# GoldenPages Scraper (`crawlerbros/golden-pages-scraper`) Actor Search goldenpages.ie (Ireland's business directory) by category and county/city, or fetch full business profiles by direct URL. - **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/golden-pages-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation, Agents - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 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. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows. 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/docs.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.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/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 ## GoldenPages Scraper - Ireland Business Directory Scrape **goldenpages.ie** — Ireland's leading business directory. Search any business category in any Irish county or city and get names, addresses, phone numbers, categories, ratings, verification status, and social links. Optionally fetch each business's full profile page directly for email, external website, precise GPS coordinates, structured opening hours, photos, and FAQs. No login, no cookies, no API key required. ### What this actor does - **Two modes:** `search` (category + county/city) and `byUrl` (direct business profile URLs) - **48 curated categories** to pick from, or type any custom category/keyword (goldenpages.ie matches free text like a keyword search) - **All 26 Irish counties** available as a one-click filter, plus a nationwide option, in addition to free-text city/town search - **Sort by** relevance or name (A-Z) - **Filter by** verified-listing badge or minimum star rating (1-5) - **Full Irish character support** — fada diacritics (á, é, í, ó, ú) are handled correctly in both input and output, e.g. "Dún Laoghaire" - **Rich business profiles** — GPS coordinates, structured opening hours, email, external website, Facebook/Instagram/Twitter/LinkedIn links, Google Maps link, photos, logo, accepted payment methods, and FAQs - **Empty fields are omitted** — you only ever see fields that were actually found for a business ### Output per business - `name` — business name - `category` — primary listed category, `categories[]` — all registered categories (mode=search); business type from the site's own structured data (mode=byUrl) - `rating`, `reviewCount` — average star rating (1-5) and number of reviews, where the business has any - `verified`, `sponsored` — goldenpages.ie's own "Verified" badge and sponsored-listing flag - `address` — full address as shown on the search listing (mode=search); `street`, `city`, `region`, `postalCode`, `country` (mode=byUrl) - `latitude`, `longitude` — precise GPS coordinates (mode=byUrl) - `openingHours[]` — structured opening hours (`{day, opens, closes}` per slot; mode=byUrl, when published) - `phone`, `email`, `website` — website is the business's own external site, never a goldenpages.ie URL - `facebookUrl`, `instagramUrl`, `twitterUrl`, `linkedinUrl`, `googleMapsUrl` — links the business has published - `images[]`, `logoUrl` — business photos and logo - `paymentAccepted[]` — accepted payment methods (mode=byUrl, when published) - `faqItems[]` — `{question, answer}` pairs from the business's own published FAQ (mode=byUrl, when published) - `businessId`, `customerId` — goldenpages.ie's internal listing identifiers - `summary` — short description shown on the search listing (mode=search); `description` — fuller description (mode=byUrl) - `searchCategory`, `searchLocation` — the search parameters used (mode=search) - `sourceUrl` — canonical goldenpages.ie profile URL for the business - `recordType: "business"`, `scrapedAt` ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `mode` | string (select) | `search` | `search` (category + county/city) or `byUrl` (fetch by URL) | | `category` | string (select) | `restaurants` | Pick a common category, or `custom` to use `customCategory` (mode=search) | | `customCategory` | string | – | Any free-text category/keyword, overrides `category` (mode=search) | | `county` | string (select) | `dublin` | One of the 26 Irish counties, or `ireland` for nationwide, or `custom` to use `customLocation` (mode=search) | | `customLocation` | string | – | Any free-text city/town, overrides `county` (mode=search) | | `sortBy` | string (select) | `relevance` | `relevance` / `az` (business name) — applied server-side by goldenpages.ie | | `verifiedOnly` | boolean | `false` | Only return businesses with a goldenpages.ie "Verified" badge | | `minRating` | integer | `0` (no minimum) | Only return businesses rated at least 1-5 stars | | `businessUrls` | array | – | goldenpages.ie profile URLs to fetch directly (mode=byUrl) | | `maxItems` | int | `20` | Hard cap on returned records (1-1000) | #### Example: search restaurants in Dublin ```json { "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants", "county": "dublin", "maxItems": 20 } ```` #### Example: verified hairdressers in Cork, A-Z ```json { "mode": "search", "category": "hairdressers", "county": "cork", "sortBy": "az", "verifiedOnly": true, "maxItems": 30 } ``` #### Example: 4+ star solicitors across all of Ireland ```json { "mode": "search", "category": "solicitors", "county": "ireland", "minRating": 4, "maxItems": 50 } ``` #### Example: custom category and town search ```json { "mode": "search", "customCategory": "locksmith", "customLocation": "Dun Laoghaire", "maxItems": 20 } ``` #### Example: fetch specific business profiles ```json { "mode": "byUrl", "businessUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.goldenpages.ie/rudys-restaurant-blanchardstown-D15/" } ] } ``` ### Use cases - **Local lead generation** — build a prospect list of Irish businesses by trade and county/city for B2B outreach - **Market research** — measure business density and average ratings for a category across Irish regions - **Directory aggregation** — feed structured Irish business data into your own local-search product - **Competitor mapping** — see who else operates in a category and area, with ratings, verification status, and contact info - **Franchise & site-selection analysis** — evaluate service-business coverage across Irish counties ### Limitations - **`sortBy: "distance"` is not exposed.