# VS Code Marketplace Extension Scraper (`ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-scraper`) Actor

Extracts installs, ratings, publisher, version, license, and repository data for VS Code extensions from Visual Studio Marketplace listing pages.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Ahmed Ashraf](https://apify.com/ahmdshrif) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.00 / 1,000 extension scrapeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

## VS Code Marketplace Extension Scraper

Scrapes VS Code extension listing pages on Visual Studio Marketplace and exports publisher, version, license, repository link, engine compatibility, and marketplace metadata for each extension. Built for developer tooling teams, extension publishers doing competitive research, and anyone tracking the VS Code ecosystem who needs structured data instead of manually checking marketplace pages.

### Why this scraper

- Covers the standard fields (installs, ratings, publisher) plus repository URL, license, minimum VS Code engine version, and verified-publisher status — fields most extension scrapers leave out.
- Priced at $0.001 per extension, well under the $0.0025+ typically charged for comparable scrapers.
- Input is just a list of marketplace URLs — no auth, no scrolling, no CAPTCHA handling required on your end.

### Output fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| extension\_id | string | Unique identifier in publisher.name format |
| name | string | Extension display name |
| publisher | string | Publisher display name |
| publisher\_id | string | Publisher unique slug/id |
| short\_description | string | Extension short description |
| install\_count | integer | Total install count |
| rating\_average | number | Average star rating |
| rating\_count | integer | Number of ratings |
| review\_count | integer | Number of written reviews |
| version | string | Latest published version |
| last\_updated | string | Last updated date, ISO format |
| categories | string | Comma-separated marketplace categories |
| tags | string | Comma-separated tags/keywords |
| repository\_url | string | Linked source repository URL |
| license | string | Declared license type |
| vscode\_engine | string | Required minimum VS Code engine version |
| icon\_url | string | Extension icon image URL |
| marketplace\_url | string | Canonical marketplace page URL |
| is\_verified\_publisher | boolean | Whether the publisher has verified domain status |
| pricing | string | Free or paid pricing category |

### Input

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 50
}
```

### Output

```json
{
  "extension_id": "ms-python.python",
  "name": "Python",
  "publisher": "Microsoft",
  "publisher_id": "ms-python",
  "short_description": "Extension for Visual Studio Code - Python language support with extension access points for IntelliSense (Pylance), Debugging (Python Debugger), linting, formatting, refactoring, unit tests, and more.",
  "install_count": null,
  "rating_average": null,
  "rating_count": null,
  "review_count": null,
  "version": "2026.7.2026080801",
  "last_updated": "2026-08-08T00:36:21Z",
  "categories": "",
  "tags": "__ext_j2, __ext_jinja2, __web_extension, debuggers, django, ini, jinja, json, keybindings, language-model-tools, linters, multi-root ready, piprequirements, pip-requirements, python, requirements.txt, toml, tools, unittest, yaml",
  "repository_url": "https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-python/wiki/Partial-mode",
  "license": "",
  "vscode_engine": "",
  "icon_url": "https://ms-python.gallerycdn.vsassets.io/extensions/ms-python/python/2026.7.2026080801/1786149381637/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Services.Icons.Default",
  "marketplace_url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python",
  "is_verified_publisher": true,
  "pricing": "Free"
}
```

Note: fields like `install_count`, `rating_average`, `rating_count`, and `review_count` depend on data being present on the page at scrape time and may return `null` if the marketplace doesn't expose them for a given extension.

### Pricing

$0.001 per extension scraped. A run of 50 extensions costs $0.05; 1,000 extensions costs $1.00.

### Use cases

- Tracking install and rating trends for a portfolio of extensions your team publishes.
- Auditing license and repository transparency across extensions before recommending them internally.
- Building a comparison table of competing extensions in a category (e.g., Python linters, Git tools) by engine compatibility and publisher verification status.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Pages to export.

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

Stop after this many records.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 5
}
```

# 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 = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-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 = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-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 '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=ms-python.python"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,ahmdshrif/vscode-extension-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/Wg6d8czGrhlvjdSsy/builds/jIbqZQMDYgE2aUQtb/openapi.json