Bilibili Video Search Scraper

Export public Bilibili keyword-search results and known-video metadata as structured video records. Collect available titles, URLs, creator details, publication dates, tags and source-reported engagement counts for your own research or reporting.

Quick start

Start with this small metadata sample for a known BVID. The identifier is an existing input example, not a guarantee that the video remains available. Supply your own public BVID when collecting data for research.

{
  "bvids": ["BV1xx411c7mD"],
  "maxItems": 1,
  "includeDetails": false,
  "requestDelayMillis": 0,
  "runTimeSecs": 60
}

Prefer a video guide? This short Apify walkthrough shows you how to set up and run an Actor. It uses a different Actor, but the setup steps are the same.

Ready-to-run examples

Start with a bounded, preconfigured public example:

• Bilibili social intelligence dataset — Sample up to nine videos across three keywords without extra detail requests.
• Bilibili known BVID metadata lookup — Look up one known video with detail enrichment enabled.
• Bilibili most viewed topic videos — Search two topics ordered by views, saving up to six videos with details.

What you get

One row per saved video from keyword search, direct BVID lookup or a combination of those modes. Records are deduplicated across keywords and pages, with optional detail and tag enrichment when available. RUN_SUMMARY records saved counts and partial failures separately from the video rows. Collection can stop near its time limit.

Who is it for?

Public-video research teams can use the returned metadata in their own analysis:

• Social media analysts tracking creator or topic performance.
• Marketing teams researching Chinese video trends.
• Creator discovery teams building prospect lists.
• Academic researchers sampling public video metadata.
• SEO and content teams comparing titles, categories, tags, and engagement.
• Data engineers feeding Bilibili records into BI dashboards or enrichment pipelines.

How you can use the data

• Build a topic research sheet. Search anime music with a small video cap and export bvid, title, url, author, keyword and available viewCount. Review the original video links before drawing conclusions from a sample.
• Compare two bounded topic samples. Collect travel vlog and study with me, retaining keyword, rank, page, sort and collection time. A video can be deduplicated across keywords, so the dataset is not a record of every search occurrence or a guaranteed trend ranking.
• Inspect a known video's metadata. Supply its BVID or video URL and enable detail enrichment when tags or additional engagement fields matter. Optional fields remain source-dependent, and this does not collect video comments or crawl creator profiles.
• Prepare creator or topic comparisons downstream. Keep video identifiers and links beside source-reported engagement counts. Group the exported records in your own spreadsheet or analysis workflow, treating caps and partial source coverage as sample limits.

Input settings

You can scrape by keyword, by direct BVID/video URL, or by combining both modes in one run.

• keywords - search terms to query on Bilibili video search.
• bvids - direct Bilibili BVIDs or video URLs.
• maxItems - maximum videos to save across all input modes.
• sort - Bilibili search ordering such as relevance, newest, views, danmaku, or favorites.
• maxPagesPerKeyword - maximum search result pages per keyword.
• includeDetails - fetch extra detail and tag metadata when available.
• requestDelayMillis - delay between requests to reduce rate limiting.
• maxRequestRetries - retries for transient Bilibili request failures.
• runTimeSecs - soft runtime deadline.
• proxyConfiguration - optional Apify Proxy settings.

Input recipes

These example inputs can be copied into the Apify Console, API client, or CLI. Start with a small maxItems value while you validate your keyword, then increase it for larger exports.

Search one keyword

{
  "keywords": ["anime music"],
  "maxItems": 10,
  "maxPagesPerKeyword": 1,
  "includeDetails": true
}

Search multiple keywords

{
  "keywords": ["travel vlog", "game review", "study with me"],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "maxPagesPerKeyword": 2,
  "sort": "pubdate"
}

Fetch direct video URLs or BVIDs

{
  "bvids": ["BV1xx411c7mD"],
  "maxItems": 5,
  "includeDetails": true
}

Output data

Each dataset item represents one Bilibili video. Fields can be null or empty when the public source does not supply them. This abbreviated example illustrates the shape only, not an observed video:

{
  "sourceType": "search",
  "keyword": "anime music",
  "rank": 1,
  "bvid": null,
  "title": null,
  "url": null,
  "viewCount": null,
  "tags": []
}

Common fields include:

• keyword - search keyword that found the result.
• rank - result rank within the keyword.
• page - search result page.
• sort - search sort used for the item.
• sourceType - search or direct.
• title - video title.
• bvid and aid - Bilibili video identifiers.
• url - canonical video URL.
• author, mid, and authorAvatarUrl - creator details.
• description - public video description when available.
• publishedAt and publishTimestamp - publish date values.
• thumbnailUrl - cover image URL.
• category and parentCategory - Bilibili category labels.
• durationSeconds and durationText - video duration.
• viewCount, danmakuCount, likeCount, coinCount, favoriteCount, shareCount, and replyCount - engagement metrics.
• tags - video tags when detail enrichment is enabled.
• pages - multi-part video page data when available.
• scrapedAt - extraction timestamp.

