# Bulk PageSpeed & Core Web Vitals Auditor (Lab + CrUX) (`birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor`) Actor

Audit many URLs with Google PageSpeed Insights in one run. Get Lighthouse scores, lab metrics (LCP, CLS, TBT, FCP, Speed Index, TTI) and real-user Chrome UX Report data (LCP, INP, CLS, FCP, TTFB) with pass/fail against Google's thresholds. One flat row per URL and device.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor.md
- **Developed by:** [Birchwood Data](https://apify.com/birchwood-data) (community)
- **Categories:** SEO tools, Developer tools, Automation
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $6.00 / 1,000 url auditeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Bulk PageSpeed & Core Web Vitals Auditor (Lab + CrUX)

Run Google **PageSpeed Insights** on a whole list of URLs in one go. For each URL and device you get one flat row with:

- **Lighthouse scores** for Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices and SEO (0–100)
- **Lab metrics**: LCP, CLS, TBT, FCP, Speed Index, TTI
- **Real-user field data** from the Chrome UX Report (CrUX): p75 **LCP, INP, CLS, FCP and TTFB**, for the URL and for the whole origin, each rated *good / needs-improvement / poor* against Google's thresholds, plus an overall Core Web Vitals **passed/failed** result
- The **top opportunities** (sorted by estimated savings) and failing **diagnostics**
- `fetchedAt` and a clear error message for any URL that failed

It uses Google's official PageSpeed Insights v5 API and, if you turn it on, the Chrome UX Report API. It doesn't scrape anything and doesn't need a browser or proxies.

### Why field data matters

Lab tests (Lighthouse) simulate a single page load, so they **can't measure INP** (Interaction to Next Paint). INP needs real user interactions. Google's Core Web Vitals assessment is based on real-user CrUX data at the 75th percentile, and this Actor puts that data next to the lab scores so you can see both in the same row.

### Use cases

- SEO or agency audits of a client's key pages, mobile and desktop
- Comparing your Core Web Vitals with competitors' sites
- Regression checks after a deploy (schedule the Actor and compare runs)
- Finding which pages in a list fail CWV and the biggest fixes for each
- Feeding scores into Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Make, Zapier or n8n through Apify integrations

### Input

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `urls` (required) | Pages to audit. `https://` is added if it's missing. |
| `strategy` | `mobile` (default), `desktop`, or `both`. `both` returns two rows per URL. |
| `categories` | Any of `performance`, `accessibility`, `best-practices`, `seo`. All four are on by default. |
| `includeFieldData` | Real-user CrUX data from PSI (default on). |
| `useCruxApi` | Also queries the CrUX API directly. Adds `cruxUrl*` / `cruxOrigin*` columns and the collection period. Needs an API key with the Chrome UX Report API enabled. |
| `googleApiKey` | Optional **secret** field for your own Google API key. If you leave it empty, the Actor uses its built-in key, if one is configured. |
| `maxConcurrency` | Number of parallel audits, 1–10 (default 4). |
| `requestTimeoutSecs` | Timeout per request, 30–180 s (default 90). |
| `maxOpportunities` | How many opportunities and diagnostics to keep per row (default 5). |

```json
{
  "urls": ["https://web.dev/", "https://www.wikipedia.org/"],
  "strategy": "both",
  "categories": ["performance", "seo"],
  "includeFieldData": true
}
```

### Output

One dataset item per URL × strategy. The example below is illustrative only and uses **synthetic values, not a real measurement**:

```json
{
  "url": "https://fixture.example/",
  "finalUrl": "https://fixture.example/",
  "strategy": "mobile",
  "status": "ok",
  "performanceScore": 87, "accessibilityScore": 95, "bestPracticesScore": 100, "seoScore": 90,
  "labLcpMs": 2812, "labCls": 0.0421, "labTbtMs": 151, "labFcpMs": 1204, "labSpeedIndexMs": 2100, "labTtiMs": 3901,
  "fieldUrlLcpP75": 2300, "fieldUrlLcpRating": "good",
  "fieldUrlInpP75": 250, "fieldUrlInpRating": "needs-improvement",
  "fieldUrlClsP75": 0.05, "fieldUrlClsRating": "good",
  "fieldUrlFcpP75": 1900, "fieldUrlTtfbP75": 700,
  "fieldUrlCwvAssessment": "failed",
  "fieldOriginLcpP75": 2000, "fieldOriginCwvAssessment": "failed",
  "hasFieldData": true,
  "topOpportunities": [{"id": "unused-javascript", "title": "Reduce unused JavaScript", "savingsMs": 900, "savingsBytes": 120000}],
  "topDiagnostics": [{"id": "mainthread-work-breakdown", "title": "Minimize main-thread work", "score": 0.2, "displayValue": "4.1 s"}],
  "opportunitiesSummary": "Reduce unused JavaScript (~900 ms); Eliminate render-blocking resources (~450 ms)",
  "lighthouseVersion": "12.0.0",
  "fetchedAt": "2026-11-04T23:55:00+00:00",
  "errorCode": null, "errorMessage": null
}
```

Every field-data metric comes with `...P75` and `...Rating` columns, for `fieldUrl`, `fieldOrigin`, and (if you turn on the CrUX API) `cruxUrl` and `cruxOrigin`. Times are in milliseconds, and CLS has no unit.

**Thresholds used (Google, p75):**

| Metric | Good | Poor |
|---|---|---|
| LCP | ≤ 2500 ms | > 4000 ms |
| INP | ≤ 200 ms | > 500 ms |
| CLS | ≤ 0.1 | > 0.25 |
| FCP | ≤ 1800 ms | > 3000 ms |
| TTFB | ≤ 800 ms | > 1800 ms |

`CwvAssessment` is `passed` when LCP, INP and CLS are all *good*. If INP is missing, LCP and CLS decide on their own. When there's no data the field is `null`.

