BizBuySell Scraper: Business-for-Sale & Franchise Listings

BizBuySell Scraper turns BizBuySell into structured deal data. Pull business-for-sale and franchise listings with financials, the full description, photos, and the listing broker's name and phone number where the listing shows them. Run it by filters (industry category, location, listing type, asking price, cash flow, gross revenue, keyword, sort) or by pasting BizBuySell search, category, or listing URLs. Every result is a flat JSON record with 30+ fields, ready to drop into a CRM, a deal pipeline, or a spreadsheet, and to export as JSON, CSV, or Excel, or read through the API.

Why This Scraper?

• 30+ fields per listing, including the broker contact block (name, phone, brokerage, license where shown), which most quick scrapes skip.
• Full financials: asking price, cash flow (SDE), gross revenue, EBITDA, inventory, FF&E, real estate (and whether it is included in the asking price), established year, and employees, plus everything else the listing discloses, kept verbatim in a detailsRaw map.
• Deal-context narrative fields where the listing includes them: facilities, growth and expansion notes, competition, reason for selling, and support and training terms.
• Two ways in: a filter search (category, location, listing type, price, cash flow, gross revenue, keyword, sort) or paste any BizBuySell search, category, or listing URL directly.
• Auto-pagination and dedup, plus a fast lean mode that skips detail pages when you only need the search-card fields.
• Built for schedules. Incremental mode returns only new and changed listings on recurring runs, and Resume continues one interrupted run without paying twice for listings you already have.

Use Cases

• Business brokers and M&A advisors: pull comparable active listings by category and region to price a new engagement.
• Buyers and searchers: build a filtered watchlist by industry, price range, and cash flow, and monitor it on a schedule for new matches.
• Franchise buyers: track franchise-for-sale listings alongside their broker contact details.
• Deal sourcing for search funds and small PE: build an acquisition target list with financials attached, ready for a CRM or a spreadsheet.
• Lead generation teams: collect broker names, phone numbers, and brokerages tied to active listings in a given market.

Data You Get

Sample shape: values are illustrative placeholders, not from a live listing.

Field	Example
id	"0000000"
url	"https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/sample-business/0000000/"
title	"Established Sample Business"
category	"Sample Category > Subcategory"
listingType	"established"
city / state	"Sample City" / "FL"
askingPrice	250000
priceReduced	false
cashFlow	95000
grossRevenue	480000
ebitda	null
inventory / ffe	20000 / 35000
realEstate / realEstateIncluded	"Leased" / false
establishedYear / employees	2018 / "4 FT"
reasonForSelling	"Retirement"
franchise	"No"
fullDescription	full listing text (when fetchDetails is on)
brokerName / brokerPhone / brokerageName	"Jane Doe" / "+15550000000" / "Sample Brokerage"
datePosted	"January 1, 2026"
isVerified	true
detailsRaw	every disclosed fact, verbatim, keyed by field name
sourceUrl	the search or listing URL that produced this record

Broker name and phone are present only on listings that BizBuySell itself shows them on (broker-listed businesses). Listings posted directly by owners route contact through a form and expose neither. In incremental mode, records also carry changeType, changedFields, firstSeenAt, and lastSeenAt.

Extra listing attributes.

Each listing also carries location, stateCode, categoryFinal, fetchedAt, and these flags and codes read straight from the search page: recentlyAdded and recentlyUpdated (true/false, BizBuySell's own "recently added / updated" badges) and leaseRateDuration (BizBuySell's numeric lease-rate code, not decoded). auctionStartDate and auctionEndDate are filled only for auction listings and are null otherwise. BizBuySell's search results and listing pages carry no listed, last-updated or lease-expiration date and no full category path (checked live, October 2026), so those are not offered; datePosted is filled when a listing page shows one. fetchedAt is ignored by incremental change detection. These fields cost nothing extra.

Dataset views. The Console dataset has three views: Listings (overview, includes detailsRaw), Detail & broker (financials, description, broker block) and Changes (changeType, changedFields for incremental runs).

How to Use

1. Pick a mode: search (filter fields) or url (paste BizBuySell links).
2. In search mode, fill in keyword, category, location, listing type, price, and cash flow filters as needed. In URL mode, paste one or more search, category, or listing URLs.
3. Turn Fetch full listing details on for financials, full description, photos, and broker contact, or leave it off for a fast, lean run.
4. Set Max listings (and, optionally, Max search pages) to bound the run, then click Start. Download the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel, or read it through the API.

