BBB Business Scraper - Better Business Bureau Profiles, Ratings & Complaints

Scrape Better Business Bureau profiles, ratings, complaints, reviews, and accreditation data. Get comprehensive business reputation data including BBB ratings (A+ to F), complaint history, customer reviews, and accreditation status. Essential for due diligence, lead qualification, and reputation monitoring.

Features

• Profile Scraping - Complete BBB business profile data
• Search - Find businesses by name, location, and category
• BBB Rating Extraction - Official BBB ratings from A+ to F
• Complaint Data - Complaint counts, types, and resolution status
• Review Extraction - Customer reviews with ratings
• Accreditation Verification - BBB accreditation status and history
• License Information - Business licensing details
• Anti-Detection - Fingerprint injection for stealth access
• Demo Mode - Test with sample data before going live

Who Should Use This Actor?

Sales & Business Development

Qualify leads by BBB rating before investing sales resources. Filter out businesses with poor reputations or complaint histories.

Due Diligence Teams

Verify business legitimacy before partnerships, vendor relationships, or investments. Check complaint patterns and resolution rates.

Marketing Agencies

Research prospects' BBB presence and reputation before pitching. Identify businesses that need reputation management services.

Insurance & Compliance

Assess business risk through BBB data. Track complaint patterns and accreditation status for underwriting decisions.

Consumers & Researchers

Compare businesses in your area by BBB rating, complaints, and accreditation. Make informed purchasing decisions.

Quick Start

Demo Mode (Free Test)

{
  "demoMode": true
}

Search for Businesses

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "businessName": "Plumbing",
  "location": "Los Angeles, CA",
  "accreditedOnly": true,
  "maxResults": 50,
  "demoMode": false
}

Scrape a Specific Business

{
  "scrapeType": "business_profile",
  "businessUrl": "https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/los-angeles/profile/plumber/abc-plumbing-0123-456789",
  "includeComplaints": true,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "demoMode": false
}

Filter by Rating

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "category": "Auto Repair",
  "location": "Chicago, IL",
  "minRating": "A",
  "accreditedOnly": true,
  "maxResults": 100,
  "demoMode": false
}

Input Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
scrapeType	string	search	Type: business_profile, search, complaints, reviews
businessUrl	string	-	Direct BBB business profile URL
businessName	string	-	Business name to search
location	string	-	City and state (e.g., "Los Angeles, CA")
category	string	-	Business category filter
accreditedOnly	boolean	false	Only return accredited businesses
minRating	string	-	Minimum BBB rating (A+ to F)
includeComplaints	boolean	true	Scrape complaint details
includeReviews	boolean	true	Scrape customer reviews
maxResults	number	50	Maximum businesses to scrape
proxyConfiguration	object	-	Proxy settings
demoMode	boolean	true	Return sample data for testing
webhookUrl	string	-	Webhook URL for results delivery

Output Format

{
  "businessName": "ABC Plumbing Services Inc",
  "bbbUrl": "https://www.bbb.org/us/ca/los-angeles/profile/plumber/abc-plumbing-0123-456789",
  "rating": "A+",
  "accredited": true,
  "accreditedSince": "2015-03-15",
  "yearsInBusiness": 12,
  "businessStarted": "2012-01-01",
  "address": {
    "street": "123 Main Street",
    "city": "Los Angeles",
    "state": "CA",
    "zip": "90001"
  },
  "phone": "(323) 555-1234",
  "website": "https://abcplumbing.com",
  "categories": ["Plumber", "Water Heater Repair", "Drain Cleaning"],
  "complaints": {
    "total": 5,
    "lastThreeYears": 3,
    "closed": 5,
    "resolved": 4,
    "byType": {
      "service": 2,
      "billing": 2,
      "product": 1
    }
  },
  "reviews": {
    "averageRating": 4.2,
    "totalCount": 47,
    "positive": 38,
    "neutral": 5,
    "negative": 4
  },
  "licenses": [
    {
      "type": "Contractor License",
      "number": "C-12345",
      "status": "Active"
    }
  ],
  "scrapedAt": "2025-12-21T10:30:00.000Z"
}

