# Kickstarter Scraper (`fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper`) Actor

\[💰 $0.85-$1.00 / 1K] Find and export structured Kickstarter campaign data with flexible search, category, state, sorting, and pagination controls.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Fetch Finch](https://apify.com/fetchfinch) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 33.3% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $0.85 / 1,000 kickstarter project returneds

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#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

## Kickstarter Scraper

Find and export structured Kickstarter campaign data for market research, campaign discovery, competitor tracking, trend analysis, and lead generation.

Kickstarter Scraper searches public Kickstarter Discover results and returns clean, deduplicated records that are ready for analysis, spreadsheets, databases, or downstream automations.

### Features

- Search by keyword, category, campaign state, and sort order.
- Use exact Kickstarter Discover URLs for advanced filters and subcategories.
- Scan multiple result pages with a configurable project and page limit.
- Combine multiple Discover URLs in one run and automatically remove duplicates.
- Get campaign funding, progress, dates, creator, category, location, media, and public links in a consistent JSON structure.
- Receive one chargeable result per unique campaign returned.

### Quick start

```json
{
  "category": "games",
  "state": "live",
  "sort": "most_funded",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxPages": 5
}
```

For a keyword search:

```json
{
  "searchTerm": "board game",
  "state": "live",
  "sort": "newest",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxPages": 5
}
```

For advanced filters or a subcategory, provide the public Discover URL directly:

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.kickstarter.com/discover/categories/crafts?sort=magic&category_id[]=26&state[]=live"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxPages": 5
}
```

`maxPages` controls how many result pages are scanned for each Discover URL. `maxItems` controls the maximum number of unique campaign records returned.

### Example tasks

Try a preconfigured workflow:

- [Find Live Kickstarter Games](https://apify.com/fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper/examples/live-kickstarter-games)
- [Find New Live Kickstarter Games](https://apify.com/fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper/examples/new-kickstarter-campaigns)
- [Find Live Kickstarter Crafts Campaigns](https://apify.com/fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper/examples/live-kickstarter-crafts)
- [Search Kickstarter with an Advanced Discover URL](https://apify.com/fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper/examples/advanced-kickstarter-discover-search)

### Dataset fields

Each campaign is returned as one normalized JSON record.

| Field | Included data |
| --- | --- |
| `projectId`, `slug`, `url`, `rewardsUrl` | Campaign identity and public links |
| `title`, `blurb`, `description`, `status` | Campaign copy and current state |
| `goal`, `pledged`, `usdPledged`, `currency`, `percentFunded` | Funding and progress metrics |
| `backersCount`, `daysRemaining`, `deadline`, `createdAt`, `launchedAt` | Campaign activity and timeline |
| `creator` | Creator name, profile, biography, and avatar data |
| `category` | Category, subcategory, parent category, and analytics names |
| `location` | Campaign location and country information |
| `imageUrl`, `imageUrls`, `videoHighUrl`, `videoHlsUrl` | Public campaign media |
| `sourceUrl`, `dataSources`, `scrapedAt` | Source and collection metadata |

Dates are returned as ISO-8601 timestamps. Funding values retain the campaign currency, with USD values included when supplied by Kickstarter. Records are deduplicated by campaign ID and canonical URL.

### Common use cases

- Discover campaigns in a market or niche.
- Monitor new, live, upcoming, and recently completed campaigns.
- Benchmark funding performance across categories.
- Build campaign databases and research datasets.
- Track competitor launches, creators, and product themes.
- Feed campaign data into Airtable, Google Sheets, CRMs, or custom applications.

### Pricing

You pay per unique campaign returned, making small searches and larger catalogue runs predictable. Set `maxItems` and `maxPages` to match the size of dataset you need.

### Proxy settings

The optional proxy configuration lets you use Apify Proxy or provide a private HTTP/HTTPS proxy when required by your workflow.

### Local development

```bash
npm install
npm test
apify run
```

# Actor input Schema

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

One or more public Kickstarter Discover URLs. Use these for subcategories and advanced filters.

## `searchTerm` (type: `string`):

Optional campaign keyword search when no Discover URL is supplied.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Optional top-level category filter when no Discover URL is supplied. Use an exact Discover URL for subcategories.

## `categoryId` (type: `string`):

Optional Kickstarter category or subcategory ID.

## `state` (type: `string`):

Optional campaign state filter when no Discover URL is supplied.

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

Campaign sort order when no Discover URL is supplied.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of unique campaign records to return across all source URLs. Use 0 for unlimited.

## `maxPages` (type: `integer`):

Number of result pages to scan for each Discover URL, including the first page.

## `requestDelaySecs` (type: `number`):

Optional delay between result pages in seconds.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Optional proxy settings for the run.

## `customProxyUrl` (type: `string`):

Optional private HTTP/HTTPS proxy URL for the run.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [],
  "searchTerm": "",
  "category": "",
  "categoryId": "",
  "state": "",
  "sort": "magic",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "maxPages": 10,
  "requestDelaySecs": 0.5,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": false,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  },
  "customProxyUrl": ""
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `projects` (type: `string`):

The normalized campaign records returned by the scraper.

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

Run-level counts, pagination, proxy attempts, and source status.

# 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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("fetchfinch/kickstarter-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 = {}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{}' |
apify call fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,fetchfinch/kickstarter-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/Pck0Bas2is380Fjok/builds/QHDaPI1Jonogjbcv1/openapi.json