Basic filter search:

{ "mode": "search", "maxPages": 3, "maxListings": 100 }

Filtered search with financials (the cash flow filter reads the detail page, so fetchDetails is on):

{ "mode": "search", "keyword": "coffee shop", "location": "California", "minAskingPrice": 100000, "maxAskingPrice": 500000, "minCashFlow": 80000, "fetchDetails": true, "maxPages": 5 }

Category and location, cheapest first, lean run:

{ "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants-and-food", "location": "Florida", "sortBy": "price-asc", "maxPages": 3, "fetchDetails": false }

Paste URLs (search page and a specific listing):

{ "mode": "url", "urls": ["https://www.bizbuysell.com/businesses-for-sale/", "https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/sample-business/0000000/"], "maxPages": 2 }

URL mode: supported URL shapes

Behaviour change: in URL mode, leaving urls untouched now scrapes one example of each supported list-page shape in the table below (the 8 URLs in the default; the single-listing example appears only in the prefilled example input, and broker-directory URLs are not supported) (previously nothing was scraped without a URL). Pass your own list, or [], to override. Query filters such as ?q= and ?showAssetSale=true are kept on every page (earlier versions dropped them after page 1). Page paths always end in a slash.

Shape	Example
Nationwide listing	https://www.bizbuysell.com/businesses-for-sale/
Paginated (starts at page N)	https://www.bizbuysell.com/florida-businesses-for-sale/2/
Category	https://www.bizbuysell.com/restaurants-and-food-businesses-for-sale/
Location + category	https://www.bizbuysell.com/florida/restaurants-and-food-businesses-for-sale/
Keyword search	https://www.bizbuysell.com/businesses-for-sale/?q=Y29mZmVl
Asset-sale filter	https://www.bizbuysell.com/businesses-for-sale/?showAssetSale=true
Franchise index / sub-category	https://www.bizbuysell.com/franchise-for-sale/low-cost-franchise/
Single listing	https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/<slug>/<id>/ (often refused to automated requests; a warning is logged and no record is produced)
Broker directory	https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-brokers/ (not supported: skipped with a warning)

Run it from your code

Python:

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("abotapi/bizbuysell-scraper").call(
    run_input={"mode": "search", "category": "restaurants-and-food", "maxListings": 50})
for listing in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(listing["title"], listing["askingPrice"])

JavaScript:

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>' });
const run = await client.actor('abotapi/bizbuysell-scraper').call({
  mode: 'search', category: 'restaurants-and-food', maxListings: 50,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();

Or connect it to Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, or webhooks from the Integrations tab.

Resume and recurring updates

Two different things:

• Resume from a previous run (resumeFromRunId) continues one specific interrupted run: paste its run or dataset ID and the actor skips listings already collected there, so you do not pay twice.
• Incremental mode (incrementalMode) is for daily or recurring monitoring of the same search. Each listing is classified NEW, UPDATED (with changedFields), UNCHANGED (suppressed and not billed unless emitUnchanged is on), REAPPEARED, or EXPIRED (only after a run that scanned the whole tracked search, and only with emitExpired). State is tracked separately per mode, keyword, category, location, filter (including the max cash flow and max gross revenue filters when set), and fetchDetails setup unless you set a State key; in URL mode it is tracked per URL list. Any returned field changing makes a listing UPDATED, except the priceReduced flag, the recentlyAdded and recentlyUpdated badges (the recently-added / recently-updated badges), the imageUrl thumbnail, the fetchedAt timestamp and the order of images (the site can clear or reshuffle these without the listing changing; a real price change is still caught through askingPrice). Add more with ignoreFieldsForChanges (top-level field names or dotted paths such as detailsRaw.Employees); ignored fields are still returned in the output, and stored baselines are re-compared with the current ignore set so changing it never causes a one-time wave of UPDATED rows. Newly added fields (location, stateCode, categoryFinal, auctionStartDate, auctionEndDate, leaseRateDuration) start being compared only once a baseline has stored them, so the first run after an upgrade does not mark every tracked listing UPDATED.

Send results into your apps (MCP connectors)

Optionally pipe the scraped results into the apps you already use, via Model Context Protocol (MCP) connectors. This is an extra delivery step after the scrape: the Apify dataset is never changed.

What gets written to the connector: a condensed, human-readable summary of each record, not the full JSON. Each item becomes one entry with a title and its key fields flattened to plain text. The complete record always stays in the Apify dataset.

1. Authorize a connector once under Apify → Settings → Integrations (Notion, Linear, Airtable, or Apify).
2. Select it in the "Pipe results into your apps" input field. (If the picker is empty, you have not authorized a connector yet.)
3. For Notion, also set notionParentPageUrl to the page where items should be created.

The connection is mediated by Apify's MCP proxy, so this actor never sees your third-party credentials. Leave the field empty to skip.

