# Find this month's top side project launches

**Use case:** 

Runs the Show HN finder over the past month and returns every launch that links to a live product, ranked by a combined upvote and comment score. Use it to see which side projects and micro-SaaS tools are gaining the most traction right now, and to spot ideas worth studying, partnering with, or competing against.

## Input

```json
{
  "timeFilter": "month",
  "maxPosts": 100,
  "sortBy": "velocity",
  "onlyWithExternalUrl": true
}
```

## Output

```json
{
  "title": {
    "label": "Title",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "projectUrl": {
    "label": "Project URL",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "projectDomain": {
    "label": "Project domain",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "upvotes": {
    "label": "Upvotes",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "numComments": {
    "label": "Comments",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "engagementScore": {
    "label": "Engagement score",
    "format": "integer"
  },
  "engagementTier": {
    "label": "Engagement tier",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "pointsPerHour": {
    "label": "Points per hour",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "commentsPerHour": {
    "label": "Comments per hour",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "discussionRatio": {
    "label": "Discussion ratio",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "hoursOld": {
    "label": "Age (hours)",
    "format": "number"
  },
  "author": {
    "label": "Author",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "createdAt": {
    "label": "Created at",
    "format": "string"
  },
  "postPermalink": {
    "label": "Hacker News permalink",
    "format": "string"
  }
}
```

## How it works

### 1. Sign up on Apify or log in

The Micro-SaaS & Side Project Ideas Finder 🚀 Actor is ready to run with the inputs already set for "Find this month's top side project launches". [Sign up or log in](https://console.apify.com/create-task-from-example/7gFFtYUQjZ4Dan2do) and you'll land in Apify Console with a copy of this exact task.

### 2. Start the "Find this month's top side project launches" task

The Micro-SaaS & Side Project Ideas Finder 🚀 Actor will start running based on the input automatically. You can also change all the input fields, like time filter, max posts, and more, to match your specific use case.

### 3. Receive the "Find this month's top side project launches" output

Monitor the progress in real time. You will be notified as soon as your dataset is complete and ready for review. Each result includes data such as title, project url, project domain, and more.

### 4. Integrate into your workflow

The final output is delivered in JSON, CSV, or Excel format, ready to be plugged into your workflow. You can also [run the "Find this month's top side project launches" task via API](https://apify.com/joey001/microsaas-sideproject-finder.md).

## About this Actor

This example demonstrates how to use [Micro-SaaS & Side Project Ideas Finder 🚀](https://apify.com/joey001/microsaas-sideproject-finder.md) with a specific input configuration. Visit the [Actor detail page](https://apify.com/joey001/microsaas-sideproject-finder.md) to learn more, explore other use cases, and run it yourself.


## How to integrate an Actor?

This Task's input is already configured above. Use it as-is rather than inventing a new one.

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 full API examples (JavaScript, Python, CLI, MCP, OpenAPI), see this Task's Actor page: https://apify.com/joey001/microsaas-sideproject-finder.md

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`).