Download your results

Open your run's dataset, choose Export and select JSON, CSV or Excel. JSON keeps nested fields together. CSV and Excel are useful when you want to review the records in a spreadsheet.

See Apify's download and export guide for the available formats and field options.

Pricing

The Actor uses pay-per-event pricing: start is charged once per run, and item is charged for each video saved to the dataset. See the live Pricing tab for current rates.

Use maxItems, maxPagesPerKeyword and runTimeSecs to keep work bounded. Start with 1–10 saved videos and one page per keyword, then inspect the records before increasing volume.

Tips for best results

• Use a specific keyword or known BVID. Empty target lists invoke the built-in sample-video lookup rather than an empty search.
• Keep one page per keyword for a first sample. Inspect the returned records before widening the search.
• Enable details for available tags and additional engagement fields. Disable them when a faster search sample is sufficient. No setting guarantees every optional value.
• Read RUN_SUMMARY after partial work. Check saved counts, failures and time-limit stops before comparing results.
• Reduce request frequency when access is limited. The existing delay and proxy settings are described in the input help, and access is not guaranteed.

Limits and caveats

• Only public video metadata is supported. No account login or private account data is collected.
• Bilibili can restrict, challenge or rate-limit requests. An inaccessible video is not proof that it is private or deleted.
• If enrichment fails, a usable search record may still be saved. Inspect RUN_SUMMARY for partial results and time-limit stops.
• A successful search response with no matches completes with an empty dataset. RUN_SUMMARY.emptyInputs explains which keyword/page had no matching videos. Missing or malformed responses, blocking and deadlines are not treated as no matches.
• The Actor stops before further video work when the item-charge budget is exhausted. RUN_SUMMARY distinguishes persisted saved rows, actual chargedItems and stoppedByChargeLimit. Essential storage or billing failures fail the run, even after earlier rows were saved. A failed run does not establish whether the target exists.
• Supply explicit keywords or BVIDs for your own research. Empty target lists invoke a built-in sample-video lookup rather than an empty search.
• This Actor is not affiliated with Bilibili.

Automation and integrations

Save your settings for next time

Once you have an input that works for you, save it as an Apify task. This keeps your settings together so you can use them again without filling in the form from scratch.

Run on a schedule

Need fresh results regularly? You can schedule the Actor or a saved task to run at a time that suits you.

Each scheduled run collects the data again. If you want to compare results or highlight changes, add that step in your own workflow.

Send results to your other tools

Use n8n, Make or Zapier to connect this scraper to the rest of your workflow. For example, you could pass its results to an AI assistant or add records to a spreadsheet. Follow the Apify integration guides for your chosen tool.

For a custom connection, an Apify webhook can notify your app when a run finishes or fails. Your app can then fetch the results or handle the failure.

API usage

Want to collect this data from your own app or automation? The examples below send input to the scraper and show how to collect its results.

The Node.js and Python examples wait for the run to finish before reading its results. The cURL example starts the run and returns its details. Wait for that run to finish, then use its defaultDatasetId to fetch the results.

For setup instructions, see Apify's JavaScript client guide, Python client guide and Actor runs API reference.

cURL

curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~bilibili-video-search-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"keywords":["anime music"],"maxItems":10,"maxPagesPerKeyword":1}'

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/bilibili-video-search-scraper').call({
  keywords: ['anime music'],
  maxItems: 10,
  maxPagesPerKeyword: 1,
});

const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

from apify_client import ApifyClient
import os

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/bilibili-video-search-scraper').call(run_input={
    'keywords': ['anime music'],
    'maxItems': 10,
    'maxPagesPerKeyword': 1,
})

items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with Bilibili Video Search Scraper and help you work with the results. The scraper returns the data, and your assistant can then summarize it, compare records or prepare notes.

Connect your assistant through the Apify MCP server. MCP gives your assistant a way to find this scraper, run it and read the results. Follow the official setup and sign-in guide for your app.

Easier setup with an Apify plugin

If you use a supported coding assistant, the official Apify plugin can set up the connection for you. It connects your assistant to Apify and includes instructions for common tasks. Follow the guide for your particular app.