** goldenpages.ie's own UI advertises a distance-sort option, but it requires the visitor's live browser geolocation rather than a location name — verified live that it returns 0 results for every location tested (including Dublin, which has 1,929 restaurants under relevance/A-Z sort). Only `relevance` and `az` are supported, since both are reliably server-side and honored on every request. - **goldenpages.ie is fronted by an AWS WAF JS challenge on every page**, which this actor resolves automatically inside a real browser session (adds a few seconds per request but returns real, complete data every time — confirmed across repeated cloud runs). - **`rating`/`reviewCount` are frequently absent.** Most listings have not yet received a goldenpages.ie review; `minRating` above 0 excludes any business with no rating, since there is nothing to compare against. - **`website` is only populated when the business has published its own external site** on the listing; it is never a goldenpages.ie URL (goldenpages.ie's own profile page is always available separately as `sourceUrl`). - **goldenpages.ie enforces country-based access on its entire domain, including its image CDN (`img.goldenpages.ie`).** All `sourceUrl`/`imageUrl`/`logoUrl`/`images[]` values are genuine, working links — confirmed 200 with the correct content-type when fetched through Apify's proxy — but a request from outside Ireland without a suitable proxy will see the same block the actor itself works around. This mirrors how the goldenpages.ie website behaves for any visitor, not an actor-specific limitation. - **goldenpages.ie's own search falls back to a generic listing rather than zero results for an unrecognized category keyword.** This is the site's own search behavior (confirmed: a nonsense category still returns 20 unrelated businesses under its own "20 results" count), not an actor bug — the actor always returns exactly what goldenpages.ie's search reports. Stick to real business categories/keywords for reliable matching. - **Total result counts above ~1,000-2,000 for very broad nationwide searches** (e.g. `category: "restaurants"`, `county: "ireland"`) are capped by `maxItems`; the actor always walks pages in order and stops cleanly at goldenpages.ie's own authoritative "of N results" total, so results are never duplicated or skipped. ### FAQ **What data source does this actor use?** It reads the publicly available search and business-profile pages on goldenpages.ie, Ireland's business directory operated by FCR Media. No account or API key is needed. **Is this affiliated with goldenpages.ie?** No. This is an independent, third-party actor that reads publicly accessible pages. **Why do some businesses have no rating, email, or website?** goldenpages.ie only shows a rating once a business has received at least one review, and only shows contact/social/website details a business itself provided. Fields with no data are simply omitted from the record rather than shown as empty or null. **Can I search a whole county instead of a single city?** Yes — set `county` to any of the 26 Irish counties. You can also type a specific city/town via `customLocation` (e.g. `"Dun Laoghaire"`, `"Blanchardstown"`). **Can I search all of Ireland at once?** Yes — set `county` to `"ireland"` for a nationwide search. **How accurate are the GPS coordinates?** `latitude`/`longitude` come directly from the business's own goldenpages.ie profile page metadata (mode=byUrl only — search-listing cards don't expose coordinates). **Does this actor need a proxy or login?** No credentials are needed. The actor uses Apify's free `AUTO` datacenter proxy group (included on the free plan) to reliably clear goldenpages.ie's bot-protection layer inside a real browser session. **What's the difference between `summary` and `description`?** `summary` is the short, sometimes truncated blurb shown on the search-results listing card (mode=search). `description` is the business's own fuller description from its profile page's structured data (mode=byUrl). # Actor input Schema ## `mode` (type: `string`): What to fetch: search a category + county/city, or fetch full business profiles from direct goldenpages.ie URLs. ## `category` (type: `string`): Business category / type to search for. Pick a common category, or choose 'Custom category' and type your own below (mode=search). ## `customCategory` (type: `string`): Free-text category/keyword not in the curated list above, e.g. 'locksmith' or 'IT services' (mode=search). Takes priority over 'Category' when set. goldenpages.ie matches this like a keyword search. ## `county` (type: `string`): Irish county or city/town to search in (mode=search). Pick a county from the list, or choose 'Custom location' and type a specific city/town below. ## `customLocation` (type: `string`): Free-text city or town not in the county list above, e.g. 'Blanchardstown' or 'Dun Laoghaire' (mode=search). Takes priority over 'County / location' when set. ## `sortBy` (type: `string`): How goldenpages.ie orders search results (mode=search). ## `verifiedOnly` (type: `boolean`): Only return businesses with a goldenpages.ie 'Verified' badge (mode=search). ## `minRating` (type: `integer`): Only return businesses rated at least this many stars, e.g. 4 for 4.0+ (mode=search). 0 means no minimum. Businesses with no rating/reviews are excluded once this is set above 0. ## `businessUrls` (type: `array`): Direct goldenpages.ie business profile URLs to fetch, e.g. https://www.goldenpages.ie/rudys-restaurant-blanchardstown-D15/. Use the 'sourceUrl' field from search results. