# ShortMax Scraper - Short Dramas, Rankings & Episodes (`abotapi/shortmax-scraper`) Actor

Scrape the ShortMax short-drama catalog: titles, descriptions, creators, view and follow counters, two genre taxonomies, trending rails with rank and episode lists. Catalog, category, genre, trending or pasted links, in 19 site languages. Resume, incremental updates and MCP export.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/abotapi/shortmax-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Abot API](https://apify.com/abotapi) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.40 / 1,000 title records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## ShortMax Scraper - Short-Drama Catalog, Trending & Episodes

ShortMax Scraper turns ShortMax, the vertical short-drama streaming catalog, into a clean data API. Walk the full drama catalog, follow category or genre pages, read the homepage trending rails with positions, or paste drama links - and get structured records with descriptions, creators, view and follow counters, the two genre taxonomies and full episode lists - then export to JSON, CSV or Excel, or pull the results straight into your app through the API.

### Why This Scraper?

- **Five ways in.** Walk the full catalog page by page, follow selected categories or genres (two independent, live-resolved taxonomies), read the homepage trending rails with rail name and position, or paste your own drama links.
- **Nineteen site languages.** The same numeric title id across every localized catalog - collect one language or all of them, with localized titles, synopses and slugs.
- **Full episode lists.** Every enriched record carries its episode list (number + URL) plus the all-episodes link.
- **Trending rails with rank.** The homepage rails come back with the rail name and the exact position of every title in it.
- **Built for schedules.** Incremental mode returns only new and changed titles on recurring runs, and a refused run fails loudly instead of returning an empty dataset.
- **Honest failures.** An unknown category or genre value is named in the error; a refused run never reads as an empty catalog.

### Use Cases

- **Who:** short-drama analysts - track view and follow counters, episode counts and trending positions across the ShortMax catalog on a schedule.
- **Who:** content researchers - collect descriptions, creators and both genre taxonomies for market studies.
- **Who:** localization teams - compare the same title id across 19 site languages.

### Data You Get

> Sample shape: one title record, from a live record.

| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| `platform` | ShortMax |
| `id` | 43438 |
| `title` | The Day I Chose His Roommate |
| `description` | I can see loyalty scores above everyone's heads… |
| `creator` | Elisa |
| `views` | 238000 |
| `viewsDisplay` | 238K |
| `follows` | 79500 |
| `followsDisplay` | 79.5K |
| `genres` | \[{"name": "Modern", "id": "200052"}, …] |
| `category` | {"name": "Fantasy", "id": "200003"} |
| `episodes` | 25 |
| `episodeList` | \[{"episodeNumber": 1, "episodeUrl": "…"}] |
| `section` / `rank` | Most Popular 🔥 / 3 (trending mode) |
| `url` | https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438 |
| `changeType` | NEW |

### How to Use

1. Pick a mode: **Catalog** walks the full drama catalog; **Category** and **Genre** walk selected pages of the two label taxonomies (values resolve against the live index); **Trending** reads the homepage rails; **URLs** scrapes only the links you paste.
2. Set **Max items** for the run cap (20 by default; 0 runs until the walk ends naturally) and **Site language** for the localized catalog.
3. Keep **Fetch detail pages** on to attach the description, creator, counters, tag chips and episode list to every record.
4. Run the actor and export the dataset, or select an MCP connector to send records into your apps.

**Walk the catalog:**

```json
{"mode": "catalog", "maxItems": 30}
```

**Trending rails with positions:**

```json
{"mode": "trending", "fetchDetails": false, "maxItems": 40}
```

**Paste drama links:**

```json
{"mode": "urls", "listingUrls": ["https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438"], "maxItems": 5}
```

**Watch the catalog on a schedule:**

```json
{"mode": "catalog", "incrementalMode": true, "stateKey": "sm-watch", "maxItems": 0}
```

#### Run it from your code

**Run it from Python:**

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("abotapi/shortmax-scraper").call(run_input={
    "mode": "catalog",
    "maxItems": 5,
})
items = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items
```

**Run it from JavaScript:**

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
const client = new ApifyClient({ token: 'YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN' });
const run = await client.actor('abotapi/shortmax-scraper').call({
  mode: 'catalog', maxItems: 5,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
```

#### Tips

- The shared datacenter connection serves this catalog reliably; residential proxies are recommended for the most reliable long runs.
- The catalog counters are shown as display strings (238K); the actor ships both the verbatim display value and the parsed approximation.
- ShortMax publishes no reviews, ratings or user comments on any web or app surface; titles, episodes, counters and taxonomies are the catalog's full public depth.