Use Apify AI in Console

Prefer to keep everything in Apify? Open Apify AI in Console and ask it to find Fetch Cat's Bilibili Video Search Scraper. You can describe the data you want and ask questions about the results.

Apify AI is currently in beta. It asks for confirmation before starting an Actor, and normal run charges apply.

Choose your assistant

• Claude and Claude Code (Anthropic): Apify setup guide.
• ChatGPT and Codex (OpenAI): Apify setup guides.
• Grok Bot (xAI): Apify plugin guide.
• Gemini CLI (Google): MCP server setup guide. Use the server URL below with the HTTP configuration supported by Gemini CLI.

Connect just this scraper

To keep your setup focused on this scraper, add this server configuration to a compatible MCP client:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=fetch_cat/bilibili-video-search-scraper"
    }
  }
}

Sign in to Apify when your client asks. If your client uses a Bearer token instead, follow its setup guide and keep the token in its secure configuration. Configuration formats vary by app, so use the linked guide if your client needs a different format.

Use Apify's general server

Already connected to the general Apify MCP server at https://mcp.apify.com? You can use it to find this scraper without adding another server. Ask your assistant to use Bilibili Video Search Scraper by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/bilibili-video-search-scraper.

Your assistant can check the available settings and retrieve the results from the returned run. If the run is still working, it should follow that run rather than start it again. Both connection options use Apify's hosted service.

Example requests

• “Use Fetch Cat’s Bilibili Video Search Scraper to collect up to 5 anime music videos from one search page. Show titles, authors, source links and available view counts for a small research sample.”
• “Retrieve metadata for the known Bilibili BVID I provide, saving at most one video with detail enrichment. Show its title, author, URL, publish date and any available tags, marking missing values.”
• “Collect up to 6 videos across travel vlog and study with me searches, using the source’s newest ordering. Keep keyword, rank, collection time and video links, then help me compare the returned samples without claiming a complete trend ranking.”

Normal Apify charges apply. Check the live Pricing tab before asking your assistant to run a larger batch.

Pay with x402

If your AI agent has a funded wallet, it can pay for Apify usage through x402. This experimental option lets an agent use Apify without a conventional account.

Apify AGI provides a prepaid API token with a spending cap after payment. Your agent can use that token to run this scraper through the Apify API or an authenticated MCP connection.

Some MCP setups also support paying for each request directly. That is a different payment option, so check the official guide for its availability.

Follow the official guide for wallet setup, supported payment options and current terms. Apify handles the payments. Keep wallet keys and payment tokens in your agent's secure configuration.

Other ways for agents to pay

Apify also supports MPP for prepaid access through AGI and Skyfire for eligible Actors. If your agent already uses one of these, see the agentic payment guide to choose the right setup.

FAQ

Why did my run save no items?

The keyword may have no public video results, the BVID may be unavailable, or Bilibili may be temporarily rate-limiting requests. Try a known BVID, lower request volume, or retry later.

Can I scrape comments?

This actor focuses on video search results and video metadata. Comment extraction is not included in this actor.

Can I search by creator?

Use Bilibili keywords that include the creator name or provide known BVIDs. Dedicated creator-profile crawling is outside this actor's current scope.

Why are some fields null?

Bilibili does not return every field for every video or endpoint. Search results may include less detail than direct video metadata, and private/deleted/restricted videos may not expose full details.

Related Actors

More Bilibili scrapers

• Bilibili Comments & Replies Scraper — Collect public comments and optional nested replies from known Bilibili video URLs or BVIDs when researching viewer feedback.

For adjacent public-data workflows:

• YouTube Search Results Scraper — Discover videos and channels on YouTube.
• YouTube Channel Videos Scraper — Collect recent public channel video metadata for a bounded publishing snapshot. This is not a complete channel archive.
• TikTok Profile Scraper — Research public TikTok creator profiles.
• Google Trends Scraper — Collect current country-level Trending Now topics with traffic labels and news context alongside video research. Historical keyword interest is not provided.

Support and feedback

For custom additions or integrations, email hello@fetchcat.dev.

Found an error or have a feature request? Open an issue with the run URL, a non-sensitive input example and what you expected.

Need help sharing it? See Apify’s guide to sharing a run when reporting an issue. Sharing a run can give the developer access to its input, logs and results, so use a run that contains no sensitive data. Please leave out API tokens, passwords, cookies, private documents and personal data. Use a public sample URL or a redacted example instead.

Tried this scraper? We'd love to hear how it worked for you. Leave a review to help others choose the right tool and help us improve it. Your feedback means a lot to us.

Made with care for curious people, AI agents and the possibilities in data. ♥