# ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper (`blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper`) Actor

Scrape consumer reviews from consumeraffairs.com for any US company. Export each review with star rating, date and reviewer name plus the company's overall rating as structured data. Incremental mode returns only new or changed reviews on repeat runs.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Black Falcon Data](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $4.47 / 1,000 results

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

### What does ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper do?

ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper extracts structured company data from [consumeraffairs.com](https://consumeraffairs.com) — including seller ratings. It supports keyword search and controllable result limits, so you can run the same query consistently over time.

### How to use this actor

- 👉 **Register for a free Apify account** — no credit card required.
- 🎉 Just click **[Sign up free on Apify →](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi)** and complete a quick signup.
- 💰 A free Apify account includes $5 in monthly credits — enough to test this actor.
- ⏳ Scrape during the free trial, with no commitment or upfront payment required.

### Key features

- **🏢 Employer details:** `companyName`, `companyUrl` and `companyLogo` name the employer behind each record.
- **⭐ Ratings and review counts:** `rating` for every record that has them.
- **🖼️ Images:** `images` with every image URL, not just the thumbnail.
- **🔍 Keyword search:** search consumeraffairs.com by keyword with the `query` input.
- **🔗 Paste-mode:** paste consumeraffairs.com URLs into `startUrls` to scrape exactly the pages you picked in the browser.
- **↕️ Sort order:** choose the result order with the `sortBy` input.
- **♻️ Incremental mode:** recurring runs emit only directory entries that are new or updated — keep your supplier-outreach lists fresh without re-fetching the full directory. Saves 80–95% on weekly syncs.
- **🔔 Notifications:** Telegram, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp Cloud API, and generic webhook out of the box. Pair with incremental for daily new-listing alerts without pipeline glue.
- **📦 Compact mode:** compact directory entries — name, contact, location, industry — ready to import into your CRM or outreach tool.
- **🔌 MCP connectors:** push your leads into Notion via Apify's MCP connectors — a tidy run-summary page, no export step, no glue code. Opt-in, deterministic field-mapping (no AI). More destinations as Apify's connector catalog grows.

### What data can you extract from consumeraffairs.com?

Each result includes Core company fields (`listingId`, `reviewId`, `title`, `entityName`, `location`, `url`, `portalUrl`, and `rating`, and more), extended fields (`detailFetched`), and company metadata (`companyResponse`, `companyResponseDate`, `companyName`, and `companyUrl`). In standard mode, all fields are always present — unavailable data points are returned as `null`, never omitted. In compact mode, only core fields are returned.

### Input

The main inputs are a search keyword and a result limit. Additional filters and options are available in the input schema.

Key parameters:

- **`query`** — Company name as listed on ConsumerAffairs (e.g. "Verizon Wireless"). Use a JSON array for several companies: \["Verizon Wireless","T-Mobile"]. Required if no start URLs are provided.
- **`maxResults`** — Maximum total reviews (0 = every listed review). (default: `100`)
- **`startUrls`** — Paste ConsumerAffairs company profile URLs (e.g. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/verizon_wireless.html). Each URL becomes its own task; reviews are merged and deduped by review ID across all URLs. When provided, start URLs REPLACE the company field. (default: `[]`)
- **`maxReviewsPerCompany`** — Stop after this many reviews for each company, so one large company does not use up Max Reviews for the rest. 0 = no per-company limit. (default: `0`)
- **`reviewsSince`** — Only reviews dated on or after this day (YYYY-MM-DD). When sorted newest first, reading stops at the first page of older reviews. Leave empty for every review.
- **`sortBy`** — Order the reviews are read in: newest first, oldest first, most helpful, or the site's top reviews. Max Reviews keeps the first ones in this order. (default: `"recent"`)
- **`starRatings`** — Only reviews with these star ratings, e.g. 1 and 2 for complaints. Leave empty for every rating. (default: `[]`)
- **`reviewTextMaxLength`** — Truncate the review body to N characters. 0 = full text. (default: `0`)
- **`compact`** — Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows). (default: `false`)
- **`excludeEmptyFields`** — Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards. (default: `false`)
- **`incrementalMode`** — Compare against the previous run and return only new or changed reviews. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from the companies / start URLs you asked for, so different inputs never share state. (default: `false`)
- **`stateKey`** — Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked set of reviews. Leave empty to auto-generate from the company / start URLs.
- ...and 16 more parameters

