# Medium Articles Scraper (`codingfrontend/medium-articles-scraper`) Actor Scrape Medium articles by search query or topic/tag. Extracts title, author, publication, claps, responses, read time, tags, and more. - **URL**: https://apify.com/codingfrontend/medium-articles-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [codingfrontend](https://apify.com/codingfrontend) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, News - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $4.99 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. 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. Actors are written with capital "A". ## 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. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## Medium Articles Scraper Scrape articles from [Medium](https://medium.com) by tag/topic or keyword. Uses Medium's public RSS feeds for reliable data extraction, bypassing Cloudflare bot protection. ### Features - **Tag/Topic mode** — browse latest articles for any Medium tag - **Search mode** — converts keyword to multiple related tag feeds for broader coverage - **Rich article data** — title, author, publication, tags, thumbnail, published date - **Pagination** — automatically fetches multiple feeds to reach `maxItems` - **Deduplication** — skips duplicate articles across feeds - **No browser required** — uses RSS feeds (HTTP-based, fast and reliable) > **Note:** Medium's website is behind Cloudflare Managed Challenge which cannot be bypassed with standard tools. This scraper uses Medium's public RSS feeds instead, which are fully accessible. Fields that require JS rendering (claps, responses, read time) are not available from RSS feeds. ### Input Parameters | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `query` | string | *(required)* | Search keyword or Medium tag slug | | `mode` | string | `"search"` | `search` (multi-tag) or `tag` (single tag) | | `maxItems` | integer | `50` | Maximum articles to scrape | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | — | Optional proxy settings | #### Example INPUT.json ```json { "query": "artificial intelligence", "mode": "search", "maxItems": 50 } ```` ### Output Fields | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `title` | string | Article title | | `subtitle` | string | Article snippet/subtitle | | `url` | string | Article URL (clean, no tracking) | | `articleId` | string | Medium article ID | | `author` | string | Author name | | `authorUrl` | string | Author profile URL | | `publication` | string | Publication name (if applicable) | | `publicationUrl` | string | Publication URL | | `publishedAt` | string | ISO 8601 publication date | | `updatedAt` | string | ISO 8601 update date | | `thumbnail` | string | Article cover image URL | | `tags` | array | Article category tags | | `claps` | null | Not available via RSS (requires browser) | | `responses` | null | Not available via RSS (requires browser) | | `readTime` | null | Not available via RSS (requires browser) | | `searchQuery` | string | Query used for this article | | `scrapedAt` | string | ISO 8601 scrape timestamp | ### Known Limitations - **Claps, responses, read time**: Not available via RSS feeds. Medium's website search and tag pages are behind Cloudflare Managed Challenge. A future version with CAPTCHA solving service integration could unlock these fields. - **RSS pagination**: Each RSS feed returns ~10 latest articles. For search mode, multiple related tag feeds are queried. - **Sorting**: RSS feeds return latest articles only (no "trending" or "top" sorting). # Actor input Schema ## `query` (type: `string`): Search keyword (e.g. 'machine learning') or a Medium tag (e.g. 'python', 'startup'). ## `mode` (type: `string`): Whether to search by keyword or browse by tag. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of articles to scrape. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings. Residential proxies recommended for reliable access. ## Actor input object example ```json { "query": "artificial intelligence", "mode": "search", "maxItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } } ``` # 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 = { "query": "artificial intelligence", "maxItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("codingfrontend/medium-articles-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 '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "query": "artificial intelligence", "maxItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": True }, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("codingfrontend/medium-articles-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).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": "artificial intelligence", "maxItems": 50, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true } }' | apify call codingfrontend/medium-articles-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=codingfrontend/medium-articles-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Medium Articles Scraper", "description": "Scrape Medium articles by search query or topic/tag. Extracts title, author, publication, claps, responses, read time, tags, and more.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "fPhahAvQO4bFlO6a7" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/codingfrontend~medium-articles-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-codingfrontend-medium-articles-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/codingfrontend~medium-articles-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-codingfrontend-medium-articles-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/codingfrontend~medium-articles-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-codingfrontend-medium-articles-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "query" ], "properties": { "query": { "title": "Search Query or Tag", "type": "string", "description": "Search keyword (e.g. 'machine learning') or a Medium tag (e.g. 'python', 'startup')." }, "mode": { "title": "Scrape Mode", "enum": [ "search", "tag" ], "type": "string", "description": "Whether to search by keyword or browse by tag.", "default": "search" }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 500, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of articles to scrape.", "default": 50 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings. Residential proxies recommended for reliable access." } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```