Cran R Packages Scraper

CRAN R Packages Scraper: R Package Metadata & Stats

CRAN R Packages Scraper lets you easily gather metadata, release history, and download stats for public R packages. Just plug in package names like ggplot2 or dplyr, choose what details you want to extract, and export structured rows directly to JSON, CSV, or Excel on Apify.

Whether you're running a quick audit on dependencies or setting up a recurring inventory to track package adoption, this tool handles the heavy lifting smoothly.

Use Cases

• Package Lookups: Quickly extract key information such as package titles, versions, licenses, maintainers, and import dependencies for any list of CRAN packages.
• Release Tracking: Review all past published versions of a given package in one clean dataset without jumping around manual web pages.
• Download Metrics: Record download metrics over recent days, weeks, months, or custom date windows to track usage trends.
• Dependency Auditing: Keep imported dependencies linked to each package name for lightweight supply chain or repository reviews.
• Data Exports: Download structured datasets straight into CSV, JSON, or Excel format whenever your run finishes.
• Scheduled Monitoring: Set up recurring runs to automatically maintain an up-to-date inventory of your critical R dependencies.

Data Extracted

Depending on the mode you select, the scraper collects structured records across three primary focus areas:

• Metadata: Collects core package details including title, version, description, license, maintainer, publication date, and dependency lists.
• Version History: Lists historical releases for specified packages to track updates over time.
• Downloads: Summarizes download metrics across standard or custom timeframes.

Input Setup

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
mode	string	package	Choose between metadata, version history, or download totals.
packages	array	ggplot2, dplyr	List of CRAN package names to query.
period	string	last-month	Download range: last-day, last-week, last-month, or custom YYYY-MM-DD:YYYY-MM-DD.
requestDelaySecs	number	1	Pause duration between requests to keep execution steady.
userAgent	string	Custom User Agent	Identifier sent with outgoing network requests.
timeoutSecs	integer	300	Overall run duration limit in seconds.
requestTimeoutSecs	integer	30	Timeout duration for individual request calls.
proxyConfiguration	object	{}	Optional proxy configuration settings.

Example Input

{
  "mode": "package",
  "packages": ["ggplot2", "dplyr"],
  "period": "last-month",
  "requestDelaySecs": 1,
  "userAgent": "",
  "timeoutSecs": 300,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": {}
}

Dataset Output

Output data is sent directly to your dataset. Here is a typical output record for package metadata:

{
  "Package": "ggplot2",
  "Title": "Create Elegant Data Visualisations Using the Grammar of Graphics",
  "Version": "4.0.3",
  "Description": "A system for declaratively creating graphics, based on The Grammar of Graphics.",
  "License": "MIT + file LICENSE",
  "URL": "[https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org](https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org)",
  "Maintainer": "Thomas Lin Pedersen <thomas.pedersen@posit.co>",
  "Imports": {
    "cli": "*",
    "rlang": ">= 1.1.0"
  },
  "Date_Publication": "2026-04-22 09:10:03 UTC",
  "downloads_last_month": null,
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-12T00:00:00+00:00"
}

Field	Type	Description
Package	string	Name of the CRAN package.
Title	string	Official short title of the package.
Version	string	Current version number.
Description	string	Summary description of the package purpose.
License	string	Applicable software license terms.
URL	string	Official website or repository URL.
Maintainer	string	Listed primary maintainer or author contact.
Imports	object	Map of required package dependencies.
Date_Publication	string	Timestamp of the release publication.
downloads_last_month	integer	Download count recorded for your specified timeframe.
scraped_at	string	UTC timestamp indicating when the data was extracted.

If a package name is typed incorrectly or cannot be located, the run logs a clear error record with details while continuing through the rest of your package list uninterrupted.

How It Works

1. Parses your input list, mode selection, and time period filters.
2. Formats incoming requests and executes queries sequentially with custom delays.
3. Maps returned structure into standardized key-value outputs.
4. Streams structured records directly into your output dataset for easy viewing and export.

FAQ

Can I export my results as CSV or Excel?

Yes. Once your run completes, you can export the output dataset directly as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML from the dataset tab.

What happens if a package name isn't found?

If a package name is invalid or missing, an error record is saved for that specific item, and the scraper continues processing the remaining package list.

Which download ranges can I specify?

You can set predefined ranges like last-day, last-week, or last-month, or specify custom date ranges formatted as YYYY-MM-DD:YYYY-MM-DD.

Trademark Notice

CRAN R Packages and related names, logos, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Their use in this documentation is solely to identify the target software ecosystem and does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, or endorsement.

Disclaimer

This tool is an independent scraper and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CRAN R Packages or its maintainers. All data is gathered from publicly available ecosystem records. Users are responsible for complying with relevant usage guidelines, rates, and attribution guidelines.

Is web scraping legal?

This scraper only collects publicly available data from CRAN R Packages without bypassing any access restrictions. Extracting public data is generally legal, though how you utilize the extracted datasets remains your responsibility:

• Personal Data: If extracted records contain personal details (such as developer names or contact email addresses), compliance regulations such as GDPR or CCPA may apply depending on your region. Collect and process personal data only when you have a clear, legitimate reason to do so.
• Copyright: Descriptions, documentation text, and software materials may fall under specific software licenses or copyrights. Ensure you respect license terms when reusing content.
• Terms & Usage: Be respectful of target site guidelines, request frequencies, and attribution requirements.
• Legal Advice: This overview provides general guidance and is not formal legal advice. Please consult qualified legal counsel if you have specific compliance questions.

To learn more, read Apify's guide: Is web scraping legal?