# Alison Discovery Scraper (`getdataforme/alison-discovery-scraper`) Actor
The Alison Discovery Scraper extracts detailed online course data from Alison for market research, competitive analysis, and content aggregation....
- **URL**: https://apify.com/getdataforme/alison-discovery-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [GetDataForMe](https://apify.com/getdataforme) (community)
- **Categories:** AI, Automation, E-commerce
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet
## Pricing
from $9.00 / 1,000 results
This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event
## What's an Apify Actor?
Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases.
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.
In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md):
```bash
npm install apify-client
```
In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md):
```bash
pip install apify-client
```
In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md):
````bash
# MacOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash
# Windows
irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex
```bash
In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md).
If your project is in a different language, use 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
## Alison Discovery Scraper
The Alison Discovery Scraper is a powerful tool designed to extract detailed information about online courses from the Alison platform. It enables users to gather comprehensive data for market research, competitive analysis, and content aggregation, providing valuable insights into the educational landscape.
### Features
- **Comprehensive Data Extraction**: Scrapes detailed course information including publisher, status, content, outcomes, and engagement metrics.
- **High Data Quality**: Ensures accurate and up-to-date information with reliable scraping techniques.
- **Efficient Performance**: Capable of handling large volumes of data with customizable limits.
- **Proxy Support**: Utilizes Apify's residential proxies to maintain anonymity and prevent IP bans.
- **User-Friendly Configuration**: Easily set up and run with minimal input requirements.
- **Flexible Output Formats**: Export results in JSON, CSV, or Excel for seamless integration into your workflow.
### Input Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---------------------|----------|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
| `searchQuery` | String | Yes | Enter the Search Keywords | "knife" |
| `maxItems` | Integer | No | Maximum number of items to scrape | 100 |
| `proxyConfiguration`| Object | No | Specifies proxy servers to hide the scraper's origin | See below |
### Example Usage
#### Example Input JSON
```json
{
"searchQuery": "knife",
"maxItems": 50,
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": true,
"apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}
}
````
#### Example Output JSON
```json
[
{
"id": 5340,
"courseTypeId": 1,
"publisher": {
"name": "Element Recipe",
"displayName": "Element Recipe",
"slug": "elementia-recipia"
},
"status": {
"active": 1,
"trending": 0,
"enrollable": 1,
"visibility": 1,
"published": true
},
"content": {
"responsive": 1,
"containsAudio": 0,
"containsVideo": 1
},
"name": "Cooking Basics - Food Hygiene, Kitchen Utensils & Seasonings",
"slug": "cooking-basics-food-hygiene-kitchen-utensils-and-seasonings",
"headline": "In this free online course, learn the fundamentals of good cooking and take your culinary skills to the next level.",
"outcomes": [
"Discuss the eight basic culinary skills",
"Analyze the adequate temperature ranges required for proper storage of different food items",
"Summarize the four most important food-borne illnesses and their causative organisms",
"Identify the age groups that are at a higher risk of getting affected by food-borne illnesses",
"Recognize various essential kitchen utensils and their uses",
"Explain some of the essential knife-cutting skills and methods of using honing rods to sharpen the knives",
"Recognize the characteristics of common herbs and spices and their medical benefits",
"Distinguish between barding and larding processes"
],
"locale": "en",
"rating": 3,
"engagement": {
"enrolled": 11250,
"certified": 2802,
"disliked": 3,
"liked": 82,
"loved": 102
},
"tags": [
"food_safety",
"cooking",
"chef"
],
"category": {
"name": "Teaching & Academics",
"slug": "education",
"rootName": "Teaching & Academics",
"rootSlug": "education",
"allSlugs": [
"education",
"personal_development"
]
},
"level": 1,
"environment": {
"key": "personal_development_activities_and_hobbies",
"name": "Personal Development - Activities and Hobbies"
},
"avgDuration": "1.5-3",
"courseImageUrl": "https://cdn01.alison-static.net/courses/5340/alison_courseware_intro_5340.jpg",
"points": 50,
"language": "en",
"cefrScoreDescription": "Supplementary Courses",
"ranking": {
"list": 2709,
"customList": 1000000
},
"supportedInMobileApp": 0,
"translations": [
"en",
"es"
],
"scrapedAt": "2026-05-20T11:07:37.925Z",
"searchQuery": "knife",
"pageNumber": 1
}
]
```
### Use Cases
- **Market Research and Analysis**: Gather data on popular courses and trends.
- **Competitive Intelligence**: Monitor competitors' offerings and strategies.
- **Price Monitoring**: Track course pricing and changes over time.
- **Content Aggregation**: Compile educational content for platforms or blogs.
- **Academic Research**: Analyze educational trends and course effectiveness.
- **Business Automation**: Automate data collection for business intelligence.
