# Substack Scraper (`crawlerbros/substack-scraper`) Actor Scrape Substack publications via the public RSS feed of any newsletter. Extract post title, URL, author, publication date, body HTML, categories, and enclosures. HTTP-only with TLS impersonation (no auth, no proxy). - **URL**: https://apify.com/crawlerbros/substack-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Crawler Bros](https://apify.com/crawlerbros) (community) - **Categories:** Developer tools, News, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 13 bookmarks - **User rating**: 5.00 out of 5 stars ## 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 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 ## Substack Scraper Scrape any Substack publication via its public RSS feed. Pulls post title, URL, author, publication date, body HTML, categories, cover image. Multi-publication batch supported. HTTP-only with `curl_cffi` Chrome TLS impersonation. No auth, no proxy. ### What this actor does - Accepts publication URLs in any form: full URL, custom domain, `*.substack.com`, or bare slug - Auto-rewrites to `/feed` - Parses RSS feed → extracts title / link / pubDate / dc:creator / content:encoded / categories / enclosure - Filters: category, published-after, keyword in title/summary - Optional body HTML inclusion (default on) - Approximate `wordCount` and `readingTimeMinutes` - Empty fields are omitted ### Output per post - `title`, `url`, `guid` - `author` — from `` - `publishedAt` — ISO 8601 UTC (parsed from RFC 822 pubDate) - `publishedAtRaw` — original RFC 822 string - `summary` — plain-text version of `` (capped at 500 chars) - `bodyHtml` — full HTML body from `` (when `includeBody=true`) - `wordCount`, `readingTimeMinutes` - `categories[]` - `coverImage` — from `` URL - `publication`, `publicationUrl` - `recordType: "post"`, `scrapedAt` ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `publications` | array | `["platformer.news"]` | List of publication URLs / domains / slugs (required) | | `categoryAnyOf` | array | `[]` | Match at least one RSS `` tag | | `publishedAfter` | string | – | YYYY-MM-DD | | `containsKeyword` | string | – | Title/summary contains substring | | `includeBody` | bool | `true` | Include full body HTML | | `maxItems` | int | `50` | Hard cap (1–1000) | #### Example: scrape Platformer + Noahpinion ```json { "publications": ["platformer.news", "noahpinion.substack.com"], "publishedAfter": "2024-01-01", "maxItems": 100 } ```` #### Example: filter by keyword ```json { "publications": ["platformer.news"], "containsKeyword": "antitrust", "includeBody": true } ``` #### Example: bare slugs (auto-resolved to .substack.com) ```json { "publications": ["noahpinion", "thedailyupside"] } ``` ### Use cases - **Newsletter intel** — track competitor publications, harvest content - **Market research** — newsletters in your domain (analyst notes, sector reports) - **RSS aggregation** — consolidate multiple Substacks into a single feed - **Content analysis** — bulk-export newsletter posts for NLP / topic modeling - **Backup** — archive your own / a friend's Substack posts ### FAQ **Do I need a Substack account?** No. The actor only reads public RSS feeds. **Why does it use TLS impersonation?** Substack's edge sometimes 403s requests with default Python TLS fingerprint. `curl_cffi` with `chrome131` profile sends a real Chrome handshake, which Substack accepts. **What's the post URL format?** `https:///p/`. The actor preserves whatever the RSS feed returns. **Are paid-only posts included?** Substack's public RSS includes free posts and the public previews of paid posts. Full paid post content is not accessible without a subscription. **How fresh is the data?** Real-time. RSS feeds update within minutes of post publish. **Can I scrape multiple publications in one run?** Yes — pass multiple entries in `publications`. The actor walks each feed sequentially and dedupes by URL. **What if a publication's RSS is blocked / rate-limited?** The actor retries with exponential backoff on 403/429/5xx. After 3 retries it skips to the next publication and logs a warning. **Custom-domain Substacks?** Yes — pass the custom domain (e.g. `platformer.news`, `stratechery.com`). The actor appends `/feed` regardless of subdomain shape. # Actor input Schema ## `publications` (type: `array`): Substack publication URLs or subdomains (e.g. `https://platformer.news`, `noahpinion.substack.com`, just `noahpinion`). ## `categoryAnyOf` (type: `array`): Only emit posts tagged with at least one of these categories (matches RSS `` tags case-insensitively). ## `publishedAfter` (type: `string`): Drop posts published before this date. ## `containsKeyword` (type: `string`): Only emit posts whose title or description contains this substring (case-insensitive). ## `includeBody` (type: `boolean`): Include the full post body HTML (`content:encoded` from RSS). ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Hard cap on emitted records. ## Actor input object example ```json { "publications": [ "platformer.news" ], "categoryAnyOf": [], "includeBody": true, "maxItems": 50 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `posts` (type: `string`): Dataset containing all scraped Substack posts. # 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 = { "publications": [ "platformer.news" ], "categoryAnyOf": [], "includeBody": true, "maxItems": 50 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("crawlerbros/substack-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 = { "publications": ["platformer.news"], "categoryAnyOf": [], "includeBody": True, "maxItems": 50, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("crawlerbros/substack-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 '{ "publications": [ "platformer.news" ], "categoryAnyOf": [], "includeBody": true, "maxItems": 50 }' | apify call crawlerbros/substack-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=crawlerbros/substack-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Substack Scraper", "description": "Scrape Substack publications via the public RSS feed of any newsletter. Extract post title, URL, author, publication date, body HTML, categories, and enclosures. HTTP-only with TLS impersonation (no auth, no proxy).", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "DOlMqYleCt3Gx5rv3" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/crawlerbros~substack-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-crawlerbros-substack-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~substack-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-crawlerbros-substack-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/crawlerbros~substack-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-crawlerbros-substack-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "publications" ], "properties": { "publications": { "title": "Publications", "minItems": 1, "type": "array", "description": "Substack publication URLs or subdomains (e.g. `https://platformer.news`, `noahpinion.substack.com`, just `noahpinion`).", "default": [ "platformer.news", "noahpinion.substack.com" ], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "categoryAnyOf": { "title": "Category filter", "type": "array", "description": "Only emit posts tagged with at least one of these categories (matches RSS `` tags case-insensitively).", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "publishedAfter": { "title": "Published after (YYYY-MM-DD)", "type": "string", "description": "Drop posts published before this date." }, "containsKeyword": { "title": "Contains keyword", "type": "string", "description": "Only emit posts whose title or description contains this substring (case-insensitive)." }, "includeBody": { "title": "Include body HTML", "type": "boolean", "description": "Include the full post body HTML (`content:encoded` from RSS).", "default": true }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max items", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Hard cap on emitted records.", "default": 50 } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```