GroupWhat WhatsApp Groups Scraper

Find public WhatsApp group listings in GroupWhat and export structured invite-link data in minutes.

Use keywords, GroupWhat directory URLs, categories, countries, or languages. The Actor returns names, descriptions, invite URLs, tags, taxonomy, timestamps, and source provenance. It does not join groups, read messages, or require a WhatsApp account.

What does GroupWhat WhatsApp Groups Scraper do?

GroupWhat WhatsApp Groups Scraper reads the public directory at GroupWhat. It turns directory listings into clean JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or RSS-ready records in an Apify Dataset.

You can:

• 🔎 Search public group listings by keyword.
• 🗂️ Crawl a GroupWhat category URL.
• 🌍 Filter groups by country.
• 🗣️ Filter groups by language.
• 🔗 Look up one exact GroupWhat group page.
• 📊 Export invite links with descriptions and tags.
• 🔄 Schedule repeat runs to detect newly listed communities.

Who is it for?

Community researchers

Map public communities around an industry, location, language, or interest. Keep the GroupWhat listing URL so every record has clear provenance.

Growth and partnership teams

Find public communities relevant to a campaign or partnership hypothesis. Review each community before outreach and follow its published rules.

Market intelligence teams

Compare community activity across categories, countries, and languages. Use listing update times and view counts as directory-level signals.

Developers and data teams

Feed normalized public invite-link records into a database, dashboard, or enrichment pipeline. Run the Actor through the API, webhook integrations, schedules, or MCP.

Why use this Actor?

GroupWhat exposes useful public information, but copying listings manually does not scale. This Actor provides a repeatable data contract.

• ✅ No WhatsApp login required.
• ✅ No browser or residential proxy required for the current public data route.
• ✅ Strict URL validation prevents accidental crawling outside GroupWhat.
• ✅ Unknown category, country, and language filters fail clearly.
• ✅ Duplicate listings across queries are removed by stable GroupWhat ID.
• ✅ Per-record charging means output volume is predictable.
• ✅ Source and scrape timestamps support monitoring workflows.

What data can you extract?

Field	Description
listingId	Stable GroupWhat listing ID
name	Public group name
description	Public directory description
inviteUrl	Public chat.whatsapp.com invite URL
inviteCode	Invite code parsed from the URL
listingUrl	Exact GroupWhat detail page
category	GroupWhat category name
categorySlug	Category URL slug
country	GroupWhat country name
countrySlug	Country URL slug
language	GroupWhat language name
languageSlug	Language URL slug
tags	Public listing tags
imageUrl	Public image URL, when requested and available
views	GroupWhat directory view count, when available
memberCount	Public member count, when available
createdAt	Listing creation timestamp
updatedAt	Listing update timestamp
sourceUrl	URL or API route used to find the record
searchQuery	Keyword that found the record, when applicable
scrapedAt	UTC extraction timestamp

How to scrape public GroupWhat WhatsApp groups

1. Open the Actor input page.
2. Add one or more searchQueries, such as business or travel.
3. Optionally add GroupWhat category, country, language, or detail URLs.
4. Add taxonomy filters if you need a narrower dataset.
5. Keep maxItems low for your first run.
6. Choose whether to include image URLs.
7. Click Start.
8. Open the Dataset tab to inspect or export records.

A small first run usually finishes quickly because extraction uses public HTTP endpoints rather than a browser.

Input options

Search queries

searchQueries accepts a list of phrases. GroupWhat searches names, descriptions, and tags on its public directory. Different phrases may return the same listing; the Actor deduplicates it.

Start URLs

startUrls accepts only these public GroupWhat routes:

• https://groupwhat.com/
• https://groupwhat.com/groups/<slug>
• https://groupwhat.com/category/<slug>
• https://groupwhat.com/country/<slug>
• https://groupwhat.com/language/<slug>

Other domains and unsupported paths fail with a clear validation error.

Directory filters

categories, countries, and languages accept either names or slugs. Examples include Business, technology, India, south-africa, English, and Persian. Filters are resolved against GroupWhat's live public taxonomy. A misspelled or unknown value fails closed instead of returning unrelated records.

Output controls

maxItems accepts 1 to 5,000 unique records. includeImages controls whether public image URLs are included. Disabling images shortens records but does not download the image content either way.

