# NPI Healthcare Provider Directory (NPPES) (`bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search`) Actor

Search the official CMS NPPES NPI Registry by specialty, state, city, ZIP, name or NPI. Searches past the registry's 1,200-result cap are split automatically and deduplicated, so 'all dentists in Texas' works.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search.md
- **Developed by:** [Chris Lucas](https://apify.com/bisketapis) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Other
- **Security:** Limited permissions
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$0.50 / 1,000 providers

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

## NPI Healthcare Provider Directory (NPPES)

Search the official CMS NPPES NPI Registry and get one flat row per US healthcare provider: NPI, name, credential, primary specialty and taxonomy code, license number and state, practice address, phone, fax, enumeration date, last update and status, plus the link to the provider's registry page.

The registry itself stops at 1,200 results per search. This actor does not. When a search hits that cap it splits the query automatically (by ZIP prefix, then by provider type, then by last-name prefix), merges the pieces and removes duplicates by NPI, so "all dentists in Texas" returns the whole list instead of the first 1,200.

Data comes only from the public registry. Only the practice location the registry publishes is returned (not the mailing address), and nothing is enriched from other sources.

### Input

| Field | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| `taxonomy` | Specialty text matched against NPPES taxonomy descriptions. One per line. | `Dentist`, `Cardiology`, `Pharmacy` |
| `states` | 2-letter practice states | `TX` |
| `cities` | City names, `*` wildcard allowed | `Austin`, `Aus*` |
| `postalCodes` | 5-digit ZIPs or 2-4 digit prefixes | `78701`, `787` |
| `entityType` | `any`, `individual`, `organization` | `individual` |
| `organizationName`, `firstName`, `lastName` | Name searches, `*` wildcard (2+ leading characters) | `Walgreens*` |
| `npis` | Look up specific NPIs | `1154494250` |
| `maxItems` | Cap on unique providers (default 200) | `5000` |
| `autoSplit` | Split searches past the 1,200 cap (default on) | `true` |

A state alone is rejected by the registry; combine it with a specialty, city, ZIP or name.

```json
{ "taxonomy": ["Dentist"], "states": ["TX"], "cities": ["Austin"], "maxItems": 100 }
```

### Output (one row per provider)

```json
{
  "npi": "1013125558",
  "entityType": "organization",
  "name": "8118 DENTAL PROFESSIONALS PLLC",
  "organizationName": "8118 DENTAL PROFESSIONALS PLLC",
  "credential": null,
  "primaryTaxonomy": "Dentist",
  "taxonomyCode": "122300000X",
  "practiceAddress": "8118 SHOAL CREEK",
  "city": "AUSTIN",
  "state": "TX",
  "zip": "78757",
  "practicePhone": "512-452-8262",
  "fax": "512-420-8265",
  "enumerationDate": "2007-05-18",
  "lastUpdated": "2023-05-16",
  "status": "A",
  "url": "https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1013125558",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-11-03T20:08:21+00:00"
}
```

Individuals also fill `firstName`, `lastName` and `credential`. `allTaxonomies` lists every specialty on the record.

### Pricing

Pay per event: **$0.0005 per provider** (about **$0.50 per 1,000**). No start fee. You are charged only for rows delivered; failed or empty searches cost nothing.

### Use cases

Healthcare B2B sales lists, credentialing and provider-data checks, directory building, market sizing by specialty and ZIP, verifying an NPI.

### FAQ

**How fresh is it?** It reads the live registry on every run. `lastUpdated` is the provider's own last update date.
**Why does a specialty search return some unrelated people?** The registry matches the text against every taxonomy on a record, not only the primary one. Filter on `primaryTaxonomy` if you want primary only.
**Emails?** The registry does not publish them, so there are none.
**Is it allowed?** The NPPES registry is public data published by CMS for free use.

### Limits

- A single search cannot be split below one ZIP, one provider type and one two-letter last-name prefix; if that still exceeds 1,200 the run reports it in the run summary (`capped`).
- Matches on ZIP or city use any address on the record, so a few rows may have a practice location outside the searched ZIP.
- Phone and fax are as entered by the provider; many are blank.

# Actor input Schema

## `taxonomy` (type: `array`):

Specialty text, matched against NPPES taxonomy descriptions (for example Dentist, Cardiology, Nurse Practitioner, Pharmacy, Physical Therapist). One per line; each runs as its own search.

## `states` (type: `array`):

Two-letter state codes of the practice location. One per line. A state alone is not enough; combine it with a specialty, city, ZIP or name.

## `cities` (type: `array`):

Optional. City names; a trailing \* works as a wildcard (Aus\*).

## `postalCodes` (type: `array`):

Optional. 5-digit ZIPs, or 2 to 4 digits to match a ZIP prefix.

## `entityType` (type: `string`):

Individuals are NPI-1, organizations are NPI-2.

## `organizationName` (type: `string`):

Optional. Organization name; a trailing \* works as a wildcard (at least 2 leading characters).

## `firstName` (type: `string`):

Optional. Individual providers only.

## `lastName` (type: `string`):

Optional. Individual providers only. A trailing \* works as a wildcard.

## `npis` (type: `array`):

Optional. Look up specific 10-digit NPIs. When set, the other search fields are ignored.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many unique providers.

## `autoSplit` (type: `boolean`):

The registry returns at most 1,200 results per query. When a search hits that cap, split it by ZIP prefix (then provider type, then last-name prefix) and merge the results without duplicates.

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

Concurrent requests to the registry. Keep low; it is a free public service.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "taxonomy": [
    "Dentist"
  ],
  "states": [
    "TX"
  ],
  "cities": [
    "Austin"
  ],
  "entityType": "any",
  "maxItems": 200,
  "autoSplit": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 3
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

One row per provider (NPI).

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

Queries run, splits, errors, http counts.

# 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 = {
    "taxonomy": [
        "Dentist"
    ],
    "states": [
        "TX"
    ],
    "cities": [
        "Austin"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search").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 = {
    "taxonomy": ["Dentist"],
    "states": ["TX"],
    "cities": ["Austin"],
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search").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 '{
  "taxonomy": [
    "Dentist"
  ],
  "states": [
    "TX"
  ],
  "cities": [
    "Austin"
  ]
}' |
apify call bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,bisketapis/npi-healthcare-provider-search"
        }
    }
}
```

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/dUuHLyY9a1UiMpqoy/builds/nDt9q9WnKoKENMBkP/openapi.json