### Installation and Usage
1. Search for "Alison Discovery Scraper" in the Apify Store.
2. Click "Try for free" or "Run".
3. Configure input parameters.
4. Click "Start" to begin extraction.
5. Monitor progress in the log.
6. Export results in your preferred format (JSON, CSV, Excel).
### Output Format
The output is a JSON array where each object contains detailed course information such as course ID, publisher, status, content details, outcomes, engagement metrics, and more. This structured format allows for easy data manipulation and analysis.
### Support
For custom/simplified outputs or bug reports, please contact:
- Email: support@getdataforme.com
- Subject line: "custom support"
- Contact form:
We're here to help you get the most out of this Actor!
# Actor input Schema
## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):
Enter the Search Keywords
## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):
Maximum number of items to scrape.
## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):
Specifies proxy servers that will be used by the scraper in order to hide its origin.
## Actor input object example
```json
{
"searchQuery": "knife",
"maxItems": 100,
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": true,
"apifyProxyGroups": [
"RESIDENTIAL"
],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}
}
```
# Actor output Schema
## `results` (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 '' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
token: '',
});
// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
"searchQuery": "knife",
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": true,
"apifyProxyGroups": [
"RESIDENTIAL"
],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}
};
// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("getdataforme/alison-discovery-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 '' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("")
# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
"searchQuery": "knife",
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": True,
"apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US",
},
}
# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("getdataforme/alison-discovery-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 '{
"searchQuery": "knife",
"proxyConfiguration": {
"useApifyProxy": true,
"apifyProxyGroups": [
"RESIDENTIAL"
],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}
}' |
apify call getdataforme/alison-discovery-scraper --silent --output-dataset
```
## MCP server setup
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apify": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=getdataforme/alison-discovery-scraper",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer "
]
}
}
}
```
## OpenAPI specification
```json
{
"openapi": "3.0.1",
"info": {
"title": "Alison Discovery Scraper",
"description": "The Alison Discovery Scraper extracts detailed online course data from Alison for market research, competitive analysis, and content aggregation....",
"version": "0.0",
"x-build-id": "SuReZRj5G1Qt30rNQ"
},
"servers": [
{
"url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
}
],
"paths": {
"/acts/getdataforme~alison-discovery-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-getdataforme-alison-discovery-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
},
"/acts/getdataforme~alison-discovery-scraper/runs": {
"post": {
"operationId": "runs-sync-getdataforme-alison-discovery-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK",
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
}
}
}
}
}
}
},
"/acts/getdataforme~alison-discovery-scraper/run-sync": {
"post": {
"operationId": "run-sync-getdataforme-alison-discovery-scraper",
"x-openai-isConsequential": false,
"summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
"tags": [
"Run Actor"
],
"requestBody": {
"required": true,
"content": {
"application/json": {
"schema": {
"$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
}
}
}
},
"parameters": [
{
"name": "token",
"in": "query",
"required": true,
"schema": {
"type": "string"
},
"description": "Enter your Apify token here"
}
],
"responses": {
"200": {
"description": "OK"
}
}
}
}
},
"components": {
"schemas": {
"inputSchema": {
"type": "object",
"required": [
"searchQuery"
],
"properties": {
"searchQuery": {
"title": "Search Query",
"type": "string",
"description": "Enter the Search Keywords",
"default": "knife"
},
"maxItems": {
"title": "Max Items",
"type": "integer",
"description": "Maximum number of items to scrape.",
"default": 100
},
"proxyConfiguration": {
"title": "Proxy configuration",
"type": "object",
"description": "Specifies proxy servers that will be used by the scraper in order to hide its origin.",
"default": {
"useApifyProxy": true,
"apifyProxyGroups": [
"RESIDENTIAL"
],
"apifyProxyCountry": "US"
}
}
}
},
"runsResponseSchema": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"data": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"id": {
"type": "string"
},
"actId": {
"type": "string"
},
"userId": {
"type": "string"
},
"startedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"finishedAt": {
"type": "string",
"format": "date-time",
"example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z"
},
"status": {
"type": "string",
"example": "READY"
},
"meta": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"origin": {
"type": "string",
"example": "API"
},
"userAgent": {
"type": "string"
}
}
},
"stats": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"inputBodyLen": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2000
},
"rebootCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"restartCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"resurrectCount": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"computeUnits": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"options": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"build": {
"type": "string",
"example": "latest"
},
"timeoutSecs": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 300
},
"memoryMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1024
},
"diskMbytes": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 2048
}
}
},
"buildId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultKeyValueStoreId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultDatasetId": {
"type": "string"
},
"defaultRequestQueueId": {
"type": "string"
},
"buildNumber": {
"type": "string",
"example": "1.0.0"
},
"containerUrl": {
"type": "string"
},
"usage": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 1
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
},
"usageTotalUsd": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"usageUsd": {
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATASET_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": {
"type": "number",
"example": 0.00005
},
"KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
},
"PROXY_SERPS": {
"type": "integer",
"example": 0
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
}
```