# Forums Search Forum Posts Scraper (`data_direct/forums-posts-scraper`) Actor Search forum posts across the web by keyword with time and country filters - **URL**: https://apify.com/data\_direct/forums-posts-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Data Direct](https://apify.com/data_direct) (community) - **Categories:** Social media - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $8.00 / 1,000 runs 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 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 ## Forums Search Forum Posts Scraper Search for forum posts across thousands of forums, discussion boards, Q&A sites, and community boards. Returns post title, URL, source forum, domain, and content snippet. Supports filtering by time period (hour, day, week, month, year) and by country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code). Paginate through results with the page parameter. ### Features - Real-time Forums data — results are fetched live at run time, never cached or stale - No login, cookies, or proxy configuration needed — just provide the input and run - Each result is pushed as a separate dataset item, exportable as JSON, CSV, or Excel - Fast: a typical run finishes in seconds ### Input | Field | Type | Required | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `query` | string | yes | Search query (max 500 characters) | | `page` | integer | no | Page number for pagination | | `time` | string | no | Filter by time period One of: any, hour, day, week, month, year. | | `country` | string | no | ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g., US, GB, DE) | ### Pricing This Actor is billed **per run** — a flat **$0.008 per run**. - One run returns all matching results for your input, and costs $0.008 — whether it comes back with one result or hundreds. - You’re only charged when a run succeeds. Failed runs are free. ### Example output ```json { "count": 10, "page": 1, "posts": [ { "domain": "reddit.com", "position": 1, "rank": 1, "snippet": "Programming is how everything in tech works. It's a set of instructions given to the computer to run a set of tasks. Let's take Google for ...", "source": "Reddit", "title": "What is programming? : r/AskProgramming - Reddit", "url": "https://www.reddit.com/r/AskProgramming/comments/1eo7fez/what_is_programming/" }, { "domain": "sololearn.com", "position": 2, "rank": 2, "snippet": "'%' this sign stands for modulo sign. It is use to get carry after devision. Like if you are dividing 10 by 3 then carry will be 1 because 3*3 = 9 and 1 will ...", "source": "Sololearn", "title": "What does \"%\" mean in programming? - Sololearn", "url": "https://www.sololearn.com/en/Discuss/1629466/what-does-mean-in-programming" }, { "domain": "forum.freecodecamp.org", "position": 3, "rank": 3, "snippet": "Computer programming is teaching humans to think like a computer and to write instructions in a human-like meta language that can be translated into the 1s and ...", "source": "The freeCodeCamp Forum", "title": "What is Programming - The freeCodeCamp Forum", "url": "https://forum.freecodecamp.org/t/what-is-programming/484906" }, { "domain": "forums.xfinity.com", "position": 4, "rank": 4, "snippet": "E. W. Scripps cable network programming is currently unavailable as our agreement with E. W. Scripps has expired.", "source": "Xfinity Community Forum", "title": "E. W. Scripps Programming Agreement Expired", "url": "https://forums.xfinity.com/conversations/channels-and-programming/e-w-scripps-progr ... (truncated) ```` ### About Maintained by **Data Direct** — a small suite of fast, reliable Forums and web-data scrapers. Each actor returns clean, structured results with no login, cookies, or proxy setup required. Have a question or a custom data need? Open an issue on this actor. # Actor input Schema ## `query` (type: `string`): Search query (max 500 characters) ## `page` (type: `integer`): Page number for pagination ## `time` (type: `string`): Filter by time period ## `country` (type: `string`): ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g., US, GB, DE) ## Actor input object example ```json { "query": "programming", "page": 1, "time": "any" } ``` # 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": "programming" }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("data_direct/forums-posts-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": "programming" } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("data_direct/forums-posts-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": "programming" }' | apify call data_direct/forums-posts-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=data_direct/forums-posts-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Forums Search Forum Posts Scraper", "description": "Search forum posts across the web by keyword with time and country filters", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "C5yq5yF4yUUHcsJHj" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/data_direct~forums-posts-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-data_direct-forums-posts-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/data_direct~forums-posts-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-data_direct-forums-posts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/data_direct~forums-posts-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-data_direct-forums-posts-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": "Query", "type": "string", "description": "Search query (max 500 characters)" }, "page": { "title": "Page", "type": "integer", "description": "Page number for pagination", "default": 1 }, "time": { "title": "Time", "enum": [ "any", "hour", "day", "week", "month", "year" ], "type": "string", "description": "Filter by time period", "default": "any" }, "country": { "title": "Country", "type": "string", "description": "ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g., US, GB, DE)" } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```