Example inputs

Keyword search

{
  "searchQueries": ["business", "entrepreneurship"],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "includeImages": true
}

Category URL

{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://groupwhat.com/category/technology" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 100
}

Country and language monitor

{
  "countries": ["India"],
  "languages": ["English"],
  "maxItems": 250,
  "includeImages": false
}

Exact listing lookup

{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://groupwhat.com/groups/H_KbbUUumm4jpNsiD9_uy" }
  ],
  "maxItems": 1
}

Example output

{
  "listingId": 5433,
  "name": "Ahmedabad Home Ride Wash",
  "description": "Ahmedabad Home ride wash facility available for all the Ahmedabad citizens",
  "inviteUrl": "https://chat.whatsapp.com/LjRAqSHTGIRGCel3iWtdcZ",
  "inviteCode": "LjRAqSHTGIRGCel3iWtdcZ",
  "listingUrl": "https://groupwhat.com/groups/H_KbbUUumm4jpNsiD9_uy",
  "category": "Business",
  "categorySlug": "business",
  "country": "India",
  "countrySlug": "india",
  "language": "English",
  "languageSlug": "english",
  "tags": ["Ahmedabad Home Ride Wash"],
  "views": 2,
  "sourceUrl": "https://groupwhat.com/groups/H_KbbUUumm4jpNsiD9_uy",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-07-18T00:00:00.000Z"
}

Values change as GroupWhat updates its directory. Optional fields are omitted when the source does not provide them.

How much does it cost to scrape GroupWhat WhatsApp groups?

This Actor uses pay-per-event pricing. A small one-time start event covers run initialization. A result event is charged for each unique WhatsApp group saved to the Dataset.

Current prices are:

Apify plan tier	Price per saved group
FREE	$0.000049433
BRONZE	$0.000042985
SILVER	$0.000033528
GOLD	$0.000025791
PLATINUM	$0.000017194
DIAMOND	$0.000012036

The Actor start event is $0.005 per run. A representative 67-record technology-category run cost about $0.0083 at the FREE event rates, including the start event. Always check the live Actor pricing panel for authoritative prices. You are not charged a result event for filtered-out duplicates. Set maxItems to cap output and cost.

Search, filtering, and deduplication

Keyword results can overlap. A group may also appear in both a search query and a category crawl. The Actor uses the stable GroupWhat listing ID to emit each group once per run.

Filters combine as intersections:

• Multiple categories represent allowed categories.
• Multiple countries represent allowed countries.
• Multiple languages represent allowed languages.
• Country and language together require both to match.

This makes targeted monitoring repeatable and prevents silent broadening.

Monitoring newly listed WhatsApp groups

Create an Apify schedule to run the same input hourly, daily, or weekly. Send the resulting Dataset to a webhook or automation platform. Compare listingId or inviteCode against records from the previous run. Use createdAt, updatedAt, and scrapedAt to distinguish source changes from collection time.

A practical workflow:

1. Run one category-and-country input daily.
2. Store stable IDs in your database.
3. Insert IDs you have not seen before.
4. Flag changed updatedAt timestamps for review.
5. Verify an invite remains relevant before contacting or joining a community.

Integrations

Google Sheets

Export the Dataset as CSV or connect Apify to a Sheets workflow. Use one row per public group and deduplicate on listingId.

Zapier or Make

Trigger a scenario when a scheduled run finishes. Filter for new IDs, then send records to a CRM, Slack channel, or review queue.

Webhooks

Attach a run-succeeded webhook and fetch Dataset items through the API. This works well for recurring community-monitoring pipelines.

Databases and BI tools

Load JSON or CSV into PostgreSQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, Airtable, or a dashboard. Keep source URLs for auditability.

API usage with JavaScript

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('automation-lab/groupwhat-whatsapp-groups-scraper').call({
  searchQueries: ['real estate'],
  countries: ['India'],
  maxItems: 100,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

API usage with Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("automation-lab/groupwhat-whatsapp-groups-scraper").call(run_input={
    "searchQueries": ["travel"],
    "languages": ["English"],
    "maxItems": 50,
})

items = client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).list_items().items
print(items)

API usage with cURL

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/automation-lab~groupwhat-whatsapp-groups-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"categories":["Business"],"maxItems":25}'

After the run succeeds, fetch items from its default Dataset endpoint. Never expose an Apify token in client-side code or a public repository.