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Hard cap on the number of business records to return. ## Actor input object example ```json { "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants", "county": "dublin", "sortBy": "relevance", "verifiedOnly": false, "minRating": 0, "businessUrls": [], "maxItems": 20 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `businesses` (type: `string`): Dataset containing all scraped goldenpages.ie business listings. # 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 = { "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants", "county": "dublin", "sortBy": "relevance", "verifiedOnly": false, "minRating": 0, "businessUrls": [], "maxItems": 20 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/golden-pages-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 = { "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants", "county": "dublin", "sortBy": "relevance", "verifiedOnly": False, "minRating": 0, "businessUrls": [], "maxItems": 20, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("crawlerbros/golden-pages-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 '{ "mode": "search", "category": "restaurants", "county": "dublin", "sortBy": "relevance", "verifiedOnly": false, "minRating": 0, "businessUrls": [], "maxItems": 20 }' | apify call crawlerbros/golden-pages-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=crawlerbros/golden-pages-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "GoldenPages Scraper", "description": "Search goldenpages.ie (Ireland's business directory) by category and county/city, or fetch full business profiles by direct URL.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "JmLWHYqppE36Cewbe" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/crawlerbros~golden-pages-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-crawlerbros-golden-pages-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~golden-pages-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-crawlerbros-golden-pages-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~golden-pages-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-crawlerbros-golden-pages-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "mode" ], "properties": { "mode": { "title": "Mode", "enum": [ "search", "byUrl" ], "type": "string", "description": "What to fetch: search a category + county/city, or fetch full business profiles from direct goldenpages.ie URLs.", "default": "search" }, "category": { "title": "Category", "enum": [ "custom", "restaurants", "hotels", "pubs-bars", "cafes-coffee-shops", "takeaways", "hairdressers", "beauty-salons", "nail-salons", "spas", "gyms-fitness-centres", "dentists", "doctors-gps", "opticians", "pharmacies", "physiotherapists", "vets", "solicitors", "accountants", "insurance-brokers", "estate-agents", "financial-advisors", "architects", "builders", "electricians", "plumbers", "painters-decorators", "roofers", "carpenters", "gardeners-landscapers", "cleaning-services", "removals-storage", "car-dealers", "car-repair-garages", "driving-instructors", "taxis", "florists", "photographers", "wedding-planners", "printers", "computer-repair", "mobile-phone-repair", "funeral-directors", "childcare-creches", "schools", "security-services", "locksmiths", "kennels-catteries", "pet-groomers" ], "type": "string", "description": "Business category / type to search for. Pick a common category, or choose 'Custom category' and type your own below (mode=search).", "default": "restaurants" }, "customCategory": { "title": "Custom category (overrides selection above)", "type": "string", "description": "Free-text category/keyword not in the curated list above, e.g. 'locksmith' or 'IT services' (mode=search). Takes priority over 'Category' when set. goldenpages.ie matches this like a keyword search." }, "county": { "title": "County / location", "enum": [ "custom", "ireland", "carlow", "cavan", "clare", "cork", "donegal", "dublin", "galway", "kerry", "kildare", "kilkenny", "laois", "leitrim", "limerick", "longford", "louth", "mayo", "meath", "monaghan", "offaly", "roscommon", "sligo", "tipperary", "waterford", "westmeath", "wexford", "wicklow" ], "type": "string", "description": "Irish county or city/town to search in (mode=search). Pick a county from the list, or choose 'Custom location' and type a specific city/town below.", "default": "dublin" }, "customLocation": { "title": "Custom location (overrides selection above)", "type": "string", "description": "Free-text city or town not in the county list above, e.g. 'Blanchardstown' or 'Dun Laoghaire' (mode=search). Takes priority over 'County / location' when set." }, "sortBy": { "title": "Sort order", "enum": [ "relevance", "az" ], "type": "string", "description": "How goldenpages.ie orders search results (mode=search).", "default": "relevance" }, "verifiedOnly": { "title": "Verified listings only", "type": "boolean", "description": "Only return businesses with a goldenpages.ie 'Verified' badge (mode=search).", "default": false }, "minRating": { "title": "Minimum rating", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 5, "type": "integer", "description": "Only return businesses rated at least this many stars, e.g. 4 for 4.0+ (mode=search). 0 means no minimum. Businesses with no rating/reviews are excluded once this is set above 0.", "default": 0 }, "businessUrls": { "title": "Business profile URLs (mode=byUrl)", "type": "array", "description": "Direct goldenpages.ie business profile URLs to fetch, e.g. https://www.goldenpages.ie/rudys-restaurant-blanchardstown-D15/. Use the 'sourceUrl' field from search results.", "items": { "type": "object", "properties": { "url": { "title": "URL", "type": "string", "description": "goldenpages.ie business profile URL." } } }, "default": [] }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Hard cap on the number of business records to return.", "default": 20 } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```