# Perplexity Scraper (`actor4you/perplexity-scraper`) Actor Extracts Perplexity search results for your queries. Returns AI-generated answers with cited sources. - **URL**: https://apify.com/actor4you/perplexity-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Actor4you](https://apify.com/actor4you) (community) - **Categories:** AI, SEO tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ### What does Perplexity Scraper do? **Perplexity Scraper** extracts **Perplexity AI search results** at scale - no Perplexity account or API key required. Enter your search queries and receive **Perplexity's AI-generated answers**, cited sources, and direct **citation URLs** in clean, structured JSON. It works as a powerful alternative to the **Perplexity API** for anyone who needs to collect AI search data without managing API authentication or dealing with rate limits. Whether you need **Perplexity data extraction** for SEO research, **brand monitoring in Perplexity**, or competitive intelligence across AI search engines, this scraper delivers production-ready results from Perplexity's search engine at any scale. ### What can Perplexity Scraper do? - **Scrape Perplexity search results** - get full AI-generated answers for any query - **Extract citation URLs** - collect the direct URLs that Perplexity cites in its answers - **Capture all sources** - retrieve the complete source list with metadata - **Localize by country and language** - target specific country domains and search languages - **Mobile or desktop views** - toggle between mobile and desktop Perplexity results - **Structured JSON output** - export data ready for dashboards, spreadsheets, or data pipelines - **No API key or account needed** - runs without Perplexity login or subscription - **Process thousands of queries** - scale from a handful of test queries to massive keyword lists ### What data can you extract? | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `query` | String | The search query you submitted | | `text` | String | Perplexity's full AI-generated answer | | `sources` | Array | List of sources cited in the answer | | `sourcesCount` | Number | Total number of cited sources | | `citationUrls` | Array | Direct URLs of every citation | | `provider` | String | Always `"Perplexity"` | | `engine` | String | Always `"Perplexity"` | ### How to scrape Perplexity search results Get started extracting Perplexity data in just a few minutes: 1. **Open Perplexity Scraper** on Apify Store and click "Try for free". 2. **Enter your queries** in the `queries` field - one query per line. Example: ```` best email marketing platforms how to reduce customer churn top AI writing tools 2025 ```` 3. **Pick a country code** if you want localized Perplexity search results from a specific region. 4. **Set the search language** and **language code** - both default to English (`en`). 5. **Enable mobile results** if you need to see how Perplexity renders answers on mobile devices. 6. **Click "Start"** to launch the scraper. 7. **Export your results** in JSON, CSV, or Excel - or connect directly via the Apify API to feed data into your own systems. ### Perplexity Scraper vs. the Perplexity API This is a key question for developers evaluating their options, so here is a detailed comparison. The official **Perplexity API** (Sonar) provides programmatic access to Perplexity's AI models. It requires an API key, a paid subscription, and integration into your codebase. The **Perplexity search API** is powerful but comes with per-request costs, rate limits, and usage tiers that can become expensive at scale. **Perplexity Scraper offers a different approach:** | | Perplexity API (Sonar) | Perplexity Scraper (this Actor) | |---|---|---| | **Authentication** | API key required | No account or key needed | | **Pricing** | Per-request token pricing | Apify platform credits (flat compute cost) | | **Rate limits** | Tiered rate limits | Scales with Apify compute allocation | | **Output format** | API-specific JSON schema | Standardized JSON with sources and citation URLs | | **Citation URLs** | Depends on model/tier | Always included | | **Setup** | Code integration required | No-code UI or API call | | **Scheduling** | Build your own scheduler | Built-in Apify scheduling | | **Best for** | Embedding AI answers in apps | Data collection, monitoring, research, SEO | **When to use this scraper instead of the Perplexity API:** - You need to **collect Perplexity search results in bulk** without managing API keys or token budgets. - You want **citation URLs** extracted consistently across all queries. - You are comparing AI search results across multiple engines (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Google