# Kickstarter Scraper (Cheap) (`data_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap`) Actor Kickstarter Scraper pulls project data from Kickstarter search results, so you can monitor campaigns, track funding trends, and collect leads without manual browsing. - **URL**: https://apify.com/data\_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap.md - **Developed by:** [Data API](https://apify.com/data_api) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation, Developer tools - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.99 / 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. 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 ## Kickstarter Campaign Scraper ![Kickstarter Campaign Scraper](cover.jpg) Checking how a Kickstarter campaign is doing usually means opening it in the browser and reading the numbers off the page one at a time. That gets old fast when you are watching a whole category. Give this scraper a keyword like "Board Games" or "Solar" and it walks through Kickstarter's search results, pulling the funding goal, the amount pledged, backer counts, the founder, deadlines, and status for every campaign it finds. Each one comes back as a tidy row you can drop straight into a sheet, a database, or a model. ### What you get Every campaign turns into one row with a steady set of columns, so results stay easy to load and filter. Each record holds three kinds of data: - **Campaign** — `projectTitle`, `projectTagline`, `projectUrl`, `categoryName`, `subcategoryName`, `coverImageUrl`, `pitchVideoUrl` - **Funding** — `goalAmount`, `pledgedAmount`, `fundedPercent`, `backersTotal`, `currencyCode`, `campaignStatus`, `staffPicked`, `startDate`, `endDate` - **Creator and run info** — `founderName`, `founderUrl`, `creatorLocation`, `countryCode`, `matchedTerm`, `collectedAt`, `errorMessage` ### Quick start 1. Hit **Try for free** and open the input form. 2. Type one or more keywords into **Search queries** (for example `Board Games` or `Gadgets`). 3. Set **Results per query** to cap how many campaigns you pull for each keyword. 4. Press **Start**, then export the results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or XML when the run finishes. ![How it works](how-it-works.jpg) ### Use cases - **Crowdfunding research** — see which campaigns are live in a category and how well they are funding - **Trend spotting** — track new launches in games, tech, or design before they hit the mainstream - **Competitor tracking** — watch rival campaigns' pledges, backers, and deadlines as they move - **Lead building** — collect founders and project links from active campaigns in your niche - **Market sizing** — total up goals and pledges across a category to gauge demand - **Press and analytics** — feed funding data into a story, a dashboard, or a report ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Description | |-------|------|----------|-------------| | `searchQueries` | array of strings | Yes | Keywords to look up on Kickstarter; one result set is fetched per query. Prefilled with `Board Games`. | | `resultsLimit` | integer | No | Most campaigns to gather per query. Default `50`; caps at 1000. | | `timeoutSeconds` | integer | No | Seconds to wait on each request before giving up. Default `45`. | #### Example input ```json { "searchQueries": ["Board Games", "Gadgets", "Comics"], "resultsLimit": 50, "timeoutSeconds": 45 } ```` ### Output Each campaign in the search results becomes one row, and the actor pages through automatically up to your limit. Values Kickstarter does not expose for a given campaign come back as `null`, so your columns stay consistent. #### Example output ```json { "projectUrl": "https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atlasforge/dungeon-depths-board-game", "projectTitle": "Dungeon Depths: A Cooperative Board Game", "projectTagline": "Battle through shifting dungeons with friends in this fully cooperative tabletop adventure.", "founderName": "Atlas Forge Games", "founderUrl": "https://www.kickstarter.com/profile/atlasforge", "categoryName": "Games", "subcategoryName": "Tabletop Games", "creatorLocation": "Portland, OR", "countryCode": "US", "goalAmount": 45000.0, "pledgedAmount": 218430.0, "fundedPercent": 485.4, "backersTotal": 4127, "currencyCode": "USD", "endDate": "2026-07-20T18:00:00+00:00", "startDate": "2026-06-20T15:00:00+00:00", "campaignStatus": "live", "staffPicked": true, "coverImageUrl": "https://ksr-ugc.imgix.net/assets/example/cover.jpg", "pitchVideoUrl": "https://v.kickstarter.com/example/pitch.mp4", "matchedTerm": "Board Games", "collectedAt": "2026-06-29T12:00:00.000000+00:00", "errorMessage": null } ``` #### Output fields | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `projectUrl` | string | Direct link to the campaign page | | `projectTitle` | string | Headline of the campaign | | `projectTagline` | string | One-line pitch shown under the title | | `founderName` | string | Person or team running the campaign | | `founderUrl` | string | Link to the founder's Kickstarter profile | | `categoryName` | string | Top-level category such as Games, Technology, or Art | | `subcategoryName` | string | Narrower category like Tabletop Games or Video Games | | `creatorLocation` | string | City and country listed for the creator | | `countryCode` | string | Two-letter country code, for example US, GB, or CA | | `goalAmount` | number | Funding target in the campaign's currency | | `pledgedAmount` | number | Money raised from backers so far | | `fundedPercent` | number | Share of the goal met, as a percentage | | `backersTotal` | integer | How many backers have pledged | | `currencyCode` | string | Currency of the goal and pledged figures, such as USD or GBP | | `endDate` | string | ISO 8601 UTC timestamp when the campaign closes | | `startDate` | string | ISO 8601 UTC timestamp when the campaign went live | | `campaignStatus` | string | live, successful, failed, canceled, or suspended | | `staffPicked` | boolean | True when Kickstarter editors featured the campaign | | `coverImageUrl` | string | Link to the main cover image | | `pitchVideoUrl` | string | Link to the pitch video, best quality available | | `matchedTerm` | string | The search query that surfaced this campaign | | `collectedAt` | string | ISO 8601 UTC timestamp of when the row was captured | | `errorMessage` | string | Why a campaign failed to read; `null` on success | ### Tips for best results - **Start with one keyword.