Pricing (Pay-Per-Event)

Event	Description	Price
business_scraped	Per business profile scraped	$0.015
complaint_scraped	Per complaint extracted	$0.005
review_scraped	Per review extracted	$0.003

Example costs:

• 50 businesses with complaints: (50 x $0.015) + (250 x $0.005) = $2.00
• 100 businesses, no complaints: 100 x $0.015 = $1.50
• Demo mode: $0.00

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Lead Qualification

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "category": "Home Improvement",
  "location": "Dallas, TX",
  "accreditedOnly": true,
  "minRating": "A",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "includeComplaints": true,
  "demoMode": false
}

Scenario 2: Competitor Reputation Audit

{
  "scrapeType": "business_profile",
  "businessUrl": "https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/dallas/profile/...",
  "includeComplaints": true,
  "includeReviews": true,
  "demoMode": false
}

Scenario 3: Industry Complaint Analysis

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "category": "Auto Dealer",
  "location": "Phoenix, AZ",
  "maxResults": 200,
  "includeComplaints": true,
  "includeReviews": false,
  "demoMode": false
}

Webhook & Automation Integration

Webhook Configuration

{
  "scrapeType": "search",
  "businessName": "Plumbing",
  "location": "Houston, TX",
  "webhookUrl": "https://your-endpoint.com/webhook"
}

Zapier Integration

1. Create a Zapier Webhook trigger (Catch Hook)
2. Copy the webhook URL to webhookUrl
3. Route results to Google Sheets, CRM, Slack, etc.

Popular Zaps:

• BBB data -> Google Sheets (lead qualification database)
• Low-rated businesses -> Slack alert
• Results -> HubSpot CRM (enrich contact records)

Make.com (Integromat)

1. Create a Webhooks module (Custom webhook)
2. Add webhook URL to input
3. Process with Make.com scenarios

n8n Integration

1. Add a Webhook node
2. Configure webhook URL
3. Chain with downstream processing

Apify Scheduled Runs

Schedule recurring runs in Apify Console. Use Apify webhooks or API to fetch results programmatically.

Official API Alternatives

The BBB does not offer a widely available public API.

Alternative reputation data sources:

• Google Maps API - Reviews and ratings
• Yelp Fusion API - Business reviews (has free tier)
• Trustpilot API - Online review platform
• Glassdoor API - Employer reviews (limited access)

FAQ

Q: Do I need a BBB account?

A: No. This scraper uses publicly available BBB data. No login required.

Q: What do BBB ratings mean?

A: BBB ratings reflect complaint history, not customer reviews:

• A+ - Excellent complaint record, all issues resolved
• A/A- - Good record with minor issues
• B+/B/B- - Moderate complaint history
• C+/C/C- - Significant complaints
• D+/D/D- - Poor complaint record
• F - Severe unresolved complaints

Q: How current is the data?

A: Data is scraped in real-time from BBB's current listings. Complaint counts and ratings reflect the live BBB database.

Q: Can I monitor my own BBB profile?

A: Yes. Schedule this actor to run weekly and track changes in your rating, complaints, and reviews over time.

Q: Why are some businesses not found?

A: Not all businesses have BBB profiles. The BBB database covers businesses that have been reported on or have claimed their profile.

Common Problems & Solutions

"Business not found"

• Check the BBB URL format
• Try searching by business name and location instead
• Not all businesses have BBB profiles

"Rate limit exceeded"

• Wait 5-10 minutes and retry
• Reduce maxResults to smaller batches
• Space runs apart

"Demo data showing"

• Set demoMode: false
• No API key or login required

"Incomplete complaint data"

• Some complaints may be sealed or removed by BBB
• Check includeComplaints: true is set

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Built by John Rippy | Actor Arsenal