### Send results into your apps (MCP connectors)

Optionally send records into the apps you already use through MCP connectors: set **MCP connectors** (for example a Notion database) and cap the export with **Max records to connectors**. The export is a gated side channel: it never changes the dataset.

| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| `mcpConnectors` | Connector ids to export to (empty = no export). |
| `notionParentPageUrl` | URL or id of the Notion parent page (required for the Notion connector). |
| `maxNotifyListings` | Cap on records written to each connector per run. |

### Input Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| `mode` | string | `catalog` | Catalog walk, category walks, genre walks, homepage trending rails, or pasted links. |
| `categories` | array | - | Category slugs, ids or names for category mode (resolved live; empty = all). |
| `genres` | array | - | Genre slugs, ids or names for genre mode (resolved live; empty = all). |
| `language` | string | `en` | Which localized catalog to read (19 site languages). |
| `listingUrls` | array | - | Drama, episode, category, genre or catalog links (urls mode). |
| `maxItems` | integer | `20` | The single cap on the run: stop after this many records (0 = no limit). |
| `maxPages` | integer | `0` | Cap on pages walked per scope (0 = no page cap). |
| `fetchDetails` | boolean | `true` | Read each drama page for description, creator, counters, tags and the episode list. |
| `proxy` | object | datacenter | Apify proxies; residential recommended for the most reliable long runs. |
| `resumeFromRunId` | string | - | Paste a previous run ID to continue a large crawl without returning or charging for records already collected there. |
| `incrementalMode` | boolean | `false` | Track changes across scheduled runs; suppress and never bill unchanged records. |
| `stateKey` | string | - | Optional name for the incremental baseline. |
| `emitUnchanged` | boolean | `false` | Also return unchanged records, marked and billed. |
| `emitExpired` | boolean | `false` | Also return disappeared records, marked and billed. |
| `ignoreFieldsForChanges` | array | - | Extra top-level fields excluded from change detection. |
| `mcpConnectors` | array | - | Connector ids to export to (empty = no export). |
| `notionParentPageUrl` | string | - | URL or id of the Notion parent page (required for the Notion connector). |
| `maxNotifyListings` | integer | `50` | Cap on records written to each connector per run. |

### Output Example

> Sample shape: one title record, from a live record.

**Live record: The Day I Chose His Roommate**

```json
{
  "platform": "ShortMax",
  "id": "43438",
  "title": "The Day I Chose His Roommate",
  "creator": "Elisa",
  "viewsDisplay": "238K",
  "followsDisplay": "79.5K",
  "episodes": 25,
  "genres": [{"name": "Modern", "id": "200052"}, {"name": "Fantasy", "id": "200070"}],
  "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438"
}
```

### Plan Requirement

This actor is pay per event: a start fee per run, a per-record fee for every title returned, and a detail surcharge for each title whose page was read for full enrichment. Titles shipped as catalog cards without the detail read carry no detail surcharge. Exact prices are on the actor's Pricing tab.

### FAQ

#### How much does it cost?

The actor is pay per event: a start fee per run, a per-record fee for every title returned, and a detail surcharge per enriched title. `Max items` caps the records a run returns, so it also caps the bill. Exact prices are on the actor's Pricing tab.

#### Is it legal to scrape ShortMax?

The actor reads the public catalog pages of the ShortMax website: the same titles, episodes and metadata any visitor sees without an account. It does not access accounts, streaming or checkout. You are responsible for using the data in line with the site's terms of use, privacy law such as GDPR or CCPA, and applicable regulations; personal data of identifiable individuals requires a lawful basis.

#### Does it scrape comments or reviews?

No. ShortMax publishes no review, comment or rating surface on its website or in its app (verified October 2026 across the web pages, the community section and the mobile app's full API surface), so there is nothing to collect. Titles, episodes, counters and taxonomies are the catalog's full public depth.

#### Can I get only new or changed titles on a schedule?

Yes. Turn on **Incremental mode** and schedule the actor. The first run returns everything matching as NEW; later runs return only NEW and UPDATED records. Episode-count growth and description changes count as changes; view and follow counter ticks and trending positions are excluded as noise by default. Use **State key** to keep a monitoring campaign stable, and **Emit unchanged** or **Emit expired** only if you also want those rows (they return and bill extra rows).

#### Why did my run fail instead of returning an empty dataset?

A run that never got a single readable answer fails loudly with a connection message instead of reporting an empty catalog; an unknown category or genre value is named in the error rather than silently skipped.

#### Can I use it with AI agents or MCP?

Yes. Every record is plain JSON over the dataset API, and the MCP connector export sends rows straight into tools like Notion. Point an agent at the dataset items endpoint with the input above.

