# BBB Scraper - Business Directory Search (`goat255/bbb-scraper`) Actor Search the public business directory across the US and Canada. One clean row per business with phone, full postal address split into fields and a link to its listing. No login and no API key. - **URL**: https://apify.com/goat255/bbb-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Goutam Soni](https://apify.com/goat255) (community) - **Categories:** Business, Lead generation, Automation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 business scrapeds This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. 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/docs.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.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/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 ## BBB Scraper Search the public business directory across the United States and Canada. One clean row per business with phone, full postal address split into fields and a link to its listing. No login and no API key. ### What it does - **Address split into fields**: street, city, state or province, postal code and country, plus one combined line. No string splitting on your side. - **Phone in two forms**: as displayed, and digits only for joining and deduplication. - **United States and Canada**, both returning the same fields. - **Many terms and locations in one run.** Results are deduplicated across every combination, so a business matching two searches is delivered once and charged once. - **Search a whole country** by leaving the location empty, or narrow to a city. Common uses: local lead lists, market and competitor mapping, territory planning, data enrichment, and building a trades and services directory. ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | `searchTerms` | array | Trades, services or business names. One search per entry. | | `locations` | array | City and state or province, for example `Austin, TX`. Leave empty for the whole country. | | `country` | string | `USA` or `CAN`. | | `maxResultsPerSearch` | integer | Cap per term and location pair. Default 100. | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Optional. Enable to spread requests across IPs. | #### Example input ```json { "searchTerms": ["plumber", "roofing"], "locations": ["Austin, TX", "Dallas, TX"], "country": "USA", "maxResultsPerSearch": 300 } ```` ### Output Each item is one business. ```json { "name": "Acme Plumbing", "phone": "+1 555-0100", "phoneDigits": "15550100", "street": "1 Example Street", "city": "Austin", "region": "TX", "postalCode": "78701-1234", "postalCodeShort": "78701", "country": "US", "address": "1 Example Street, Austin, TX, 78701-1234", "searchTerm": "plumber", "searchLocation": "Austin, TX", "profileUrl": "https://www.bbb.org/us/tx/austin/profile/plumber/example-0000-1000000000" } ``` ### Notes - **`street` is only filled when the business publishes one.** Businesses that work across a service area rather than from a shopfront often list only a city and postal code. Those rows keep every other field and return `null` rather than a guess. - `postalCodeShort` is the five digit form of a US postal code, which is what most datasets join on. Canadian postal codes have no short form, so the field repeats the full value. - Searching without a location covers the whole country and returns far more results, so set `maxResultsPerSearch` deliberately. - A search returns businesses near the location as well as inside it, so results can include neighbouring towns. The `city` and `region` fields show exactly where each one is. - Paging stops automatically when a search runs out of results, so a cap larger than the number of matches simply returns everything available. # Actor input Schema ## `searchTerms` (type: `array`): Trades, services or business names. One search per entry. ## `locations` (type: `array`): City and state or province, for example "Austin, TX". Leave empty to search the whole country. ## `country` (type: `string`): Which country's directory to search. ## `maxResultsPerSearch` (type: `integer`): Cap for each term and location pair. Results are deduplicated across every pair. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Optional. Enable to spread requests across IPs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "searchTerms": [ "plumber" ], "locations": [ "Austin, TX" ], "country": "USA", "maxResultsPerSearch": 100 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `records` (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 = { "searchTerms": [ "plumber" ], "locations": [ "Austin, TX" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("goat255/bbb-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 = { "searchTerms": ["plumber"], "locations": ["Austin, TX"], } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("goat255/bbb-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 '{ "searchTerms": [ "plumber" ], "locations": [ "Austin, TX" ] }' | apify call goat255/bbb-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=goat255/bbb-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "BBB Scraper - Business Directory Search", "description": "Search the public business directory across the US and Canada. One clean row per business with phone, full postal address split into fields and a link to its listing. No login and no API key.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "EMk7w1Mluc2jJrxDq" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/goat255~bbb-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-goat255-bbb-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/goat255~bbb-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-goat255-bbb-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/goat255~bbb-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-goat255-bbb-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "searchTerms" ], "properties": { "searchTerms": { "title": "Search terms", "type": "array", "description": "Trades, services or business names. One search per entry.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "locations": { "title": "Locations", "type": "array", "description": "City and state or province, for example \"Austin, TX\". Leave empty to search the whole country.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "country": { "title": "Country", "enum": [ "USA", "CAN" ], "type": "string", "description": "Which country's directory to search.", "default": "USA" }, "maxResultsPerSearch": { "title": "Max businesses per search", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 5000, "type": "integer", "description": "Cap for each term and location pair. Results are deduplicated across every pair.", "default": 100 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Optional. Enable to spread requests across IPs." } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```