** Run a single query first to confirm the output fits your pipeline before pulling several at once. - **Use `resultsLimit` to control spend.** Kickstarter returns campaigns 12 to a page; a lower limit means fewer pages and a cheaper run. - **Be specific with queries.** A narrow keyword like `Solar Energy` returns tighter, more relevant results than a broad one like `Tech`. - **Raise `timeoutSeconds`** to around 60 if you see timeout errors on slower connections. - **One bad campaign won't stop the run.** If a single record fails to parse, the actor logs an error row and keeps going, so a partial result is still usable. ### How can I use Kickstarter campaign data? **How can I use the Kickstarter Campaign Scraper to track crowdfunding trends?** Run a keyword like `Board Games` or `Wearables` on a schedule. Each row carries `pledgedAmount`, `backersTotal`, `fundedPercent`, and `endDate`, so you can chart how campaigns in a category fund over time and flag the breakout projects early. **How can I find Kickstarter campaigns and their founders in a niche?** Drop in the keywords that describe your niche and set a results limit. Every campaign comes back with `founderName`, `founderUrl`, `projectUrl`, and `creatorLocation`, turning a search into a structured list of projects and the people behind them. **How can I export Kickstarter funding data for a market report?** Add one or more search queries, raise `resultsLimit` to the volume you need, and export to CSV or Excel. The result is a clean dataset of goals, pledges, backer counts, and statuses you can total up or compare across categories for your own analysis. ### Is it legal to scrape data? Our actors are ethical and do not extract any private user data, such as email addresses or private contact information. They only extract what the user has chosen to share publicly. We therefore believe that our actors, when used for ethical purposes by Apify users, are safe. However, you should be aware that your results could contain personal data. Personal data is protected by the GDPR in the European Union and by other regulations around the world. You should not scrape personal data unless you have a legitimate reason to do so. If you're unsure whether your reason is legitimate, consult your lawyers. You can also read Apify's blog post on the [legality of web scraping](https://blog.apify.com/is-web-scraping-legal/). ### Support Questions, feature requests, or a field you'd like added? Reach out at and we'll get back to you. # Actor input Schema ## `searchTerms` (type: `array`): Keywords to search on Kickstarter (e.g. "Games", "Tech", "Art"). One page of results is fetched per term up to maxItems. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of projects to collect for each search term. ## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`): Per-request timeout in seconds. Kickstarter is fetched through a headless browser, so each page takes ~20s. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchTerms": [ "Games", "Technology", "Music" ], "maxItems": 10, "requestTimeoutSecs": 60 } ``` # 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 = { "searchTerms": [ "Games" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("data_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap").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 = { "searchTerms": ["Games"] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("data_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap").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 '{ "searchTerms": [ "Games" ] }' | apify call data_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=data_api/kickstarter-scraper-cheap", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Kickstarter Scraper (Cheap)", "description": "Kickstarter Scraper pulls project data from Kickstarter search results, so you can monitor campaigns, track funding trends, and collect leads without manual browsing.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "lVPJ2oWIR8ueet6Ex" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/data_api~kickstarter-scraper-cheap/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-data_api-kickstarter-scraper-cheap", "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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/data_api~kickstarter-scraper-cheap/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-data_api-kickstarter-scraper-cheap", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/data_api~kickstarter-scraper-cheap/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-data_api-kickstarter-scraper-cheap", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "searchTerms" ], "properties": { "searchTerms": { "title": "Search terms", "type": "array", "description": "Keywords to search on Kickstarter (e.g. \"Games\", \"Tech\", \"Art\"). One page of results is fetched per term up to maxItems.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max items per search term", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 1000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of projects to collect for each search term.", "default": 10 }, "requestTimeoutSecs": { "title": "Request timeout (seconds)", "minimum": 5, "maximum": 120, "type": "integer", "description": "Per-request timeout in seconds. Kickstarter is fetched through a headless browser, so each page takes ~20s.", "default": 60 } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```