Zenodo Scraper — Datasets, Papers & Software Records

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🎯 What this scrapes

Zenodo is where CERN hosts the open-science long tail: datasets, software releases, preprints and project deliverables that never reach a journal index. Its API returns a record shape that splits the same field across a top level and a nested metadata block, and encodes resource type as a three-key object. This Actor reconciles both into one flat row so a dataset landscape or a grant-output audit lands straight in a spreadsheet.

🔥 What we handle for you

reconciles Zenodo's duplicated top-level and metadata fields into one row unpacks the three-key resource-type object into type and subtype columns retries transient 429/5xx responses instead of failing the whole run

💡 Use cases

• Find open datasets in a research area and rank them by downloads.
• Audit the published outputs of a funded project or grant.
• Track software releases archived with a citable DOI.
• Build a reading list restricted to genuinely open-access records.

⚙️ How to use it

1. Click Try for free at the top of the page.
2. Fill in the input form — most fields have sensible defaults.
3. Click Start. Output streams into the run's dataset.
4. Export from Storage → Dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel — or fetch via the API.

📥 Input

Field	Type	Required	Default	Notes
searchQuery	string	no	'climate'	Full-text search across titles, descriptions and creators.
resourceType	string	no	'any'	Restrict to one Zenodo resource type.
openAccessOnly	boolean	no	False	Restrict to records whose files are openly downloadable.
maxResults	integer	no	100	Stop after this many records. Each record is one billed result row.
proxyConfiguration	object	no	{'useApifyProxy': False}	Zenodo is a public API and does not need a proxy. Leave this off unless your account requires egress through Apify…

Example input

{
  "searchQuery": "climate",
  "maxResults": 3,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false
  }
}

📤 Output

Every row is one dataset item.

Field	Type	Notes
record_id	integer	Zenodo record identifier.
doi	string	Record DOI.
doi_url	string	Resolvable DOI URL.
title	string	Record title.
resource_type	string	Top-level type, e.g. dataset, publication.
resource_subtype	string	Subtype, e.g. deliverable, preprint.
publication_date	string	Publication date (YYYY-MM-DD).
creators	array	Author or creator names.
first_creator	string	First listed creator.
access_right	string	open, embargoed, restricted or closed.
license	string	License identifier, when declared.
file_count	integer	Number of attached files.
downloads	integer	Reported download count.
views	integer	Reported view count.
url	string	Record page on zenodo.org.

Example output

{}

💰 Pricing

Pay-Per-Event — you pay only when these events fire:

Event	USD	What it is
actor-start	$0.05	One-off warm-up charge per run
result	$0.002	Per dataset item

Example: 1 000 results at the rates above ≈ $2.05. No subscription, no minimum, no card to start — Apify gives every new account $5 of free credit.

🚧 Limitations

• Returns record metadata and stats, not the files themselves.
• Embargoed and restricted records appear with their metadata but no downloadable content.

❓ FAQ

Do I need an API key?

No. Zenodo's search API is open for anonymous use; the Actor stays inside the unauthenticated rate limit.

Can I filter to just datasets?

Yes — set Resource type to Dataset. The Actor maps it to Zenodo's type filter.

Are download counts reliable?

They are Zenodo's own reported stats, passed through unchanged. Treat them as indicative rather than audited.

💬 Your feedback

Spotted a bug, hit a weird edge case, or need a new field? Open an issue on the Actor's Issues tab on Apify Console — we ship fixes weekly and we read every report.

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