AI) and need a unified output format. - You want to schedule recurring runs for **AI search monitoring** without writing custom code. **When to use the official Perplexity API instead:** - You are building a product that needs real-time Perplexity answers embedded in your application. - You need sub-second response times for interactive use cases. ### How much does it cost to scrape Perplexity? Perplexity Scraper runs on Apify platform credits. Approximate costs: - **1,000 queries** cost roughly **$3.50–$5.00** in platform credits. - The Apify Free plan gives you $5 in monthly credits - enough to test with several hundred queries. - For ongoing **Perplexity data extraction** at scale, costs grow linearly with volume. Compare this to the **Perplexity search API**, where per-request pricing can add up quickly for high-volume use cases. Visit the [Apify pricing page](https://apify.com/pricing) for current rates. ### Input parameters | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `queries` | Textarea | *(required)* | Search queries for Perplexity, one per line | | `mobileResults` | Boolean | `false` | Set to `true` for mobile Perplexity search results | | `countryCode` | Select | - | Target a specific country domain | | `searchLanguage` | Select | `en` | Language for the search query | | `languageCode` | Select | `en` | Language code for the Perplexity interface | ### Output example ```json { "query": "best email marketing platforms", "text": "The leading email marketing platforms in 2025 include Mailchimp, which remains popular for its ease of use and free tier; Klaviyo, favored by e-commerce brands for its deep segmentation and automation; and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue), which offers competitive pricing with built-in CRM features...", "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.mailchimp.com/" }, { "url": "https://www.klaviyo.com/" }, { "url": "https://www.brevo.com/" } ], "sourcesCount": 3, "citationUrls": [ "https://www.mailchimp.com/", "https://www.klaviyo.com/", "https://www.brevo.com/" ], "provider": "Perplexity", "engine": "Perplexity" } ```` ### Other AI search scrapers on Apify Build a complete AI search monitoring stack by combining Perplexity Scraper with these related Actors: - **[Google AI Mode Scraper](https://apify.com/actor4you/google-ai-mode-scraper)** - extract answers from Google's AI Mode - **[Google AI Overview Scraper](https://apify.com/actor4you/google-ai-overview-scraper)** - scrape Google AI Overviews and cited sources - **[ChatGPT Search Scraper](https://apify.com/actor4you/chatgpt-scraper)** - extract ChatGPT web search answers and follow-up questions Running all four together gives you a comprehensive view of how AI search engines respond to your target queries - essential for **brand monitoring** and **AI search optimization**. ### FAQ #### Is Perplexity Scraper free to use? You can try it for free on Apify's Free plan, which includes $5 of monthly usage credits. That is enough to run several hundred Perplexity queries. For higher volumes, Apify offers paid plans with additional compute and storage. #### Do I need a Perplexity account or Perplexity API key? No. Perplexity Scraper works without any login, account, or API key. It extracts results from Perplexity's public search interface, so there is nothing to configure beyond your search queries. #### How is this different from the Perplexity API? The official **Perplexity API** is designed for developers who want to embed Perplexity's AI models into applications, and it requires an API key plus per-request payment. This **Perplexity scraper** is built for **data collection at scale** - it extracts the same search results and **Perplexity citations** you see in the browser, outputs them as structured data, and runs on Apify's infrastructure with built-in scheduling, export, and integration options. See the detailed comparison table above. #### Can I monitor how my brand appears in Perplexity search results? Absolutely. Enter queries related to your brand, product category, or competitors and analyze the AI-generated answers and citation URLs. Schedule the scraper to run daily or weekly on Apify to track changes in **brand mentions in Perplexity** over time - ideal for **AI search monitoring** and reputation management. # Actor input Schema ## `queries` (type: `string`): One or more search queries, each on a new line. ## `mobileResults` (type: `boolean`): Whether to fetch mobile search results. ## `countryCode` (type: `string`): Country for the Google Search domain (e.g. 