# Economic Release Calendar: Official Dates by Country (`accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup`) Actor

Official economic release and central bank meeting dates from BEA, BLS, the Federal Reserve, the ECB, Eurostat, the UK ONS and Statistics Canada in one table, with a monitoring mode that returns and bills only dates that are new, rescheduled or cancelled.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup.md
- **Developed by:** [Adriana Voss](https://apify.com/accountable_eel) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.50 / 1,000 release date returneds

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

## Economic Release Calendar: Official Dates by Country

**Get the official dates of upcoming economic releases and central bank meetings, straight from the publishers, as clean rows.**
One call reads the release schedules of seven statistics offices and central banks and returns one row per scheduled release or meeting: who publishes it, what it is called, when it comes out and what period it covers. Turn on monitoring and run it on a schedule to get only the dates that are new, rescheduled or cancelled since your last run, charged per row and free on a quiet day.

**What it does not have:** this is a calendar of dates. It has no forecast, no previous or actual figure and no impact rating, because the publishers' own schedules do not carry them.

**Who uses it:** analysts and newsletter writers planning a week, alert and bot builders who need a CPI, jobs or rate-decision date in a spreadsheet, an n8n flow or an AI agent, and anyone who wants to know when a release date moves.

### Publishers covered

| Code | Publisher | Country | What you get |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `BEA` | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis | US | GDP, personal income and outlays, international trade, with times |
| `BLS` | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | US | CPI, PPI, Employment Situation, JOLTS and the rest of its schedule, with times |
| `FED` | Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System | US | FOMC meetings, minutes and press conferences, the Beige Book, statistical releases, testimony |
| `ECB` | European Central Bank | EA | Euro area statistical releases with times, and Governing Council meeting dates |
| `EUROSTAT` | Eurostat | EU | Data releases and euro indicators such as HICP, GDP and unemployment (dates only) |
| `ONS` | Office for National Statistics | GB | Every upcoming UK release with its time, and the publisher's own postponed and cancelled flags |
| `STATCAN` | Statistics Canada | CA | The Daily's schedule for the next two weeks |

`EA` is the euro area and `EU` the European Union; neither is a country, but they are the codes the two publishers use. Left out: speeches, public holidays, releases the Federal Reserve publishes every business day, and Eurostat's articles and news items. Every row carries a `url` back to the publisher and the `attribution` line its reuse terms ask for. All of this information is available free of charge on the publishers' own websites, including www.ecb.europa.eu; what you pay for here is one table, one format and the change alerts.

### How to use

1. **In the Apify Console.** Open the actor page and click **Start** — the `countries` field is already pre-filled with a working example. Results land in the run's dataset as soon as each item is found.
2. **Via the API.** Call it directly with a POST request — no Console needed once you have an API token:
   ```bash
   curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~economic-calendar-events-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
     -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"countries":["US","GB","EA","EU","CA"]}'
   ```
3. **On a schedule.** Save this actor as an Apify **Task** with the input you want, then add a **Schedule** (hourly, daily, weekly) so it runs on its own — no server of your own required.

### Input

```json
{
  "countries": [
    "US",
    "GB",
    "EA",
    "EU",
    "CA"
  ]
}
```

Country codes, one per line: US (BEA, BLS, Federal Reserve), GB (Office for National Statistics), EA (euro area, European Central Bank), EU (Eurostat), CA (Statistics Canada). Leave empty to read every publisher. Accepted formats: US, GB, EA, EU, CA.

Filters narrow the run: `countries` and `sources` choose the publishers, `categories` keeps only inflation, employment, gdp, trade, rates or other, and `daysAhead` (default 14, up to 90) and `daysBack` (default 0, up to 30) set the window around today. A word that matches nothing is reported in a free row instead of silently reading everything.

### Output

One row per scheduled release or meeting, for example:

| query | found | status | eventCount | monitorStatus | events | source | country | eventName | category | releaseAt | timeKnown | referencePeriod | url | releaseStatus | previousReleaseAt | attribution | isNew | firstSeenAt | scrapedAt |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| US | true | OK | <rows from this publisher> | <monitoring status> | \<all dates (full list)> | <publisher> | <country> | <release or meeting> | <category> | <release time> | <time given by publisher> | <reference period> | <publisher page> | <status> | <previous release time> | <source credit> | \<first time seen?> | <first seen on a run> | 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z |

`releaseAt` is ISO 8601 in the publisher's local time with its UTC offset, for example `2026-10-14T08:30:00-04:00`. When the publisher gives a date and no time it is the date alone and `timeKnown` is `false`. `category` comes from a small keyword map over the publisher's title and is `other` whenever the title does not say. `referencePeriod` is `null` when the publisher states none. `releaseStatus` is `scheduled`, `rescheduled` (with `previousReleaseAt`) or `cancelled`. A publisher that lists nothing in your window, or that could not be read, comes back as one row with `"found": false` and a message; the other publishers are not affected and that row is never charged.

### Monitoring

With `onlyNewSinceLastRun` on, the actor remembers what each publisher listed on your last run and returns only what changed: a date that is new, a date that moved (`rescheduled`, with the earlier date in `previousReleaseAt`) and a release that was ahead of you and is no longer on the publisher's calendar (`cancelled`). The first run returns everything and sets the baseline. Filters apply before the baseline is stored, so each saved search keeps its own memory. A run with nothing new returns one free status row per publisher (`monitorStatus: NO_CHANGES`) and charges nothing. A release the publisher lists without a reference period is tracked by its date, so if it moves you get one cancelled row and one new row.

### Pricing

- **Release date returned**: $3 per 1,000 release dates

Plus a $0.002 start fee per run. Each event above is billed independently, only when it actually returns data — misses (`found:false`) are never charged.

