockerfile"
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}
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```
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## Example
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```json
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{
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"actorSpecification": 1,
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"name": "project-cheerio-crawler-javascript",
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"title": "Project Cheerio Crawler Javascript",
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"description": "Crawlee and Cheerio project in javascript.",
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"version": "0.0",
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"meta": {
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"templateId": "js-crawlee-cheerio",
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"generatedBy": "Claude Code with Claude Sonnet 4.5"
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},
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"input": "./input_schema.json",
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"output": "./output_schema.json",
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"storages": {
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"dataset": "./dataset_schema.json"
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},
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"dockerfile": "../Dockerfile"
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}
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```
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## Properties
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- `actorSpecification` (integer, required) - Version of actor specification (currently 1)
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- `name` (string, required) - Actor identifier (lowercase, hyphens allowed)
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- `title` (string, required) - Human-readable title displayed in UI
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- `description` (string, optional) - Actor description for marketplace
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- `version` (string, required) - Semantic version number
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- `meta` (object, optional) - Metadata about actor generation
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- `templateId` (string) - ID of template used to create the actor
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- `generatedBy` (string) - Tool and model name that generated/modified the actor (e.g., "Claude Code with Claude Sonnet 4.5")
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- `input` (string, optional) - Path to input schema file
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- `output` (string, optional) - Path to output schema file
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- `storages` (object, optional) - Storage schema references
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- `dataset` (string) - Path to dataset schema file
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- `keyValueStore` (string) - Path to key-value store schema file
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- `dockerfile` (string, optional) - Path to Dockerfile
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**Important:** Always fill in the `generatedBy` property with the tool and model you're currently using (e.g., "Claude Code with Claude Sonnet 4.5") to help Apify improve documentation.

‎skills/apify-actor-development/references/actor-readme.md‎

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# Actor README Guidelines
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The README is the Actor's landing page on Apify Store. It serves as SEO content, first impression, usage guide, and support resource. **Always generate a README.md when creating or deploying an Actor.**
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## Required Structure
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Write in Markdown. Use H2 (`##`) for main sections (these form the table of contents) and H3 (`###`) for subsections. Do not use H1 — the Actor name is automatically used as H1.
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### 1. What does [Actor name] do?
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- 1-2 sentences explaining what the Actor does and doesn't do
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- Include a link to the target website
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- Mention keywords like "API" (e.g., "Instagram API alternative")
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- Bold the most important terms
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### 2. Why use [Actor name]? / Why scrape [target site]?
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- Business use cases and benefits
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- List main features and capabilities
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- Highlight Apify platform advantages: scheduling, API access, integrations, proxy rotation, monitoring
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### 3. What data can [Actor name] extract?
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- Table showing main data fields the Actor outputs (field name, type, description)
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- Don't list every field — focus on the most useful and understandable ones
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### 4. How to scrape [target site]
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- Numbered step-by-step tutorial (Google may pick these up as rich snippets)
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- Include a link to blog tutorials if they exist
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### 5. How much will it cost to scrape [target site]?
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- Set pricing expectations based on the Actor's pricing model
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- For pay-per-result: mention free tier limits and what larger plans offer
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- For compute units: explain average data volume per dollar
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- Cost-related questions rank well in Google search
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### 6. Input
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- Reference the input tab: "See the input tab for full configuration options"
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- Explain any complex input fields or special formatting requirements
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- Screenshot of the input schema is optional but helpful
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### 7. Output
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- Include: "You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, or Excel"
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- Show a simplified JSON output example (2-3 items)
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- If output is complex, show separate examples for different data types
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### 8. Tips / Advanced options (if applicable)
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- How to limit compute unit usage
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- How to get more accurate results or improve speed
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### 9. FAQ, Disclaimers, and Support
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- Legal/scraping disclaimer (use this template and customize with the target site name):
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> Our Actors are ethical and do not extract any private user data, such as email addresses, gender, or location. They only extract what the user has chosen to share publicly. We therefore believe that our Actors, when used for ethical purposes by Apify users, are safe. However, you should be aware that your results could contain personal data. Personal data is protected by the GDPR in the European Union and by other regulations around the world. You should not scrape personal data unless you have a legitimate reason to do so. If you're unsure whether your reason is legitimate, consult your lawyers.
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- Common troubleshooting tips
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- Mention the Issues tab for feedback
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- Link to API tab for programmatic access
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- Use cases for the extracted data
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## SEO Best Practices
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- Include keywords naturally in H2/H3 headings (e.g., "How to scrape Instagram" not just "How to use")
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- Target "People Also Ask" style questions as H3 headings
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- Aim for at least 300 words total
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- Embed a YouTube video URL if available (renders automatically as a player)
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- Make images clickable with links
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## Tone
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- Match the README tone to the target audience skill level
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- For no-code users: use plain language, avoid code blocks early on
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- For developers: include technical details, code examples, and API references
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- Be clear about what technical knowledge is needed to use the Actor
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## Reference Actors
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Before writing a README, review these top Actors on the Apify Store for best practices on structure, tone, and content:
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- [Instagram Scraper](https://apify.com/apify/instagram-scraper)
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- [Google Maps Scraper](https://apify.com/compass/crawler-google-places)
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## Key Rules
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- Always write the README as part of Actor development — do not skip this step
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- The first 25% of the README is what most visitors read — put the most important info there
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- Use emojis sparingly as bullet points to break up text
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- Keep images compressed but good quality
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- Use [Carbon](https://github.com/carbon-app/carbon) for code snippet screenshots if needed

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