### Input examples

**Basic search** — Keyword-driven search with a result cap.

→ Full payload per result — all standard fields populated where the source provides them.

```json
{
  "query": "Verizon Wireless",
  "maxResults": 50
}
```

**Incremental tracking** — Only emit records that changed since the previous run with this `stateKey`.

→ First run builds the baseline state. Subsequent runs emit only records that are new or whose tracked content changed. Set `emitUnchanged: true` to include unchanged records as well.

```json
{
  "query": "Verizon Wireless",
  "maxResults": 200,
  "incrementalMode": true,
  "stateKey": "verizon-wireless-tracker"
}
```

**Compact output for AI agents** — Return only core fields for AI-agent and MCP workflows.

→ Small payload with the most important fields — ideal for piping into LLMs without token overhead.

```json
{
  "query": "Verizon Wireless",
  "maxResults": 50,
  "compact": true
}
```

### Output

Each run produces a dataset of structured company records. Results can be downloaded as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the Dataset tab in Apify Console.

### Example company record

```json
{
  "listingId": "5060bd866061847de68df76385d061e5fa871ad6b01991cc8b05a3696b5f3b3c",
  "reviewId": "14072832",
  "title": "Verizon Wireless",
  "entityName": "Verizon Wireless",
  "location": "Valparaiso, IN",
  "url": "https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/verizon_wireless.html#review=14072832",
  "portalUrl": "https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/verizon_wireless.html#review=14072832",
  "rating": 1,
  "reviewDate": "2026-10-13",
  "reviewDateText": "Reviewed Oct. 13, 2026",
  "reviewUpdated": false,
  "verifiedPurchase": false,
  "helpfulCount": 0,
  "tags": [
    "Customer Service"
  ],
  "text": "If I could leave less than 1, I would. I finally decided to upgrade my phone and ordered it online. It’s a free overnight shipping so it says. Evidently, you have to be home and available from 0800am...",
  "authorName": "Angela",
  "authorLocation": "Valparaiso, IN",
  "companyName": "Verizon Wireless",
  "companyUrl": "https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/verizon_wireless.html",
  "companyRating": 1.3,
  "companyRatingCount": 9675,
  "companyCategory": "Cell Phones",
  "companyCategoryUrl": "https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/",
  "companyLogo": "https://cdn-mediahub.consumeraffairs.com/verizon-wireless_logo_21830/o/130/x.webp",
  "companyAccredited": false,
  "page": 1,
  "position": 1,
  "searchQuery": "Verizon Wireless",
  "contentQuality": "full",
  "detailFetched": false,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-13T14:46:47.582Z",
  "source": "consumeraffairs.com",
  "contentHash": "67717ecb4f67928f11a51563336a2f6e3879e3aa2a9baf1fc907672e64e38385"
}
```

### Incremental fields

When incremental mode is on, each record also carries:

- `changeType` — one of `NEW`, `UPDATED`, `REAPPEARED`.
- `isRepost`, `repostOfId`, `repostDetectedAt` — populated when a new listing matches the tracked content of a previously expired one. Set `skipReposts: true` to drop detected reposts from the output.

### How to scrape consumeraffairs.com

1. Go to [ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper?fpr=1h3gvi) in Apify Console.
2. Enter a search keyword.
3. Set `maxResults` to control how many results you need.
4. Click **Start** and wait for the run to finish.
5. Export the dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

### Use cases

- Extract company data from consumeraffairs.com for market research and competitive analysis.
- Monitor new and changed records on scheduled runs without processing the full dataset every time.
- Feed structured data into AI agents, MCP tools, and automated pipelines using compact mode.
- Export clean, structured data to dashboards, spreadsheets, or data warehouses.
- Benchmark seller / dealer reputation using rating fields.