'us' for google.com, 'gb' for google.co.uk). Defaults to United States. ## `searchLanguage` (type: `string`): Restricts search results to pages in a specific language. ## `languageCode` (type: `string`): Language of the Google Search interface (menus, buttons). May also affect search results. ## Actor input object example ```json { "queries": "What are the top 5 CRM tools", "mobileResults": false, "searchLanguage": "en", "languageCode": "en" } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "queries": "What are the top 5 CRM tools" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("actor4you/perplexity-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "queries": "What are the top 5 CRM tools" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("actor4you/perplexity-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "queries": "What are the top 5 CRM tools" }' | apify call actor4you/perplexity-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=actor4you/perplexity-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Perplexity Scraper", "description": "Extracts Perplexity search results for your queries. Returns AI-generated answers with cited sources.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "IELHsjRVRGkHPhKRq" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/actor4you~perplexity-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-actor4you-perplexity-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/actor4you~perplexity-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-actor4you-perplexity-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/actor4you~perplexity-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-actor4you-perplexity-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "queries" ], "properties": { "queries": { "title": "Search Queries", "type": "string", "description": "One or more search queries, each on a new line." }, "mobileResults": { "title": "Mobile Results", "type": "boolean", "description": "Whether to fetch mobile search results.", "default": false }, "countryCode": { "title": "Country", "enum": [ "us", "gb", "ca", "au", "de", "fr", "es", "it", "nl", "pl", "br", "mx", "ar", "in", "jp", "kr", "cn", "af", "al", "dz", "as", "ad", "ao", "ai", "aq", "ag", "am", "aw", "at", "az", "bs", "bh", "bd", "bb", "by", "be", "bz", "bj", "bm", "bt", "bo", "ba", "bw", "bv", "io", "bn", "bg", "bf", "bi", "kh", "cm", "cv", "ky", "cf", "td", "cl", "cx", "cc", "co", "km", "cg", "cd", "ck", "cr", "ci", "hr", "cu", "cy", "cz", "dk", "dj", "dm", "do", "ec", "eg", "sv", "gq", "er", "ee", "et", "fk", "fo", "fj", "fi", "gf", "pf", "tf", "ga", "gm", "ge", "gh", "gi", "gr", "gl", "gd", "gp", "gu", "gt", "gn", "gw", "gy", "ht", "hm", "va", "hn", "hk", "hu", "is", "id", "ir", "iq", "ie", "il", "jm", "jo", "kz", "ke", "ki", "kp", "kw", "kg", "la", "lv", "lb", "ls", "lr", "ly", "li", "lt", "lu", "mo", "mk", "mg", "mw", "my", "mv", "ml", "mt", "mh", "mq", "mr", "mu", "yt", "fm", "md", "mc", "mn", "me", "ms", "ma", "mz", "mm", "na", "nr", "np", "an", "nc", "nz", "ni", "ne", "ng", "nu", "nf", "mp", "no", "om", "pk", "pw", "ps", "pa", "pg", "py", "pe", "ph", "pn", "pt", "pr", "qa", "re", "ro", "ru", "rw", "sh", "kn", "lc", "pm", "vc", "ws", "sm", "st", "sa", "sn", "rs", "sc", "sl", "sg", "sk", "si", "sb", "so", "za", "gs", "lk", "sd", "sr", "sj", "sz", "se", "ch", "sy", "tw", "tj", "tz", "th", "tl", "tg", "tk", "to", "tt", "tn", "tr", "tm", "tc", "tv", "ug", "ua", "ae", "um", "uy", "uz", "vu", "ve", "vn", "vg", "vi", "wf", "eh", "ye", "zm", "zw" ], "type": "string", "description": "Country for the Google Search domain (e.g. 'us' for google.com, 'gb' for google.co.uk). Defaults to United States." }, "searchLanguage": { "title": "Search Language", "enum": [ "en", "de", "es", "fr", "it", "pt", "nl", "pl", "ru", "ja", "ko", "ar", "bg", "ca", "cs", "da", "el", "et", "fi", "hr", "hu", "id", "is", "iw", "lt", "lv", "no", "ro", "sk", "sl", "sr", "sv", "th", "tr", "zh-CN", "zh-TW" ], "type": "string", "description": "Restricts search results to pages in a specific language.", "default": "en" }, "languageCode": { "title": "Interface Language", "enum": [ "en", "de", "es", "fr", "it", "pt-BR", "pt-PT", "nl", "pl", "ru", "ja", "ko", "ar", "af", "sq", "sm", "az", "eu", "be", "bn", "bh", "bs", "bg", "ca", "zh-CN", "zh-TW", "hr", "cs", "da", "eo", "et", "fo", "fi", "fy", "gl", "ka", "el", "gu", "iw", "hi", "hu", "is", "id", "ia", "ga", "jw", "kn", "la", "lv", "lt", "mk", "ms", "ml", "mt", "mr", "ne", "no", "nn", "oc", "fa", "pa", "ro", "gd", "sr", "si", "sk", "sl", "su", "sw", "sv", "tl", "ta", "te", "th", "ti", "tr", "uk", "ur", "uz", "vi", "cy", "xh", "zu" ], "type": "string", "description": "Language of the Google Search interface (menus, buttons). May also affect search results.", "default": "en" } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```