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
mode	string	search	search uses the filter fields below; url fetches the URLs you paste.
keyword	string	(none)	Free-text keyword, e.g. "coffee shop". Leave blank to browse all listings.
category	string	(none)	BizBuySell industry category slug, e.g. "restaurants-and-food". Leave blank for all categories.
location	string	(none)	US state or region, e.g. "Florida". For one specific city, paste that city's BizBuySell URL in URL mode instead. Leave blank for nationwide.
listingType	string	all	all, established, or asset-sale. Applies in search mode only, matched against each listing's own type; not applied in URL mode. Also forms part of the automatically derived incremental state key.
minAskingPrice	integer	(none)	Only return listings with an asking price at or above this amount.
maxAskingPrice	integer	(none)	Only return listings with an asking price at or below this amount.
minCashFlow	integer	(none)	Only return listings whose cash flow (SDE) is at or above this amount. Cash flow lives on the detail page, so enable fetchDetails for this filter to apply.
minGrossRevenue	integer	(none)	Only return listings whose annual gross revenue is at or above this amount. Also on the detail page, so enable fetchDetails for this filter to apply.
maxCashFlow	integer	(none)	Only return listings whose annual cash flow is at or below this amount. Applied after parsing; a listing with an unknown value is kept.
maxGrossRevenue	integer	(none)	Only return listings whose annual gross revenue is at or below this amount. Applied after parsing; a listing with an unknown value is kept.
startUrls	array	(none)	Alias of urls for users migrating from other BizBuySell scrapers. When it holds at least one URL it wins over urls (which always carries its example list on the platform) and the run switches to URL mode.
results_wanted	integer	(none)	Alias of maxListings. When set it wins over maxListings.
max_pages	integer	(none)	Alias of maxPages. When set it wins over maxPages.
proxyConfiguration	object	(none)	Alias of proxy. When set it wins over proxy.
sortBy	string	default	default (best match), price-asc, price-desc, newest, or cashflow-desc.
urls	array	8 example URLs (one per supported shape; see URL shapes below)	One or more BizBuySell search, category, keyword, asset-sale, franchise, or listing URLs (URL mode). Filter fields are ignored. Pagination starts at the page in the URL and walks forward; query filters such as ?q= and ?showAssetSale=true are kept on every page.
fetchDetails	boolean	false	Open each listing page for financials, full description, photos, and broker contact. Adds one request per listing. Leave off for a fast, lean run with just the search-card fields.
maxPages	integer	0	Result pages to walk per search or per URL. 0 means no page limit: the walk runs until BizBuySell stops returning new results, or until maxListings is reached.
maxListings	integer	20	Stop after this many listings total (0 = the maximum, 100000). This is the main bound on run size and cost; a run never exceeds 100000 listings or 1000 result pages per search or URL.
proxy	object	Apify Residential proxy, country US	Connection settings. Residential US is recommended; see Plan Requirement. A custom proxy URL is used as-is with no backup connection.
mcpConnectors	array	(none)	Optional: send a summary of each listing to apps you authorized under Integrations.
notionParentPageUrl	string	(none)	Notion connector only: page under which listing pages are created.
maxNotifyListings	integer	50	Cap on items written to each connector per run. Does not affect the dataset.
resumeFromRunId	string	(none)	Paste a previous run ID or dataset ID to continue one specific interrupted pull without re-scraping listings already collected there.
incrementalMode	boolean	false	Turn on for daily or recurring monitoring of the same search. See "Resume and recurring updates" above.
stateKey	string	(none)	Name an incremental-mode monitoring campaign, or leave empty to derive one automatically from the search and filter setup.
emitUnchanged	boolean	false	Incremental mode only: also return (and bill) listings classified UNCHANGED.
emitExpired	boolean	false	Incremental mode only: also return (and bill) listings classified EXPIRED, produced only after a run that fully scanned the tracked search.
ignoreFieldsForChanges	array	[]	Incremental mode only: field names (or dotted paths like detailsRaw.Employees) that never make a listing UPDATED. Still returned in the output.

Output Example

Sample shape: values are illustrative placeholders, not from a live listing.