### How much does it cost to scrape consumeraffairs.com?

Pricing for ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper has not been finalized yet. It will be published here before the actor becomes publicly available.

You only use your normal Apify platform resources when you run the actor from your own account.

### FAQ

#### How many results can I get from consumeraffairs.com?

The number of results depends on the search query and available records on consumeraffairs.com. Use the `maxResults` parameter to control how many results are returned per run.

#### Does ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper support recurring monitoring?

Yes. Enable incremental mode to only receive new or changed records on subsequent runs. This is ideal for scheduled monitoring where you want to track changes over time without re-processing the full dataset.

#### Can I integrate ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper with other apps?

Yes. ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper works with Apify's [integrations](https://apify.com/integrations?fpr=1h3gvi) to connect with tools like Zapier, Make, Google Sheets, Slack, and more. You can also use webhooks to trigger actions when a run completes.

#### Can I use ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper with the Apify API?

Yes. You can start runs, manage inputs, and retrieve results programmatically through the [Apify API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2). Client libraries are available for JavaScript, Python, and other languages.

#### Can I use ConsumerAffairs Reviews Scraper through an MCP Server?

Yes. Apify provides an [MCP Server](https://apify.com/apify/actors-mcp-server?fpr=1h3gvi) that lets AI assistants and agents call this actor directly. Use compact mode, a single `descriptionFormat`, and `excludeEmptyFields` to keep payloads manageable for LLM context windows.

#### Is it legal to scrape consumeraffairs.com?

This actor extracts publicly available data from consumeraffairs.com. Web scraping of public information is generally considered legal, but you should always review the target site's terms of service and ensure your use case complies with applicable laws and regulations, including GDPR where relevant.

#### Your feedback

If you have questions, need a feature, or found a bug, please [open an issue](https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper/issues?fpr=1h3gvi) on the actor's page in Apify Console. Your feedback helps us improve.

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### Getting started with Apify

New to Apify? [Create a free account with $5 credit](https://console.apify.com/sign-up?fpr=1h3gvi) — no credit card required.

1. Sign up — $5 platform credit included
2. Open this actor and configure your input
3. Click **Start** — export results as JSON, CSV, or Excel

Need more later? [See Apify pricing](https://apify.com/pricing?fpr=1h3gvi).

### Disclaimer

This actor accesses only publicly available data on consumeraffairs.com. You are responsible for how you use the extracted data — in particular any personal information such as names, phone numbers, or email addresses — and for complying with ConsumerAffairs Reviews's terms of use, applicable data-protection law (including the GDPR where it applies), and the anti-spam rules of your jurisdiction.

This actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ConsumerAffairs Reviews or any of its subsidiaries. All trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

### Search keywords

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# Changelog

This Actor's version history is a separate document: https://apify.com/blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper/changelog.md

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

Company name as listed on ConsumerAffairs (e.g. "Verizon Wireless"). Use a JSON array for several companies: \["Verizon Wireless","T-Mobile"]. Required if no start URLs are provided.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total reviews (0 = every listed review).

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Paste ConsumerAffairs company profile URLs (e.g. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/verizon_wireless.html). Each URL becomes its own task; reviews are merged and deduped by review ID across all URLs. When provided, start URLs REPLACE the company field.

## `maxReviewsPerCompany` (type: `integer`):

Stop after this many reviews for each company, so one large company does not use up Max Reviews for the rest. 0 = no per-company limit.

## `reviewsSince` (type: `string`):

Only reviews dated on or after this day (YYYY-MM-DD). When sorted newest first, reading stops at the first page of older reviews. Leave empty for every review.

## `sortBy` (type: `string`):

Order the reviews are read in: newest first, oldest first, most helpful, or the site's top reviews. Max Reviews keeps the first ones in this order.

## `starRatings` (type: `array`):

Only reviews with these star ratings, e.g. 1 and 2 for complaints. Leave empty for every rating.

