` elements.
Other limits:
- 5 MB maximum downloaded HTML response per page
- 5 safe redirects per URL
- 50 pages, 50 tables per page, and 5,000 data rows per table
- 100 expanded columns per source cell's `colspan`
- one shared CSS selector for all supplied pages
- one worksheet per successful page, not one worksheet per table
If a site blocks anonymous HTTP access, the URL returns an `error` record and does not stop other pages.
### Tips for reliable exports
- Inspect the page source to confirm the data uses actual `
` elements.
- Start with a narrow selector when a page contains navigation or layout tables.
- Use `maxTablesPerPage: 1` when only the primary table matters.
- Keep source pages grouped by a selector they share.
- Use `none` when text that resembles numbers must remain exactly textual.
- Review formulas before using a generated workbook for financial decisions.
- Schedule at a respectful frequency and follow the source website's terms.
### HTML table to CSV, JSON, and Markdown
The default dataset can be downloaded from Apify as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or other platform-supported formats. The Actor's custom file deliverable is XLSX.
It does **not** generate a bespoke Markdown file or preserve visual CSS styling from the source page. If your job is specifically HTML table to CSV, the dataset's CSV export may be useful, but nested multi-table records are best consumed as JSON or through `OUTPUT.xlsx`.
### Legality and responsible use
Only process public pages you are authorized to access. Respect website terms, robots policies where applicable, intellectual-property rights, database rights, privacy law, and rate limits. Avoid collecting personal or sensitive information without a lawful purpose.
The Actor blocks local and private network destinations to reduce server-side request forgery risk. It does not bypass authentication or access controls.
### FAQ and troubleshooting
#### Why did I receive `no_tables`?
The page downloaded successfully, but no native `` matched `tableSelector`. Confirm the selector in browser developer tools and check whether the visible grid is rendered later by JavaScript.
#### Why did one URL fail while the run succeeded?
Errors are bounded per URL by design. Check that record's `error` field for HTTP status, timeout, content type, private-address rejection, response-size limit, or redirect details.
#### Why are some numbers still text?
Values containing units, footnotes, dates, ranges, or nonstandard separators remain text to avoid destructive guessing. Plain currencies, percentages, and conventional numbers are converted conservatively.
#### Why does a merged source cell repeat?
`rowspan` and `colspan` are expanded into rectangular workbook cells so row and column positions remain machine-readable. The repeated value represents the source cell's covered grid area.
#### Can it export pages requiring login?
No. The supported scope is anonymous public webpages with server-rendered native HTML tables.
### Related automation-lab Actors
- [CSV & Excel Data Quality Cleaner](https://apify.com/automation-lab/csv-excel-data-quality-cleaner) — normalize, validate, and deduplicate tabular files after export.
- [Dataset Dedup](https://apify.com/automation-lab/dataset-dedup) — remove duplicate records from downstream datasets.
Use this Actor for webpage-table extraction, then apply a related utility only when the downstream workflow requires additional cleanup.
### Changelog
See the Actor's **Changelog** tab for customer-facing release notes.
# Actor input Schema
## `startUrls` (type: `array`):
Public HTTP(S) webpages containing native HTML table elements. Pages requiring login or browser interaction are not supported.
## `tableSelector` (type: `string`):
Optional CSS selector used to choose tables on every page. Keep the default to export all native HTML tables.
## `summaryMode` (type: `string`):
Add sum or average formulas below numeric columns in every exported table, or add no summary row.
## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):
Maximum number of supplied URLs processed in this run. Extra URLs are ignored.
## `maxTablesPerPage` (type: `integer`):
Maximum number of matching tables exported from each webpage.
## `maxRowsPerTable` (type: `integer`):
Maximum data rows exported from each table, excluding detected header rows.
## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):
Seconds allowed for each webpage request before it is recorded as a bounded URL error.
## Actor input object example
```json
{
"startUrls": [
{
"url": "https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_tables.asp"
}
],
"tableSelector": "table",
"summaryMode": "none",
"maxPages": 10,
"maxTablesPerPage": 20,
"maxRowsPerTable": 20,
"requestTimeoutSecs": 30
}
```
# Actor output Schema
## `workbook` (type: `string`):
Download the generated XLSX workbook.
## `dataset` (type: `string`):
Dataset containing source metadata, ordered table data, and bounded per-URL errors.
# 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 = {
"startUrls": [
{
"url": "https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_tables.asp"
}
],
"tableSelector": "table",
"summaryMode": "none",
"maxRowsPerTable": 20
};
// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("automation-lab/html-table-to-excel-exporter").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 = {
"startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.w3schools.com/html/html_tables.asp" }],
"tableSelector": "table",
"summaryMode": "none",
"maxRowsPerTable": 20,
}
# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("automation-lab/html-table-to-excel-exporter").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://www.w3schools.com/html/html_tables.asp"
}
],
"tableSelector": "table",
"summaryMode": "none",
"maxRowsPerTable": 20
}' |
apify call automation-lab/html-table-to-excel-exporter --silent --output-dataset
```
## MCP server setup
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apify": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,automation-lab/html-table-to-excel-exporter"
}
}
}
```
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 ` 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/UBFi6TWFEUBbcaywO/builds/0OTucARJf8aycLhAZ/openapi.json