### Example runs

Paste any of these into the Input tab and press Start. All three return rows with no key, no token
and no account of your own beyond an Apify login.

**US inflation, jobs and GDP dates for the next 30 days.**

```json
{
  "countries": ["US"],
  "categories": ["inflation", "employment", "gdp"],
  "daysAhead": 30
}
```

**Central bank dates: FOMC and ECB Governing Council in the next 90 days.**

```json
{
  "countries": [],
  "sources": ["FED", "ECB"],
  "categories": ["rates"],
  "daysAhead": 90
}
```

**A daily UK and euro area alert: only new, rescheduled or cancelled dates.** Schedule it, and quiet runs cost nothing.

```json
{
  "countries": ["GB", "EA", "EU"],
  "daysAhead": 30,
  "onlyNewSinceLastRun": true,
  "deltaName": "uk-europe-calendar"
}
```

### Use it from Clay, n8n, Make, or an AI agent

This actor runs synchronously over plain HTTP — call it directly from a script, a workflow tool, or an AI agent, no Apify Console needed once you have an API token.

```bash
curl "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~economic-calendar-events-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>" \
  -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"countries":["US","GB","EA","EU","CA"]}'
```

**n8n.** Add an HTTP Request node: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~economic-calendar-events-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body Content Type `JSON`, JSON Body `{"countries":["US","GB","EA","EU","CA"]}` (swap in an expression from an earlier node for a real value).

**Clay.** Add an "HTTP API" column: Method `POST`, URL `https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/accountable_eel~economic-calendar-events-lookup/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_TOKEN>`, Body `{"countries":["{{publisher calendar}}"]}`, mapping the row's publisher calendar into the `countries` array.

**MCP.** In Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client with the Apify MCP server, ask for "economic release calendar api" — the agent will find and run this actor.

# Actor input Schema

## `countries` (type: `array`):

Country codes, one per line: US (BEA, BLS, Federal Reserve), GB (Office for National Statistics), EA (euro area, European Central Bank), EU (Eurostat), CA (Statistics Canada). Leave empty to read every publisher. Accepted formats: US, GB, EA, EU, CA. You're only charged for the ones we actually find — a miss costs nothing.

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

Optional. Keep only these categories, one per line: inflation, employment, gdp, trade, rates, other. Leave empty to keep everything.

## `sources` (type: `array`):

Optional. Read only these publishers, one code per line: BEA, FED, BLS, ECB, STATCAN, ONS, EUROSTAT. Leave empty to read every publisher of the countries above.

## `daysAhead` (type: `integer`):

How many days from today to include. Up to 90. Statistics Canada only publishes its next two weeks.

## `daysBack` (type: `integer`):

Also include dates up to this many days before today. Up to 30. Statistics Canada lists no past dates.

## `testRun` (type: `boolean`):

Turn this on to test your input on a small sample before running the full list. Turn it off to process everything.

## `onlyFound` (type: `boolean`):

Only keep rows where something was actually found. Misses are always free, whether or not you show them here.

## `includeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Only keep results that mention at least one of these words (e.g. a job title, a city, a product name). Leave empty to keep everything.

## `excludeKeywords` (type: `array`):

Optional. Drop any result that mentions one of these words. Leave empty to skip nothing.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Optional. Stop the run once this many results have been found — useful for a quick, cheap sample. Leave blank for no limit.

## `onlyNewSinceLastRun` (type: `boolean`):

On: only dates not seen on your last run, dates that moved and dates that were dropped are returned and charged for. Run it on a schedule as a calendar alert. Off: every matching date is returned every time.

## `deltaName` (type: `string`):

Optional. Name this run's monitoring memory so you can tell two schedules of this actor apart, or keep one memory across an input change. Leave empty to auto-derive one from your filters.

## `columns` (type: `array`):

Choose which pieces of information to include in each result row. All are included by default.

## `expandRows` (type: `boolean`):

When on, each release date found gets its own row instead of being grouped under its publisher calendar. You're still only charged once per publisher calendar, no matter how many rows it produces.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel requests. Keep conservative — this target has no browser fallback, so getting blocked costs more than slow-and-steady.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "countries": [
    "US",
    "GB",
    "EA",
    "EU",
    "CA"
  ],
  "categories": [],
  "sources": [],
  "daysAhead": 14,
  "daysBack": 0,
  "testRun": false,
  "onlyFound": false,
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": [],
  "onlyNewSinceLastRun": false,
  "deltaName": "",
  "columns": [
    "eventCount",
    "monitorStatus",
    "events",
    "source",
    "country",
    "eventName",
    "category",
    "releaseAt",
    "timeKnown",
    "referencePeriod",
    "url",
    "releaseStatus",
    "previousReleaseAt",
    "attribution",
    "isNew",
    "firstSeenAt"
  ],
  "expandRows": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 4
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (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 = {
    "countries": [
        "US",
        "GB",
        "EA",
        "EU",
        "CA"
    ],
    "categories": [],
    "sources": [],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": []
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup").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 = {
    "countries": [
        "US",
        "GB",
        "EA",
        "EU",
        "CA",
    ],
    "categories": [],
    "sources": [],
    "includeKeywords": [],
    "excludeKeywords": [],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup").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 '{
  "countries": [
    "US",
    "GB",
    "EA",
    "EU",
    "CA"
  ],
  "categories": [],
  "sources": [],
  "includeKeywords": [],
  "excludeKeywords": []
}' |
apify call accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,accountable_eel/economic-calendar-events-lookup"
        }
    }
}
```

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/bRdetHTSR9lwptGsc/builds/9keEfKhaF5SsIunlz/openapi.json