# Job Description Criteria Extractor (`hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor`) Actor

Turn a job description into weighted, explainable screening criteria (mandatory flag, weight 1-3, rationale), ready to score candidates with the Candidate Matcher.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [HireLayer](https://apify.com/hirelayer) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $50.00 / 1,000 analyzed job descriptions

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/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

### What does Job Description Criteria Extractor do?

**Job Description Criteria Extractor** reads a job description and returns the screening criteria a resume can prove, each with:

- a short **label** of what to check,
- a **weight**: 3 essential, 2 important, 1 nice to have,
- a **mandatory** flag when the job states a hard requirement,
- a **rationale** explaining why it matters for the job.

Job descriptions can be in any language.

It is powered by the [HireLayer](https://hirelayer.co) recruiting API. Processing runs in the EU.

### Why use it?

- **Structured screening**: turn free-text job ads into a checklist recruiters can review and reuse.
- **Explainable matching**: send the criteria unchanged to the [AI Candidate Matcher](https://apify.com/hirelayer/candidate-matcher) to score every candidate criterion by criterion.
- **Job board enrichment**: tag job postings with their must-have requirements.

### How to use it

1. Click **Try for free**.
2. Paste a job description.
3. Click **Start** and open the **Criteria** table. The complete response is also saved in the `OUTPUT` record of the key-value store.

### Input

```json
{
  "jobDescription": "Senior Frontend Engineer. 5+ years frontend, React and TypeScript in production, fluent English. Nice to have: Next.js."
}
```

### Output

One dataset item per criterion, sorted by weight:

```json
{
  "id": "crit_1",
  "label": "Expérience de 5 ans ou plus en développement frontend",
  "weight": 3,
  "is_mandatory": true,
  "rationale": "Le poste requiert explicitement « 5+ years frontend »…"
}
```

### Pricing

**$0.05 per job description**, whatever the number of criteria. A run that fails is not charged.

### Use it from code

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/hirelayer~job-criteria-extractor/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jobDescription": "…"}'
```

The Actor is also available to AI agents through the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp).

### FAQ

**Are the criteria always the same for the same job?** Two runs can return slightly different criteria. Extract once per job, review the list and reuse it.

**Can I call the API directly?** Yes, see the [HireLayer Job Extract documentation](https://hirelayer.co/api-docs/job-extract).

**Need help?** Open an issue in the **Issues** tab or write to contact@hirelayer.co.

# Actor input Schema

## `jobDescription` (type: `string`):

The full job description, in any language (up to 50,000 characters).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "jobDescription": "Senior Frontend Engineer (React / TypeScript) - Remote, Europe\n\nWe are looking for a senior frontend engineer to build our recruiting platform.\n\nRequirements:\n- 5+ years of professional frontend development\n- Strong React and TypeScript experience in production\n- Fluent English\n\nNice to have:\n- Next.js\n- Experience with design systems"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

One item per screening criterion.

## `output` (type: `string`):

The complete response, with every criterion.

# 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 = {
    "jobDescription": `Senior Frontend Engineer (React / TypeScript) - Remote, Europe

We are looking for a senior frontend engineer to build our recruiting platform.

Requirements:
- 5+ years of professional frontend development
- Strong React and TypeScript experience in production
- Fluent English

Nice to have:
- Next.js
- Experience with design systems`
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor").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 = { "jobDescription": """Senior Frontend Engineer (React / TypeScript) - Remote, Europe

We are looking for a senior frontend engineer to build our recruiting platform.

Requirements:
- 5+ years of professional frontend development
- Strong React and TypeScript experience in production
- Fluent English

Nice to have:
- Next.js
- Experience with design systems""" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor").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 '{
  "jobDescription": "Senior Frontend Engineer (React / TypeScript) - Remote, Europe\\n\\nWe are looking for a senior frontend engineer to build our recruiting platform.\\n\\nRequirements:\\n- 5+ years of professional frontend development\\n- Strong React and TypeScript experience in production\\n- Fluent English\\n\\nNice to have:\\n- Next.js\\n- Experience with design systems"
}' |
apify call hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,hirelayer/job-criteria-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

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/zJC0QrLCaZQCE6Psb/builds/uV8OEI1RuUbS3iZfk/openapi.json