**Values are never made up.** When Google returns nothing for a metric, its column is `null`. If PSI quietly swaps in origin data for a URL (`origin_fallback`), the URL-level columns stay `null` and the origin data appears only in the `fieldOrigin*` columns.

Failed URLs get a row with `status: "error"`, plus `errorCode` (the HTTP status) and `errorMessage` (Google's message). The key-value store has a `RUN_SUMMARY` record with the counts.

### Pricing (pay per event)

| Event | Price | When it's charged |
|---|---|---|
| `audit` | $0.006 | Each successful URL × strategy row |
| `field-data` | $0.002 | Added only when that row actually contains real-user CrUX data |

- **Failed URLs aren't charged.**
- A mobile + desktop audit of one URL with field data costs 2 × ($0.006 + $0.002) = $0.016.
- The Actor respects your **maximum cost per run**: it stops cleanly before going over the limit, and everything saved up to that point stays in the dataset.

### Limits and quota notes

- Each PageSpeed audit runs on Google's servers and takes roughly 10–30 s per URL (observed in our Nov 2026 tests). A test run with the default 2 URLs on mobile finished in about 32 s on Apify. Concurrency is kept modest on purpose.
- Opportunities include both classic Lighthouse audits and the newer Lighthouse 13 "insights" (e.g. *Render-blocking requests*). Google currently returns Lighthouse 13.x.
- Google may return a cached result if the same URL and device were audited in the last few minutes, so back-to-back runs can show identical numbers.
- Google enforces PSI and CrUX **API quotas per Google Cloud project**. Without a key, Google often rejects requests with `429 Quota exceeded`, and those rows show up as errors and aren't charged. For large or frequent runs, **add your own free API key** in `googleApiKey` so you use your own quota. You can see your quota in the Google Cloud console.
- The Actor retries 429/5xx errors and network errors with capped backoff. It saves each result as soon as it's ready, and it stops gracefully before the run timeout.
- CrUX only has field data for pages and origins with enough Chrome traffic. Small sites often have none.
- Lighthouse scores vary from run to run, so compare trends rather than single numbers.

### FAQ

**Do I need a Google API key?** Not if the Actor has a built-in key configured. Adding your own makes sure you don't run into shared quota limits. To get one, go to Google Cloud console → APIs & Services, enable the "PageSpeed Insights API" (and "Chrome UX Report API" if you use `useCruxApi`), then create an API key.

**Is my key stored?** It's a secret input field: Apify encrypts it, and the Actor never writes it to the dataset or the logs.

**Why is field data empty?** Google has no CrUX data for that URL or origin, usually because there isn't enough traffic. In that case you only pay for the `audit` event.

**Why do my scores differ from pagespeed.web.dev?** It's the same API, but Lighthouse results naturally vary between runs.

**Can it audit pages behind a login?** No. PageSpeed Insights can only load public URLs.

# Actor input Schema

## `urls` (type: `array`):

Pages to audit, one per line. 'https://' is added if missing. Duplicates are removed.

## `strategy` (type: `string`):

Lighthouse device emulation. 'both' runs mobile and desktop and returns two rows per URL (each charged as one audit).

## `categories` (type: `array`):

Which Lighthouse category scores to compute. Fewer categories = faster audits.

## `includeFieldData` (type: `boolean`):

Adds Chrome UX Report p75 LCP, INP, CLS, FCP and TTFB at URL and origin level (from PageSpeed Insights) with Google good / needs-improvement / poor ratings. Low-traffic sites often have no field data; then these columns are empty and no field-data charge applies.

## `useCruxApi` (type: `boolean`):

Adds cruxUrl\*/cruxOrigin\* columns from the Chrome UX Report API (28-day rolling window, includes collection period). Requires an API key with the Chrome UX Report API enabled. Two extra API calls per row.

## `googleApiKey` (type: `string`):

Your own free Google Cloud API key with the PageSpeed Insights API (and optionally Chrome UX Report API) enabled. Uses your quota instead of the shared one. If empty, the Actor uses its GOOGLE_API_KEY environment variable.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Parallel PageSpeed requests (1-10). Each audit takes roughly 10-40 s on Google's side.

## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Per-request timeout for the PageSpeed API (30-180). Slow pages may need more.

## `maxOpportunities` (type: `integer`):

How many opportunities (sorted by estimated savings) and failing diagnostics to include per row.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "urls": [
    "https://web.dev/",
    "https://www.wikipedia.org/"
  ],
  "strategy": "mobile",
  "categories": [
    "performance",
    "accessibility",
    "best-practices",
    "seo"
  ],
  "includeFieldData": true,
  "useCruxApi": false,
  "maxConcurrency": 4,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 90,
  "maxOpportunities": 5
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All audit rows (overview view).

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

Counts of successful, failed and skipped audits.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "urls": [
        "https://web.dev/",
        "https://www.wikipedia.org/"
    ],
    "categories": [
        "performance",
        "accessibility",
        "best-practices",
        "seo"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor").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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "urls": [
        "https://web.dev/",
        "https://www.wikipedia.org/",
    ],
    "categories": [
        "performance",
        "accessibility",
        "best-practices",
        "seo",
    ],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor").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 '{
  "urls": [
    "https://web.dev/",
    "https://www.wikipedia.org/"
  ],
  "categories": [
    "performance",
    "accessibility",
    "best-practices",
    "seo"
  ]
}' |
apify call birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,birchwood-data/pagespeed-cwv-auditor"
        }
    }
}
```

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 <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` 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/MXNSZLRY20H037xLg/builds/TJ0MtfIyfThWIC4qa/openapi.json