## `reviewTextMaxLength` (type: `integer`):

Truncate the review body to N characters. 0 = full text.

## `compact` (type: `boolean`):

Core fields only (for AI-agent/MCP workflows).

## `excludeEmptyFields` (type: `boolean`):

Drop null, empty-string, and empty-array fields from each record before push. Smaller payloads for AI agents and dashboards.

## `incrementalMode` (type: `boolean`):

Compare against the previous run and return only new or changed reviews. stateKey is optional — defaults to a value derived from the companies / start URLs you asked for, so different inputs never share state.

## `stateKey` (type: `string`):

Optional. Stable identifier for the tracked set of reviews. Leave empty to auto-generate from the company / start URLs.

## `skipReposts` (type: `boolean`):

When incremental, skip reviews whose content matches a review that disappeared in a prior run (cross-run duplicate detection).

## `notifyOnlyChanges` (type: `boolean`):

When Incremental Mode is on, only send notifications for NEW and UPDATED reviews. Has no effect outside incremental mode.

## `notificationLimit` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of reviews included in each notification message (1–20).

## `telegramToken` (type: `string`):

Telegram bot token (from @BotFather). Required for Telegram notifications.

## `telegramChatId` (type: `string`):

Telegram chat or channel ID (e.g. "-100123456789"). Required when telegramToken is set.

## `discordWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Discord incoming webhook URL. Server Settings → Integrations → Webhooks → New Webhook.

## `slackWebhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Slack incoming webhook URL. api.slack.com/messaging/webhooks.

## `whatsappPhoneNumberId` (type: `string`):

Your WhatsApp Business phone-number ID (numeric, from Meta dashboard). Required when whatsappAccessToken is set.

## `whatsappAccessToken` (type: `string`):

WhatsApp Cloud API permanent access token (System User token from Meta Business). Recipient must have messaged the business number within the last 24h (service-conversation window — free since Nov 2024).

## `whatsappTo` (type: `string`):

Recipient phone in E.164 format without + (e.g. "436641234567"). Recipient must have messaged your business number within last 24h.

## `webhookUrl` (type: `string`):

Receives a JSON POST with {metadata, items} after each run. Universal escape hatch for n8n / Make / Zapier / custom backends.

## `webhookHeaders` (type: `object`):

Optional JSON object of custom headers (e.g. {"Authorization":"Bearer ..."}).

## `appConnector` (type: `string`):

Optional. Pick a connected app under Settings → API & Integrations to receive your results (including any contact details). Best-effort across MCP connectors as Apify expands its catalog.

## `mcpIssueTeam` (type: `string`):

Only when the connected app is an issue tracker: the team (name or ID) the summary issue is created under, if that app requires one.

## `descriptionFormat` (type: `string`):

Choose which representation of the listing description to include. `all` keeps every variant; the others keep only the selected one.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch the detail page for each listing to retrieve the full description text and contact information. Increases run time and cost. Leave off for a fast, low-cost run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "query": "Verizon Wireless",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "startUrls": [],
  "maxReviewsPerCompany": 0,
  "sortBy": "recent",
  "starRatings": [],
  "reviewTextMaxLength": 0,
  "compact": false,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "incrementalMode": false,
  "skipReposts": false,
  "notifyOnlyChanges": false,
  "notificationLimit": 5,
  "descriptionFormat": "all",
  "includeDetails": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

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

No description

# 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 = {
    "query": "Verizon Wireless",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": false,
    "descriptionFormat": "all",
    "includeDetails": false
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper").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 = {
    "query": "Verizon Wireless",
    "maxResults": 100,
    "excludeEmptyFields": False,
    "descriptionFormat": "all",
    "includeDetails": False,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper").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 '{
  "query": "Verizon Wireless",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "excludeEmptyFields": false,
  "descriptionFormat": "all",
  "includeDetails": false
}' |
apify call blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,blackfalcondata/consumeraffairs-com-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

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/CdJ7KI2iWsx85LMvO/builds/fpGEhU49XeNwGme71/openapi.json