Bluesky Actor Search Scraper

Search public Bluesky profiles by keyword and export handles, DIDs, bios, images, available follower counts, and profile URLs. Use the results for source discovery, community research, and social listening. This Actor does not return posts or private account data.

Quick start

Paste a focused keyword into queries, choose searchActors for discovery or typeahead for suggestions, and start with a small cap:

{
  "queries": ["apify"],
  "mode": "searchActors",
  "maxItems": 10
}

Open the run's dataset to inspect profiles and export JSON, CSV, or Excel. No Bluesky login is needed.

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

Choose a public example to see its settings before starting a run:

• Collect Bluesky typeahead profile suggestions
• Discover Bluesky journalist and expert profiles
• Discover Bluesky brand and tool profiles

What you get

Find public profiles matching your queries and save one row per unique profile. Each row keeps the query that first produced it, the profile's DID and handle, a source link and available profile details. Counts can be missing when profile enrichment is unavailable.

What data can you extract?

Field	Description
query	Search keyword that produced the profile.
mode	searchActors or typeahead.
rank	Position within the query before duplicate skips. Gaps are possible.
did	Bluesky / AT Protocol decentralized identifier.
handle	Public Bluesky handle.
displayName	Public display name, when available.
description	Public profile bio, when available.
avatar, banner	Profile image URLs, when available.
followersCount, followsCount, postsCount	Public counts when profile enrichment succeeds. Otherwise null.
createdAt, indexedAt	Public timestamps returned by Bluesky.
labels, associated, verification, status	Public profile metadata returned by Bluesky.
sourceUrl	Public bsky.app profile URL.
scrapedAt	Timestamp when the Actor saved the row.
rawProfile	Search profile merged with available profile details when includeRawProfile is true. Otherwise null.

Who is it for?

• Journalists and researchers building a shortlist of public sources around a topic.
• Community and social listening teams discovering accounts before reading their public activity.
• Data teams and developers passing profile identities into another reporting or collection workflow.

Profile discovery workflows

• Build a topic-source shortlist. Search a focused term such as “climate” and review the returned bios, handles and profile links. Use this as a starting point for checking relevance. A profile's self-description does not verify someone's credentials, identity or expertise.
• Explore name suggestions. Choose typeahead for a quick batch of profile suggestions around a name or term. Check the bios and source links before selecting accounts. Typeahead returns one suggestion batch per query rather than a complete list of matches.
• Prepare further account research. Export did, handle and sourceUrl for your selected profiles, then pass the identities to a feed or follower tool if you need that data. Keep DIDs with saved exports when comparing identities, because handles can change. This search Actor itself does not retrieve posts or follower relationships.

Profiles repeated across queries are saved once, against the first query that saves them. The global result cap can leave later queries unprocessed, so use separate small searches when you need a sample for each topic.

Input settings

Setting	JSON key	Use it for	Example
Search queries	queries	Keywords to search for in public Bluesky profiles.	["apify", "climate"]
Search mode	mode	Full actor search or typeahead suggestions.	"searchActors"
Maximum profiles	maxItems	Cap unique saved profiles across all queries, not per query.	10
Profiles per request	limitPerRequest	API page size, 1-100.	10
Include raw profile JSON	includeRawProfile	Keep Bluesky's raw profile object for advanced use.	false

Example input

{
  "queries": ["apify", "climate"],
  "mode": "searchActors",
  "maxItems": 10,
  "limitPerRequest": 10,
  "includeRawProfile": false
}

Output data

Illustrative shape only, not a captured profile. Optional fields may be null.

{
  "query": "apify",
  "mode": "searchActors",
  "rank": 1,
  "did": "did:plc:example",
  "handle": "example.bsky.social",
  "displayName": "Example profile",
  "description": null,
  "avatar": null,
  "banner": null,
  "followersCount": null,
  "followsCount": null,
  "postsCount": null,
  "createdAt": "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "indexedAt": "2026-07-24T00:00:00.000Z",
  "labels": [],
  "associated": {},
  "verification": null,
  "status": null,
  "sourceUrl": "https://bsky.app/profile/example.bsky.social",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-07-24T08:00:00.000Z",
  "rawProfile": null
}

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 Run started (start) event is charged once when a valid run begins, including a search with no matches.

