# WordPress Plugin Scraper: Active Installs, Ratings & Updates (`informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-scraper`) Actor

Size up the WordPress.org plugin market by keyword or author: active installs, ratings, versions, and last-updated dates. One test run returned 60 plugins.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Almandine Data](https://apify.com/informed_almandine_vzb) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Developer tools
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.50 / 1,000 wordpress plugin scrapeds

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

## WordPress Plugin Directory Scraper: Installs, Ratings, Versions

Scrape the official WordPress.org Plugin Directory by keyword, slug, or category: active installs, ratings, version, WP compatibility, author, and URLs.

### What it does

Queries the official WordPress.org Plugin Information API (api.wordpress.org/plugins/info/1.2/) for fast, structured plugin metadata. Export clean, deduplicated data as **JSON, CSV, Excel, XML, or RSS**, or connect directly via the **Apify REST API, Python/JavaScript SDKs, CLI, MCP Server, n8n, Make, or Zapier** — with **no login, cookies, or browser overhead**.

### Use cases

- **B2B SaaS & Agency Lead Generation:** Find high-install WordPress plugins (`minActiveInstalls: 10000`) with author profiles and external homepages (`homepage`) for partnership or acquisition outreach.
- **Plugin Acquisition & Micro-PE Scouting:** Spot popular plugins with high `activeInstalls` that haven't been updated recently (`lastUpdated`, `testedUpTo`) as acquisition targets.
- **Security & Vulnerability Intelligence:** Track plugin `version`, `requiresPhp`, `requiresWp`, and update cadence across the WordPress ecosystem with `onlyChanged: true`.
- **Competitor & ASO Keyword Research:** Benchmark ratings (`rating`, `numRatings`, 1–5 star breakdown), support thread resolution rate, and tags for any keyword.

### Why use this scraper?

| Feature | This Actor | Generic Browser / HTML Scrapers |
|---|---|---|
| **Architecture** | Direct structured API / JSON / feed requests (`curl_cffi`) | Heavy headless browser automation |
| **Speed & reliability** | **2–25 seconds** for 50–200 items | Minutes of high compute burn |
| **Pricing model** | **Pay per result (`$0.00` actor-start fee)** | Monthly rental or high CU overhead |
| **Error handling** | Failed inputs logged in `ERRORS` key-value record and **never charged** | Bills compute time even on failures |

### Input parameters

- **Search keywords** (`searchTerms`, `array`): Keywords to search on WordPress.org Plugin Directory (e.g. 'seo', 'woocommerce', 'ai', 'forms').
- **Browse category (optional)** (`browse`, `string`): Optional browse feed when not searching by keyword ('popular', 'new', 'updated', 'top-rated').
- **Specific plugin slugs** (`pluginSlugs`, `array`): Optional exact WordPress.org plugin slugs (e.g. 'wordpress-seo', 'contact-form-7').
- **Minimum active installs** (`minActiveInstalls`, `integer`): Keep only plugins with at least this many active installations.
- **Max plugins** (`maxItems`, `integer`): Stop after emitting this many plugins.
- **Only new or updated plugins** (`onlyChanged`, `boolean`): Save version + activeInstalls + rating per plugin and emit only when a plugin updates or changes.
- **Delay between requests** (`delaySeconds`, `number`): Polite pause between requests (default `0.4`).

#### Example input

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "seo"
  ],
  "maxItems": 60
}
```

### Output & example output

One dataset row per result. Default table view columns: `name, slug, version, activeInstalls, rating, numRatings, testedUpTo, lastUpdated, author, url`. Full structured JSON is stored in the run's default dataset.

#### Example output item

```json
{
  "slug": "seo-by-rank-math",
  "name": "Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings",
  "shortDescription": "Grow your organic traffic and AI visibility with powerful SEO tools, XML sitemaps, Schema automation, and built-in AI SEO, all in one place.",
  "version": "1.0.280",
  "activeInstalls": 4000000,
  "downloaded": 200793840,
  "rating": 96,
  "numRatings": 7517,
  "stars5": 7081,
  "stars1": 196,
  "requiresWp": "6.7",
  "testedUpTo": "7.1.3",
  "requiresPhp": "7.4",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-10-06 12:43pm GMT",
  "addedDate": "2018-11-19",
  "author": "Rank Math SEO",
  "authorProfile": "https://profiles.wordpress.org/rankmath/",
  "homepage": "https://rankmath.com/",
  "supportThreads": 46,
  "supportThreadsResolved": 42,
  "supportResolutionRate": 0.913,
  "tags": [
    "google search console",
    "redirection",
    "schema"
  ],
  "downloadLink": "https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/seo-by-rank-math.1.0.280.zip",
  "url": "https://wordpress.org/plugins/seo-by-rank-math/",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-25T04:38:14+00:00"
}
```

### Pricing (Pay-Per-Result)

This Actor uses transparent **Pay-Per-Event** pricing with a **`$0.00` actor-start fee**:

| Event | What is charged | Price |
|---|---|---|
| `plugin-result` | WordPress plugin scraped (One WordPress.org plugin record) | **$0.0015 / result** (**$1.50 / 1,000 results**) |
| `apify-actor-start` | Actor start fee | **$0.00** |

#### Concrete pricing math

- **`plugin-result` (WordPress plugin scraped):** `1,000 results = $1.50` (`50 results = $0.07`, `10,000 results = $15.00`). Apify's **$5.00/month Free Tier** covers up to **3,333 results/month** at **$0.00** out-of-pocket.
- **Empty runs (`0` results) & skipped duplicates (`onlyNew` / `onlyChanged`):** **$0.00**.

### Data and compliance

Official public WordPress.org API. Publisher and plugin metadata only. Requests are rate-limited and routed through Apify Proxy. Per-input errors are recorded in the run's `ERRORS` key-value record and are never charged.

### FAQ

**Do I need an account, login, or API key?**\
No. This Actor queries public endpoints directly and requires zero credentials.

**What happens if I start a run with empty `{}` input via API or CLI?**\
Every required input defines both `prefill` and `default` values in `.actor/input_schema.json`, so an empty `{}` run automatically returns **50+ live records** out of the box.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchTerms` (type: `array`):

Keywords to search on WordPress.org Plugin Directory (e.g. 'seo', 'woocommerce', 'ai', 'forms').

## `browse` (type: `string`):

Optional browse feed when not searching by keyword ('popular', 'new', 'updated', 'top-rated').

## `pluginSlugs` (type: `array`):

Optional exact WordPress.org plugin slugs (e.g. 'wordpress-seo', 'contact-form-7').

## `minActiveInstalls` (type: `integer`):

Keep only plugins with at least this many active installations.

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

Stop after emitting this many plugins.

## `onlyChanged` (type: `boolean`):

Save version + activeInstalls + rating per plugin and emit only when a plugin updates or changes.

## `delaySeconds` (type: `number`):

Polite pause between requests.

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

Apify Proxy settings.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchTerms": [
    "seo"
  ],
  "browse": "",
  "minActiveInstalls": 0,
  "maxItems": 60,
  "onlyChanged": false,
  "delaySeconds": 0.4,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `overview` (type: `string`):

No description

## `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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchTerms": [
        "seo"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-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 = { "searchTerms": ["seo"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-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 '{
  "searchTerms": [
    "seo"
  ]
}' |
apify call informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,informed_almandine_vzb/wordpress-plugin-directory-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/16yGkSdA1inRgkaDH/builds/h17hEphvqUlyHXhyp/openapi.json