Use with Apify MCP

Claude Code

Connect this Actor with the exact HTTP transport command:

claude mcp add --transport http apify \
  "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/groupwhat-whatsapp-groups-scraper"

Claude Desktop and Cursor

Add this server to the mcpServers object in Claude Desktop or Cursor:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-groupwhat": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=automation-lab/groupwhat-whatsapp-groups-scraper"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Use the same MCP server URL in your VS Code MCP configuration and authenticate with your Apify account when prompted.

Example prompts:

• “Find 25 public business WhatsApp groups listed in GroupWhat.”
• “Export English-language GroupWhat communities in India as JSON.”
• “Look up this GroupWhat listing URL and return its public invite metadata.”
• “Run my saved community monitor and summarize newly seen listing IDs.”

Tips for reliable results

• Start with 10 to 25 records while refining filters.
• Use exact GroupWhat taxonomy names or slugs.
• Prefer a detail URL when you already know the listing.
• Combine a country and language for focused regional research.
• Use stable listingId values for cross-run deduplication.
• Treat view and member counts as optional source-provided signals.
• Verify public invite links before any outreach workflow.
• Schedule at a respectful frequency; directory content does not require minute-level polling.

Limitations

GroupWhat is a third-party directory and can change its pages, taxonomy, or public endpoints. Listings may be removed, renamed, or updated after extraction. WhatsApp invite links may expire or be revoked by group administrators. The Actor reports public directory data; it does not guarantee that an invite is still active.

Search relevance is determined by GroupWhat's public search service. A query can return fewer records than maxItems. Some groups have no public member count or image. The Actor does not discover private or unlisted groups.

Responsible use and legality

Only public GroupWhat listing metadata is collected. The Actor does not log in to WhatsApp, join groups, enumerate participants, or read messages.

You are responsible for your use of the data. Respect GroupWhat's terms, WhatsApp's terms, community rules, privacy rights, anti-spam laws, and applicable data-protection laws. Do not use invite links for harassment, unsolicited bulk messaging, or attempts to access restricted communities. Review each community's context before outreach.

Troubleshooting

“Unknown category/country/language filter”

Check the spelling or use the slug visible in the corresponding GroupWhat URL. The Actor intentionally fails closed so a typo does not produce a broad unrelated dataset.

“Unsupported start URL”

Use only groupwhat.com homepage, detail, category, country, or language URLs. Remove tracking redirects or unrelated WhatsApp URLs from startUrls.

The Dataset is empty

The query and filter intersection may have no public matches. Try one broader query or remove one filter. A valid zero-match query is not a technical failure.

An invite does not open

Administrators can revoke WhatsApp invite codes after GroupWhat indexed them. Use listingUrl and updatedAt to review the source, then rerun later.

Related scrapers

Choose Google Search Results Scraper when you need broad web discovery beyond GroupWhat. Choose Website Content Crawler when your goal is general website text extraction rather than structured WhatsApp group records.

This Actor is the focused option when GroupWhat taxonomy, listing provenance, and public invite metadata are central to the workflow.

FAQ

Does this Actor join WhatsApp groups?

No. It only reads public listing data and public invite URLs already published by GroupWhat.

Does it read messages or member phone numbers?

No. Messages, member lists, and private WhatsApp data are outside the product scope.

Do I need a WhatsApp account?

No. The current extraction route is anonymous HTTP and does not use WhatsApp Web.

Can I search by country and language together?

Yes. The filters are combined, so each emitted result must match both.

Can I scrape one exact listing?

Yes. Pass its https://groupwhat.com/groups/<slug> URL in startUrls.

Why did I receive fewer results than maxItems?

maxItems is a ceiling, not a promised count. The source may contain fewer matches for your query and filter combination.

Can I monitor changes?

Yes. Schedule repeat runs and compare stable listingId, inviteCode, and updatedAt values.

Are image files downloaded?

No. When enabled, imageUrl stores the public source URL only.

Can I use the output commercially?

That depends on your jurisdiction, purpose, and the relevant platform and community terms. Consult qualified legal advice for your use case.