Meetup Events and Groups Scraper - Comprehensive Data Extraction for Community Insights

The Meetup Events and Groups Scraper allows you to efficiently extract detailed event and group data from Meetup.com. It provides comprehensive information on:

• Events: Event details, hosts, groups, dates, locations, images, tags, descriptions, pricing, availability, and social media links
• Groups: Group information, organizers, member counts, ratings, locations, descriptions, and social media presence

Important Configuration Notes

Proxy Requirements

Use DATACENTER proxies for optimal performance. While residential proxies are available, datacenter proxies provide significantly better speed and reliability for scraping Meetup.com. The input form is pre-configured with datacenter proxies by default.

Two Input Methods

This scraper provides two distinct ways to specify what to scrape:

Method 1: Advanced Start URLs (Recommended)

• Enabled by: Checking "Use advanced Start URLs" in the input form
• How it works: Provide one or more Meetup listing URLs directly
• Advantages:
  • Scrape multiple locations/categories in a single run
  • Full control over search parameters
  • Source (events/groups) is automatically inferred from the URL
  • No limitations on number of listings
• Example URLs:
  • Events: https://www.meetup.com/find/?location=es--Barcelona&source=EVENTS
  • Groups: https://www.meetup.com/find/?location=gb--London&source=GROUPS

Method 2: Form-Based Input (Simple)

• Enabled by: Leaving "Use advanced Start URLs" unchecked
• How it works: Fill in the city, country, and source fields
• Limitations:
  • Only scrapes one location at a time
  • Limited to basic search parameters
  • Uses the source field to determine events vs groups
• Use case: Quick, single-location searches

Important: When "Use advanced Start URLs" is enabled, all form inputs (city, country, state, source, etc.) are completely ignored. The scraper only processes the URLs provided in the Start URLs field.

Use Cases

1. Community Management

Track local community activities, identify popular event types, and understand what makes successful community gatherings to improve your own community engagement strategies.

2. Market Research & Trend Analysis

Analyze event trends by location, category, and frequency to identify growing interests and emerging community patterns in different cities and regions.

3. Lead Generation for Businesses

Discover active communities and event organizers in your target market to generate qualified leads for businesses offering services to groups and event hosts.

4. Competitive Analysis

Monitor competitor groups and events to understand their audience engagement, pricing strategies, and community growth tactics.

5. Event Aggregation Platforms

Integrate Meetup events into your platform or app, offering users a comprehensive calendar of local activities based on their interests and location.

6. Content Creation & Journalism

Generate lists of "Top Community Events" or "Must-Join Groups" for blogs, publications, or social media, providing valuable local insights to your audience.

7. Academic Research

Study community formation, social dynamics, and event patterns across different demographics and geographic locations.

8. Local Business Marketing

Identify active community groups in your area to partner with for promotions, sponsorships, or hosting business-related events.

9. Professional Networking

Discover professional groups and industry events to expand your network and stay updated with relevant community activities.

10. Automated Event Discovery

Set up notifications for users when new events or groups matching their interests appear on Meetup.

Cost

The cost of scraping Meetup data using this Actor is approximately $0.50 per 1,000 events/groups, based on Apify's usage pricing and datacenter proxy costs.

Input Configuration

For Advanced Start URLs (Recommended Method)

• Use advanced Start URLs: Check this box
• Start URLs: Provide Meetup listing URLs (events will be automatically detected based on URL structure)
• Maximum items: Set the maximum number of events or groups to retrieve per start URL
• Proxy: Use DATACENTER proxies (pre-configured)

For Form-Based Input (Simple Method)

• Use advanced Start URLs: Leave unchecked
• City: The city to search for events or groups
• Country code: Two-letter country code (e.g., "ES" for Spain, "US" for United States)
• State code: For US locations only, two-letter state code
• Source: Choose to scrape either "Events" or "Groups"
• Maximum items: Set the maximum number of items to retrieve
• Proxy: Use DATACENTER proxies (pre-configured)

Output

The data is returned in JSON format, which is ideal for integration into analytics platforms, websites, or apps. Below are examples of the structured output you will receive:

Event Data Example

{
  "url": "https://www.meetup.com/friendsbyframe/events/311944258/",
  "eventId": "311944258",
  "title": "King's Cross and Coal Drops Yard Christmas lights",
  "hosts": "Paolo and Jeff",
  "group": {
    "name": "Friends by Frame Photography Group",
    "rating": "4.6",
    "reviews": "103 reviews",
    "image": "https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/3/b/7/a/thumb_251835226.jpeg?w=96",
    "url": "https://www.meetup.com/friendsbyframe/events/311944258/attendees/"
  },
  "dateTime": "2025-12-14T15:30:00Z",
  "location": {
    "venue": "N1",
    "address": "Upper street · London"
  },
  "image": "https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/d/1/d/b/highres_531233723.webp?w=3840",
  "tags": [
    "Digital Photography",
    "Photography",
    "Street Photography"
  ],
  "description": "Join us for a festive photowalk through King's Cross and Coal Drops Yard, where Christmas lights, modern architecture, and lively seasonal installations create the perfect backdrop for night and street photography...",
  "socialMediaLinks": [
    "https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4",
    "https://www.instagram.com/friendsbyframe",
    "https://chat.whatsapp.com/Ek2mMMZioqu19CJJPoQal4"
  ],
  "phoneNumbers": [],
  "price": null,
  "availability": null,
  "waitlist": false,
  "reservationDate": null,
  "type": "event"
}

Group Data Example

{
  "url": "https://www.meetup.com/microsoft-reactor-london",
  "name": "Microsoft Reactor London",
  "coverImage": "https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/a/2/clean_525182978.webp",
  "rating": "4.3",
  "memberCount": "22,793",
  "location": "London, United Kingdom",
  "about": "Whether you want to get started with AI and the latest technology or you're building your career or the next great idea, Microsoft Reactor connects you with the developers and startups that share your goals...",
  "organizers": {
    "mainOrganizer": "Microsoft Reactor",
    "otherOrganizersCount": 7,
    "organizerPhoto": "https://secure.meetupstatic.com/photos/member/e/5/c/d/highres_318898829.jpeg?w=96"
  },
  "socialMediaLinks": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkm6luGCS3hD25jcEhvRMIA"
  ],
  "phoneNumbers": [],
  "visibility": "Public group",
  "type": "group"
}

Key Fields Extracted

For Events:

• Event Details: Title, URL, Event ID, Description
• Timing: Date and time in ISO format
• Location: Venue name and address
• Host Information: Host names and group details
• Visual Content: High-quality event images
• Categorization: Tags and categories
• Social Media: Links to WhatsApp, Instagram, etc.
• Contact: Extracted phone numbers
• Pricing & Availability: Price information, available spots, waitlist status
• Booking: Reservation dates when applicable

For Groups:

• Group Information: Name, URL, Description
• Membership: Member count and rating
• Visual Identity: Cover images and organizer photos
• Location: Geographic location
• Leadership: Main organizer and team size
• Social Presence: YouTube, Instagram, and other social media links
• Contact: Extracted phone numbers
• Visibility: Public/private group status

Simplified Overview

A simplified view of this data will be shown directly in the Apify console, where you can see tables of key event and group details including names, dates, locations, and member counts.

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How to Use

Recommended Approach (Advanced Start URLs):

1. Enable Start URLs: Check "Use advanced Start URLs"
2. Provide URLs: Add one or more Meetup listing URLs (the source is automatically detected)
3. Set Limits: Configure maximum items per start URL
4. Ensure DATACENTER Proxy: Use datacenter proxies for best performance
5. Run the Actor: Start the scraping process
6. Export Data: Export in JSON format for analysis

Simple Approach (Form Input):

1. Disable Start URLs: Leave "Use advanced Start URLs" unchecked
2. Fill Form: Enter city, country, and choose events or groups
3. Set Limits: Configure maximum items to retrieve
4. Ensure DATACENTER Proxy: Use datacenter proxies for best performance
5. Run the Actor: Start the scraping process
6. Export Data: Export in JSON format for analysis

Quick Start Examples

Advanced Method (Recommended):

• Use advanced Start URLs: ✅ Enabled
• Start URLs:
  • https://www.meetup.com/find/?location=es--Barcelona&source=EVENTS
  • https://www.meetup.com/find/?location=es--Barcelona&source=GROUPS
• Max Items: 200
• Proxy: DATACENTER

Simple Method:

• Use advanced Start URLs: ❌ Disabled
• City: "Barcelona"
• Country: "ES"
• Source: "EVENTS"
• Max Items: 100
• Proxy: DATACENTER

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Start scraping Meetup events and groups today by running this Actor on Apify. If you need additional custom features, specific filtering options, or bulk data extraction, feel free to reach out to discuss your specific requirements.

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