{
  "id": "0000000",
  "url": "https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-opportunity/sample-business/0000000/",
  "title": "Established Sample Business",
  "category": "Sample Category > Subcategory",
  "listingType": "established",
  "city": "Sample City",
  "state": "FL",
  "shortDescription": "Short teaser from the search card.",
  "fullDescription": "Full listing description text appears here when fetchDetails is on.",
  "askingPrice": 250000,
  "cashFlow": 95000,
  "grossRevenue": 480000,
  "ebitda": null,
  "inventory": 20000,
  "ffe": 35000,
  "realEstate": "Leased",
  "establishedYear": 2018,
  "employees": "4 FT",
  "reasonForSelling": "Retirement",
  "supportTraining": "2 weeks included",
  "financingAvailable": "Yes",
  "relocatable": "No",
  "homeBased": "No",
  "franchise": "No",
  "leaseInfo": "$3,500.00",
  "facilities": "Home based. Equipment fits in a single van.",
  "growthExpansion": "Owner has identified two adjacent territories with no active competitor.",
  "competition": "A handful of regional operators, none offering the same turnkey service.",
  "realEstateIncluded": false,
  "priceReduced": false,
  "imageUrl": "https://images.bizbuysell.com/shared/listings/000/0000000/000000-W768.webp",
  "images": ["https://images.bizbuysell.com/shared/listings/000/0000000/000000-W768.webp"],
  "brokerName": "Jane Doe",
  "brokerPhone": "+15550000000",
  "brokerageName": "Sample Brokerage",
  "brokerProfileUrl": "https://www.bizbuysell.com/business-broker/sample/0000/",
  "brokerLicense": "00000000",
  "datePosted": "January 1, 2026",
  "isVerified": true,
  "detailsRaw": { "askingPrice": "$250,000", "cashFlow": "$95,000", "establishedYear": "2018" },
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.bizbuysell.com/businesses-for-sale/"
}

Plan Requirement

BizBuySell's edge refuses plain requests that do not come from a residential-quality connection, so this actor needs proxy access. It defaults to Apify Residential proxy, country US, and that is the lane we recommend; a single small test through a datacenter connection also loaded pages, but one run is not enough to recommend it, so do not rely on it. If the selected connection is refused, the actor tries a backup connection, and when it does you will see this in the run log:

The selected connection is unavailable to this run.
Apify free plans do not include residential proxies.
Continuing on a backup connection; some pages may still be unavailable.
For residential access, upgrade at https://apify.com/pricing or supply your own proxy URLs.

followed, if a backup serves pages, by Served over the backup connection (the default connection was unavailable). Apify free plans have no residential proxy, so a paid plan with proxy access is the reliable setup (or supply your own proxy URLs, which are used as-is with no backup). Listing pages opened by fetchDetails and single listing URLs are often refused to automated requests; those fields may stay empty and a warning is logged rather than a silent zero.

FAQ

How much does it cost?

You pay per listing returned. Turning on fetchDetails adds a separate per-listing detail-enrichment charge for the listings it actually enriches (any listing pushed without a successful detail fetch is not charged for details). Current rates (per 1,000 for FREE / BRONZE / SILVER / GOLD tiers): result apify-default-dataset-item $2.20 / $2.00 / $1.80 / $1.50 per 1,000 listings; detail enrichment detail-enrichment $1.50 / $1.20 / $1.00 / $0.80 per 1,000 enriched listings; plus an actor start fee apify-actor-start of $0.05 / $0.04 / $0.03 / $0.02 per start. Platform compute and proxy usage are billed by Apify to your account on top. The Pricing tab is authoritative. Use Max listings to cap the cost of any run.

Is it legal to scrape BizBuySell?

This actor collects only publicly available listing data. You are responsible for how you use it: follow BizBuySell's terms and the laws that apply to you, and get legal advice if you plan commercial redistribution. Listing text, photos, and broker details may be subject to third-party rights.

Can I get only new or changed listings on a schedule?

Yes. Schedule the actor from the Schedules tab and turn on Incremental mode. Each run then returns only new, updated, and reappeared listings, and unchanged ones are not billed unless you opt in with emitUnchanged.

Why do my cash flow or gross revenue filters let through listings that don't match?

minCashFlow and minGrossRevenue are checked against values that are usually only on the listing detail page. A listing whose value is unknown is kept rather than dropped. Turn on fetchDetails so those values are fetched before the filter is applied; with it off, only listings whose search card shows a lower value are filtered out.

Why did my run return zero or few listings, or fail?

If no results page could be loaded at all, the run now fails with a clear message instead of finishing empty. One of:

• "The proxy connection was refused for this account, so no page could be read. Your Apify plan does not include proxy access; a paid plan is required: https://apify.com/pricing. If you entered your own proxy URLs, check that their credentials are valid."
• "No results: residential proxies are unavailable on this run (Apify free plans do not include them), and the backup connection could not load the requested BizBuySell pages. Upgrade at https://apify.com/pricing or supply your own proxy URLs, then try again."
• "Could not load any results page (the requests failed), so nothing was collected. This is a connection problem, not an empty search. Please try again later."

If some pages were collected first, the run ends early with what it has (and a warning that not enough run time remains for another connection attempt; raise Run options → Timeout for larger jobs). Two input cases fail on purpose: Incremental mode together with Resume from a previous run when that state key already has tracked listings, and a Resume from a previous run value that matches no readable run or dataset.

Can I use it with AI agents or MCP?

Yes. Call it from any Apify integration or MCP client, and use the connector field to push results into Notion, Linear, or Airtable.

🔗 Want more leads data?

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