### 🔗 More scrapers you might like

Pair this actor with these related scrapers from the same team:

<table>
<tr><td>🧩 <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/goodshort-catalog-scraper"><b>GoodShort Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape the GoodShort short-drama catalog: titles with exact views, follows, genres and...</td><td>🧩 <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/pinedrama-scraper"><b>PineDrama Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape the PineDrama short-drama catalogue: series with watch counts, episode counts...</td></tr>
<tr><td>🧩 <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/dramabox-com-scraper"><b>DramaBox Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape DramaBox short-drama series by browsing the catalogue or entering a series ID...</td><td>🧩 <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/webtoons-com-scraper"><b>WEBTOON Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape the WEBTOON catalog into structured data. Extract series, genres, rankings and...</td></tr>
<tr><td>⚽ <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/hotstar-com-scraper"><b>JioHotstar Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape the JioHotstar catalog by content type or URL. Extract shows, movies, episodes...</td><td>🧩 <a href="https://apify.com/abotapi/tunein-radio-podcast-scraper"><b>TuneIn Scraper</b></a><br>Scrape TuneIn by keyword, category, genre, location or URL. Extract stations and podcasts...</td></tr>
</table>

👉 [Browse all abotapi scrapers](https://apify.com/abotapi)

### 💬 Support

- 🐞 **Found a bug or a missing field?** Open a ticket on the [Issues tab](https://apify.com/abotapi/shortmax-scraper/issues/open). We usually reply within hours.
- 🛠️ **Need another site, extra fields or a private build?** Email <contact@abotapi.com>.
- ⭐ **Enjoying it?** A quick review on the actor page helps other users find it.

# Actor input Schema

## `mode` (type: `string`):

catalog walks the full drama catalog page by page. category walks selected category pages. genre walks selected genre pages (a second, independent taxonomy). trending reads the homepage rails with rail name and position. urls scrapes only the links you paste.

## `categories` (type: `array`):

Category slugs, ids or display names, resolved against the live category index when the run starts (example: fantasy). Leave empty to walk every category.

## `genres` (type: `array`):

Genre slugs, ids or display names, resolved against the live genre index when the run starts (example: modern). Leave empty to walk every genre.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Which localized catalog to read. The stable numeric title id is the same across languages; titles, synopses and slugs are localized.

## `listingUrls` (type: `array`):

Drama pages (/drama/...), episode pages (/episode/...), all-episodes pages (/episodes/...), category pages (/dramas/<slug>-<id>), genre pages (/genres/<slug>-<id>) and catalog links (/dramas). Each link keeps its own site language.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of title records per run. 0 means no limit.

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Maximum pages walked per catalog, category or genre scope. 0 means no page cap, so Max items is the only cap that stops a run early.

## `fetchDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Read each title's drama page for the full description, creator, view/follow counters, tag taxonomy and the episode list. Off = catalog card rows only (title, cover, links).

## `proxy` (type: `object`):

Apify datacenter proxies serve this site reliably. Residential proxies are recommended for the most reliable long runs.

## `resumeFromRunId` (type: `string`):

Run ID whose collected titles should be skipped (for continuing after an interrupted run).

## `incrementalMode` (type: `boolean`):

Track state between runs and classify every title as NEW, UPDATED, UNCHANGED or EXPIRED instead of always NEW. Rows already known and unchanged are suppressed.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Named baseline for incremental runs. Leave empty to derive the key from the run scope (mode, categories, genres, language).

## `emitUnchanged` (type: `boolean`):

In incremental mode, also push rows that did not change (changeType UNCHANGED).

## `emitExpired` (type: `boolean`):

In incremental mode, emit EXPIRED tombstone rows for titles that disappeared from the walked scope.

## `ignoreFieldsForChanges` (type: `array`):

Extra field names that must never mark a row UPDATED (counters and rank positions are already excluded by default).

## `mcpConnectors` (type: `array`):

Apify MCP connector IDs that receive pushed records while the run executes.

## `notionParentPageUrl` (type: `string`):

Notion parent page for the Notion MCP connector.

## `maxNotifyListings` (type: `integer`):

Cap on records sent to MCP connectors per run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "mode": "catalog",
  "language": "en",
  "listingUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/dramas/fantasy-200003"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "maxPages": 0,
  "fetchDetails": true,
  "proxy": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  },
  "resumeFromRunId": "",
  "incrementalMode": false,
  "stateKey": "",
  "emitUnchanged": false,
  "emitExpired": false,
  "ignoreFieldsForChanges": [],
  "mcpConnectors": [],
  "notionParentPageUrl": "",
  "maxNotifyListings": 50
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `detail` (type: `string`):

No description

## `episodes` (type: `string`):

No description

## `changes` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "listingUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438"
        },
        {
            "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/dramas/fantasy-200003"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("abotapi/shortmax-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "listingUrls": [
        { "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438" },
        { "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/dramas/fantasy-200003" },
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("abotapi/shortmax-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "listingUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/drama/the-day-i-chose-his-roommate-43438"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.shorttv.live/dramas/fantasy-200003"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call abotapi/shortmax-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,abotapi/shortmax-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/D0d7TE19E349a7k8M/builds/ycArSkrjrKQHTmVDy/openapi.json