# Yelp Reviews Scraper (`fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper`) Actor

Extract public Yelp reviews, ratings, reviewer details, owner replies, and review URLs for business reputation monitoring.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/fetch\_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Hanna Nosova](https://apify.com/fetch_cat) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Marketing, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.18 / 1,000 review saveds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

## Yelp Reviews Scraper

Extract public Yelp review data for one or many business pages. The actor collects reviews, ratings, reviewer metadata, owner replies, review URLs, and collection diagnostics so reputation teams can monitor Yelp feedback without manual copying.

### Who is it for?

- Reputation-management agencies tracking review changes for client portfolios.
- Local chains monitoring customer feedback across branches.
- Market researchers comparing public sentiment across competitors.
- Data teams enriching dashboards, alerts, BI reports, and AI review-analysis workflows.

### What can Yelp Reviews Scraper do?

- Scrape public reviews from Yelp business URLs, aliases, or dedicated business IDs.
- Limit the number of reviews per business to control cost and runtime.
- Sort reviews by newest, relevance, highest rating, or lowest rating.
- Filter by selected star ratings, language, or review search text.
- Preserve partial output when one business fails in a multi-business run.
- Redact direct reviewer profile URLs by default while keeping useful reviewer names and IDs.

### Ready-to-run examples

Open these published examples from the Actor's Examples tab:

- [Monitor the newest Yelp reviews for a business](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/monitor-newest-yelp-reviews)
- [Find 1-star and 2-star Yelp reviews for a business](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/find-low-rating-yelp-reviews)
- [Collect 5-star Yelp reviews for customer research](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/collect-five-star-yelp-reviews)
- [Search Yelp reviews for service feedback](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/search-yelp-reviews-for-service-feedback)
- [Export English-language Yelp reviews to CSV or JSON](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/export-english-yelp-reviews)
- [Compare Yelp reviews across two businesses](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/compare-yelp-reviews-across-businesses)
- [Build a Yelp reviews dataset for AI or RAG](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/examples/yelp-reviews-dataset-for-ai-rag)

### Input example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco" },
    { "url": "bottega-louie-los-angeles" }
  ],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 10,
  "sort": "DATE_DESC",
  "ratings": ["5", "4"],
  "language": "en",
  "reviewSearch": "service",
  "redactReviewerProfileUrls": true
}
```

### Input settings

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `startUrls` | array | Yelp business URLs or Yelp aliases. Bare aliases are not treated as opaque IDs. |
| `businessUrls` | array | Additional Yelp business URLs or aliases. |
| `businessIds` | array | Optional dedicated field for opaque Yelp business IDs. |
| `maxReviewsPerBusiness` | integer | Maximum unique reviews to save for each business. |
| `sort` | string | `DATE_DESC`, `RELEVANCE_DESC`, `RATING_DESC`, or `RATING_ASC`. |
| `ratings` | array | Optional list of star ratings to include, such as `["5", "4"]`. |
| `language` | string | Optional language code such as `en`. Leave blank for Yelp default behavior. |
| `reviewSearch` | string | Optional keyword or phrase to search inside reviews. |
| `redactReviewerProfileUrls` | boolean | Omit direct reviewer profile URLs by default for privacy-conscious exports. |

### Output example

```json
{
  "reviewId": "abc123",
  "reviewUrl": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco?hrid=abc123",
  "businessId": "opaque-business-id",
  "businessAlias": "gary-danko-san-francisco",
  "businessName": "Gary Danko",
  "businessUrl": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco",
  "rating": 5,
  "text": "Wonderful dinner and excellent service.",
  "language": "en",
  "createdAt": "2026-07-01T00:00:00.000Z",
  "createdAtLocal": "Jul 1, 2026",
  "reviewerId": "reviewer-id",
  "reviewerName": "A. Customer",
  "reviewerLocation": "San Francisco, CA",
  "reviewerProfileUrl": null,
  "ownerReplyText": "Thank you for visiting!",
  "ownerReplyCreatedAt": "2026-07-02T00:00:00.000Z",
  "mediaCount": 2,
  "reactions": { "useful": 1, "funny": 0, "cool": 0 },
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco",
  "collectedAt": "2026-07-31T00:00:00.000Z"
}
```

### Output fields

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `reviewId` | Yelp review identifier. |
| `reviewUrl` | Direct public review URL when available. |
| `businessId` | Yelp business identifier used by the run. |
| `businessAlias` | Public Yelp business alias. |
| `businessName` | Business name. |
| `businessUrl` | Public Yelp business page URL. |
| `rating` | Star rating from 1 to 5. |
| `text` | Review text. |
| `language` | Review language when available. |
| `createdAt` | Normalized review timestamp when available. |
| `createdAtLocal` | Yelp-displayed review date text. |
| `reviewerId` | Reviewer identifier when available. |
| `reviewerName` | Reviewer display name. |
| `reviewerLocation` | Reviewer location text. |
| `reviewerProfileUrl` | Reviewer profile URL only when URL redaction is disabled and available. |
| `ownerReplyText` | Public owner reply text when present. |
| `ownerReplyCreatedAt` | Owner reply timestamp when available. |
| `mediaCount` | Number of media items attached to the review when available. |
| `reactions` | Public reaction counts when available. |
| `sourceUrl` | Input/resolved business URL used for collection. |
| `collectedAt` | Timestamp when the item was saved. |

### Pricing

This actor uses pay-per-event pricing. See the live [Pricing tab](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper/pricing) for the current rates.

- **Start**: a small one-time fee is charged when a run starts.
- **Review saved**: charged for each Yelp review item successfully saved to the dataset.

You can keep runs inexpensive by using a low `maxReviewsPerBusiness`, limiting the number of businesses per run, and applying rating or keyword filters only when they are needed.

### Input recipes

#### Monitor newest reviews for one business