The Profile saved (item) event is charged for each unique public profile written to the dataset. Duplicates and failed queries are not charged as profiles.

See the live Pricing tab for current rates and plan-tier discounts.

Tips for best results

• Start with a focused term and a small cap. Review ten profiles before expanding your search. Very broad words can produce a less useful shortlist.
• Choose discovery or suggestions. Use searchActors for profile discovery and typeahead for autocomplete-style candidates. Neither provides exhaustive coverage.
• Review each source profile. Use the returned bio and link to check relevance, and leave missing counts or images empty rather than filling them with assumptions.
• Keep the DID with the handle. This helps downstream identity comparisons if the public handle changes. Feed or follower collection needs a separate tool.

Limits and caveats

• Scope: This Actor searches public profiles only. It does not scrape posts, replies, DMs, logged-in viewer state, or private data.
• Ordering: Results follow Bluesky's search order. There is no custom sorting. Profiles repeated across queries are saved only once, attributed to the first query that saves them.
• Completeness: The global maxItems cap can leave later queries unprocessed. Typeahead returns one suggestion batch per query rather than exhaustive discovery.
• Partial results: A failed query does not discard profiles already saved. If no profiles are saved and a query fails, the run fails. A completed search with no matches returns an empty dataset. Missing counts or images remain null.
• Connections: Searches use public access directly. There is no proxy or connection-mode setting.
• Rate limits: Very large or frequent runs may be throttled by the public API. Available fields and search order can change.

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~bluesky-actor-search-scraper/runs' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data @- <<'JSON'
{
  "queries": [
    "apify"
  ],
  "mode": "searchActors",
  "maxItems": 10
}
JSON

Node.js

import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/bluesky-actor-search-scraper').call({
  "queries": [
    "apify"
  ],
  "mode": "searchActors",
  "maxItems": 10
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);

Python

import os
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/bluesky-actor-search-scraper').call(run_input={'queries': ['apify'], 'mode': 'searchActors', 'maxItems': 10})
print(client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items)

MCP and AI agents

You can ask your AI assistant to collect data with Bluesky Actor 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 Bluesky Actor 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/bluesky-actor-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 Bluesky Actor Search Scraper by Fetch Cat, or give it the identifier fetch_cat/bluesky-actor-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

Give your assistant the inputs it needs along with a request like one of these:

• “Find up to ten public Bluesky profiles matching climate with Fetch Cat's Bluesky Actor Search Scraper. Show handles, bios, DIDs and source links so I can review possible sources.”
• “Get up to five Bluesky typeahead profile suggestions for Apify. Give me their display names, handles and profile links, without assuming which one is an official account.”
• “Search public Bluesky profiles for data journalism and collect at most ten unique profiles. Make a table of bios, available follower counts and source links, leaving missing counts blank.”

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

What data can I export with Bluesky actor search?

You can export public profile handles, DIDs, display names, descriptions, avatars, labels, verification metadata, profile URLs, and optional raw profile data. Apify datasets support JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, RSS, and API access.

Can I run Bluesky Actor Search Scraper through an API, schedule, or MCP client?

Yes. Run it through the Apify API or SDK, schedule recurring searches in Console, or connect it to an MCP-compatible AI client using the setup above.

How much does a run cost?

Runs charge once at startup and per unique profile saved. Check the live Pricing tab for current rates and plan-tier discounts.

Why are some fields empty?

Bluesky profiles are sparse and the public API does not expose every field for every account. The Actor leaves unavailable fields empty instead of guessing.

Related Actors

• Bluesky Profile Feed Scraper — Collect public Bluesky profile metadata and recent author-feed posts as separate rows.
• Bluesky Followers Scraper — Collect public Bluesky follower and following relationships with related profile metadata.
• Instagram Search Scraper — Collect links and visible metadata from public Instagram popular-topic pages for supplied keywords.
• LinkedIn Jobs Scraper — Collect public LinkedIn job-search or known-posting records with available employer and location details as separate job-market research, without enriching Bluesky profiles.
• Pinterest Search Scraper — Collect public Pinterest pin links, images, titles and available source metadata from keyword searches.

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. ♥