# Google Forums Scraper (`googleapi/google-forums-scraper`) Actor

Extract public forum threads and questions highlighted in Google Search Discussions and forums results.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/googleapi/google-forums-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Google API](https://apify.com/googleapi) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.99 / 1,000 results

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/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

Find public discussion threads and questions in Google Search’s Discussions and forums results. Each dataset record represents one thread and includes its title, source community, visible search-result details, engagement information, and dates. Optional thread details can add publicly available post content, answers, comments, and media.

Use the Actor for topic research, support analysis, or content discovery. It reads public pages only and does not sign in or bypass access checks.

### How to use

1. Enter a topic or question in `queries`, or provide a Google Search URL in `startUrls`.
2. Set the page and result limits.
3. Enable `includeThreadDetails` if you want additional public information from selected threads.
4. Run the Actor and review the discussion records in the dataset.

Example:

```json
{
  "queries": ["best mechanical keyboard"],
  "maxItems": 25,
  "maxPages": 5,
  "includeThreadDetails": true,
  "maxDetailItems": 5
}
```

### Input

| Input | Description | Default |
|---|---|---:|
| `queries` | Topics or questions to search. `query` accepts one phrase. | — |
| `startUrls` | Public Google Search URLs containing a `q` search phrase. The forums filter is applied automatically. | — |
| `page` / `maxPages` | Starting Google result page and maximum pages to inspect per query. | 1 / 5 |
| `maxItems` | Maximum discussion records across the run. | 25 |
| `renderJavaScript` | Render the public search page in a browser. | `true` |
| `includeThreadDetails` | Visit selected public discussion pages for post, answer, comment, and media details. | `false` |
| `maxDetailItems` | Maximum discussion pages to visit when details are enabled. | 1 |
| `proxyConfiguration` | Optional Apify Proxy configuration for public pages. | — |

### Output

Each dataset record requires `discussionId` and can include:

- **Thread identity:** title, source URL, canonical URL, platform, and community information.
- **Author and content:** public author name and profile, flair, search-result excerpt, full post text and HTML, topic tags, and language.
- **Answers and comments:** question and answer indicators, featured or suggested answers, answer counts, and comments when thread details are enabled.
- **Engagement:** comment, answer, post, and vote counts with the source’s display text. Rounded counts are marked approximate, and plus-suffixed counts remain lower bounds.
- **Dates and media:** displayed publication and update dates, image or video links, and media counts when available.

Search snippets may not contain the full thread. Relative dates are kept as displayed unless the linked public thread supplies an explicit date. Unknown question, answer, or archive status is left unspecified. A missing answer or thread from the search page is not evidence that it does not exist.

Example dataset item:

```json
{
  "discussionId": "example-thread-1",
  "title": "Example discussion about mechanical keyboards",
  "href": "https://www.reddit.com/r/example/comments/example-thread-1/",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/r/example/comments/example-thread-1/",
  "platform": "Reddit",
  "platformDomain": "reddit.com",
  "communityName": "r/example",
  "authorName": "Example contributor",
  "publishedAtText": "2 days ago",
  "commentCount": 42,
  "commentCountText": "42 comments",
  "commentCountIsLowerBound": false,
  "searchResultSnippet": "A short excerpt visible in the search result."
}
```

The Output tab shows the available result fields. The Actor’s Output tab provides the dataset and run summary.

### Limits and responsible use

Results depend on what Google Search and the linked public forum pages display. Thread detail collection is bounded by `maxDetailItems` and may increase run time. Use public discussion information responsibly and follow applicable privacy requirements and the terms of Google and the source communities. This Actor is not affiliated with Google.

# Actor input Schema

## `query` (type: `string`):

One topic or question to search. Use queries to supply several.

## `queries` (type: `array`):

Topics or questions to search in Google's Discussions and forums results.

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

Optional HTTPS Google Search URLs containing a q parameter. The forums result filter is applied automatically.

## `page` (type: `integer`):

One-based Google result page to start at for each query.

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

Maximum number of valid discussion threads to save. Failed or empty searches do not create rows.

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

Maximum number of Google result pages to inspect for each query.

## `includeThreadDetails` (type: `boolean`):

When enabled, read one public detail page per selected forum thread from an approved forum host.

## `maxDetailItems` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of approved forum thread pages to read when detail fetching is enabled. Each thread is limited to one page.

## `renderJavaScript` (type: `boolean`):

Render public Google Forums results in an ordinary browser. False uses HTTP-only search; linked thread enrichment remains separately opt-in. No login or challenge bypass is performed.

## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`):

Maximum duration for each public page request.

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

Optional Apify proxy settings. Requests use a direct connection when this is omitted; proxy usage is enabled only when configured here.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "page": 1,
  "maxItems": 25,
  "maxPages": 5,
  "includeThreadDetails": false,
  "maxDetailItems": 1,
  "renderJavaScript": true,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 20
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

No description

## `summary` (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 = {};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("googleapi/google-forums-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("googleapi/google-forums-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 googleapi/google-forums-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,googleapi/google-forums-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/HhHZVZaLlEPNdpdqZ/builds/AOqf3mafXlSQIAOW8/openapi.json