Journalist Request Finder: HARO Alternative for Digital PR

What does Journalist Request Finder do?

Journalist Request Finder collects live journalist source requests into one structured feed you can filter, schedule and pipe anywhere. It scrapes every open call-out on SourceBottle across all twelve sections and pulls #journorequest posts from Bluesky and Mastodon, then returns the outlet, the requester, the pitch deadline and a direct link to respond.

Since HARO (Connectively) shut down in December 2024, media requests have been scattered across a dozen paywalled platforms and hashtags. This Actor is the free HARO alternative that puts them back in one place. No HARO account, no Qwoted login, no API keys: every source it reads is public.

Because it runs on Apify you get scheduling, a REST API, webhooks, proxy rotation and one-click integrations with Slack, Google Sheets, Zapier, Make and n8n.

Why use Journalist Request Finder?

• Earn backlinks and press mentions. Answering journalist requests is the highest-conversion tactic in digital PR and white-hat link building. This Actor finds the requests; you write the pitch.
• Never miss a deadline. Results are ranked by soonest deadline first, with daysLeft on every row, so the urgent ones sit at the top.
• Get a daily alert, not a firehose. Turn on Only new requests and each scheduled run returns only requests you have never seen before.
• Filter to your expertise. Add your topics and every request is tagged with the keywords it matched, so a client-facing shortlist takes seconds.
• Feed your AI agent. Call it through the Apify MCP server and let an agent triage requests, draft pitches and file them for review.
• Replace a subscription. Media-request platforms charge $99 to $500 per month. This runs on usage.

How to use Journalist Request Finder

1. Click Try for free on the Actor page.
2. Type the topics you can speak on into Your topics / expertise, for example cybersecurity, personal finance, SaaS.
3. Press Start. A full scan of every section finishes in well under a minute.
4. Open the Output tab and switch to the Pitch queue view to see the full ask, your matched topics and the respond link side by side.
5. Optional: open Schedules, run it every morning, and switch Only new requests on so each run is a clean alert.

Input

Nothing is required. Run it with no input at all and you get every open request. Configure it from the Input tab, or via JSON:

{
  "keywords": ["SaaS", "cybersecurity", "small business"],
  "keywordsOnly": true,
  "onlyOpenDeadlines": true,
  "maxRequests": 200,
  "sources": ["sourcebottle", "bluesky"],
  "onlyNewRequests": false
}

Input	What it does
keywords	Your topics. Matching requests are tagged and ranked to the top.
keywordsOnly	Drop everything that does not match one of your topics.
onlyOpenDeadlines	Hide requests whose deadline has passed. On by default.
maxRequests	How many requests to return. Free plan is capped at 25.
sources	sourcebottle, bluesky, mastodon.
industries	Narrow SourceBottle to specific sections. Empty scans all twelve.
onlyNewRequests	Return only requests not seen in earlier runs. Built for schedules.

Output

Each item is one media request. Download as JSON, CSV, Excel, HTML or XML, or pull it from the dataset API.

{
  "source": "SourceBottle",
  "requestId": "sourcebottle:159974",
  "title": "URG: Concerned about the amount of AI tools used at work?",
  "summary": "Looking to speak with employees who feel their workplace has adopted AI tools too quickly, for a national news feature.",
  "url": "https://www.sourcebottle.com/query.asp?iid=70&qid=159974",
  "industry": "Technology",
  "requesterName": "National news outlet",
  "requesterType": "Journalist",
  "datePosted": "2026-07-21T00:00:00+00:00",
  "deadline": "2026-07-28T17:00:00+00:00",
  "deadlineText": "28 July 2026 @ 5pm",
  "daysLeft": 3,
  "isOpen": true,
  "matchedKeywords": ["AI"],
  "isNew": true,
  "scrapedAt": "2026-07-24T22:41:08+00:00"
}

Data fields

Field	Description
source	Where the request came from: SourceBottle, Bluesky or Mastodon.
title	Headline of the call-out, or the opening line of the post.
summary	The full request: what the journalist needs and from whom.
url	Direct link to respond.
requesterName	Outlet, publication or person asking.
requesterType	Journalist, Blogger, PR Pro, Event Manager, Podcaster, Author.
industry	SourceBottle section, or the hashtag it was found by.
datePosted	When the request was published, ISO 8601.
deadline / deadlineText	Pitch deadline, parsed and as originally printed.
daysLeft	Whole days until the deadline closes.
isOpen	Whether the deadline is still open.
matchedKeywords	Which of your topics the request mentions.
authorHandle / authorUrl	Social handle and profile, for Bluesky and Mastodon.
isNew	Whether this request is new since your last run.

How much does it cost to find journalist requests?

The Actor is priced pay per event: you pay for the requests it returns, not for runtime. A full scan of every section is fast and cheap because all three sources are plain HTTP with no browser rendering.

Free plan users are capped at 25 requests per run. To lift the cap and run it on a daily schedule, subscribe to an Apify plan.

Tips for better results

• Start broad, then narrow. Run once with no keywords to see the shape of the board, then add your topics and switch keywordsOnly on.
• Use singular root words. finance matches "finance" and "financial planning" contexts better than financial services does.
• Schedule it for early morning. Journalists file call-outs with same-week deadlines, and the earliest pitches get read.
• Watch requesterType. Journalist and Blogger rows are editorial opportunities; Event Manager and PR Pro rows are usually product, prize or sponsorship asks.
• Keep onlyOpenDeadlines on. Expired requests are kept out of your way by default.

FAQ

Is this a HARO alternative?

Yes. HARO, later renamed Connectively, was shut down by Cision in December 2024. This Actor rebuilds the same daily media-request feed from sources that are still public, so you get the requests without paying for a replacement platform.

Do I need a SourceBottle, Qwoted or HARO account?

No. Every source this Actor reads is publicly published. There is no login step and no API key to configure.

How fresh are the results?

They are fetched live on every run. SourceBottle call-outs carry an explicit deadline. Social posts rarely state one, so they are treated as open for 30 days after posting.

How do I only get new requests?

Turn on Only new requests. The Actor keeps a record of every request it has returned to your account and filters those out, which makes each scheduled run a clean alert.

Can I use this from an AI agent?

Yes. Call it through the Apify MCP server and an agent can search, filter and triage media requests as a tool, then draft responses against the summary field.

Is scraping journalist requests legal?

The Actor only reads publicly available pages and public APIs, and it collects no personal data beyond the contact identity a requester chose to publish alongside their call-out. You are responsible for how you use the output, including compliance with each platform's terms and with applicable data protection law. This is not legal advice.

Support

Found a bug or a request source you want added? Open an issue on the Issues tab.

💼 Need a custom solution? Reach out at youssefarhan24@gmail.com 🌐 Got a site in mind? Suggest it here