```json
{
  "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco" }],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 20,
  "sort": "DATE_DESC",
  "redactReviewerProfileUrls": true
}
```

#### Find low-rating feedback for a portfolio

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    { "url": "gary-danko-san-francisco" },
    { "url": "bottega-louie-los-angeles" }
  ],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 50,
  "sort": "DATE_DESC",
  "ratings": ["1", "2"],
  "redactReviewerProfileUrls": true
}
```

#### Search reviews for a service topic

```json
{
  "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco" }],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 25,
  "reviewSearch": "service",
  "language": "en"
}
```

### API usage

#### Node.js

```js
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper').call({
  startUrls: [{ url: 'https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco' }],
  maxReviewsPerBusiness: 10,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

#### Python

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
import os

client = ApifyClient(os.environ['APIFY_TOKEN'])
run = client.actor('fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper').call(run_input={
    'startUrls': [{'url': 'https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco'}],
    'maxReviewsPerBusiness': 10,
})
items = client.dataset(run['defaultDatasetId']).list_items().items
print(items)
```

#### cURL

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/fetch_cat~yelp-reviews-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"startUrls":[{"url":"https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco"}],"maxReviewsPerBusiness":10}'
```

### MCP and AI agent usage

Use the Apify MCP server with this actor to let AI agents request fresh Yelp review data:

```text
https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper
```

Add the Apify MCP server to Claude Desktop or Claude Code with a command such as:

```bash
claude mcp add apify https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper
```

MCP JSON configuration example:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper"
    }
  }
}
```

Example prompt ideas showing MCP usage:

- "Use Yelp Reviews Scraper to collect the newest 20 Yelp reviews for this business and summarize common complaints."
- "Run the actor for these Yelp business URLs and compare the latest low-star reviews across locations."
- "Export review text and ratings from Yelp Reviews Scraper for sentiment analysis."

### Limits and troubleshooting

- Yelp may show fewer reviews than requested for businesses with limited public review history or tight filters.
- Some old review dates are only available as Yelp-displayed local date text.
- Multi-business runs continue after a failed business and save failure details to key-value records.
- For large portfolios, run smaller batches on a schedule to simplify monitoring and retries.
- If a run returns no items, test one known public business URL with a low review limit first.

### FAQ

#### Can I scrape multiple Yelp businesses in one run?

Yes. Add multiple business URLs or aliases to `startUrls`. The actor keeps each output item tied to its source business.

#### Can I collect only one-star reviews?

Yes. Set `ratings` to `["1"]` and choose the sort order that fits your workflow.

#### Does the actor return owner replies?

Yes, public owner reply text and reply timestamps are returned when Yelp provides them.

#### Can I use the output in dashboards or alerts?

Yes. Export the dataset as JSON, CSV, Excel, or consume it through the Apify API.

#### Does the actor include private Yelp data?

No. It extracts publicly available review data from business pages.

### Related actors

- [Google Maps Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/google-maps-reviews-scraper)
- [Google Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/google-reviews-scraper)
- [Tripadvisor Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/tripadvisor-reviews-scraper)
- [Trustpilot Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/trustpilot-reviews-scraper)
- [Facebook Reviews Scraper](https://apify.com/fetch_cat/facebook-reviews-scraper)

### Support

If you need help, open an issue on the actor page and include your input, run ID, and a short description of what you expected to receive.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Yelp business page URLs such as https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco. Use Business IDs below for opaque Yelp IDs.

## `businessUrls` (type: `array`):

Optional Yelp business aliases such as gary-danko-san-francisco or additional business URLs. Values here are always treated as aliases/URLs, not opaque IDs.

## `businessIds` (type: `array`):

Optional opaque Yelp business IDs if you already have them. IDs are accepted only in this dedicated field.

## `changedSince` (type: `string`):

Optional ISO date/time. Best-effort filter for reviews where Yelp returns a parseable UTC timestamp; localized-only dates are retained.

## `maxReviewsPerBusiness` (type: `integer`):

Stop exactly after this many unique reviews for each business, or earlier if Yelp has fewer matching reviews.

## `sort` (type: `string`):

Yelp review sort order.

## `ratings` (type: `array`):

Optional Yelp star ratings to include. Leave empty for all ratings.

## `language` (type: `string`):

Optional language code such as en. Leave empty for Yelp's default behavior.

## `reviewSearch` (type: `string`):

Optional keyword or phrase to search within reviews.

## `redactReviewerProfileUrls` (type: `boolean`):

Keep reviewer names/IDs but omit direct public profile URLs by default.

## `includeReviewerDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Include public reviewer review, friend, and photo counts, Elite year, and profile photo. Disabled by default; collect only when your use case and retention policy require it.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco"
    }
  ],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 10,
  "sort": "DATE_DESC",
  "redactReviewerProfileUrls": true,
  "includeReviewerDetails": false
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `reviews` (type: `string`):

No description

## `runSummary` (type: `string`):

No description

## `pendingWorkCheckpoint` (type: `string`):

No description

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco"
        }
    ],
    "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 10
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco" }],
    "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 10,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-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 '{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.yelp.com/biz/gary-danko-san-francisco"
    }
  ],
  "maxReviewsPerBusiness": 10
}' |
apify call fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch_cat/yelp-reviews-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/1voBSQp5GcYi12BGC/builds/HhtFpsNIII0gu5K8c/openapi.json