# Buttondown Newsletter Archive Scraper (`jungle_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper`) Actor Scrape posts from any Buttondown newsletter publication. Input a list of publication usernames and get back every post with title, date, excerpt, cover image, tags, and optional full body text. Supports multi-publication fan-out. No login required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/jungle\_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [BowTiedRaccoon](https://apify.com/jungle_synthesizer) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation, For creators - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per event 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/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.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.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/platform/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 ## Buttondown Newsletter Archive Scraper Scrape posts from any [Buttondown](https://buttondown.com) newsletter publication. Input a list of publication usernames and get back every post with title, publish date, excerpt, cover image, tags, paid flag, and full body text. Supports multi-publication fan-out in a single run. ### What it does Buttondown is the leading privacy-first newsletter platform used by developers, indie authors, and technical writers. This actor crawls the server-rendered Buttondown archive — no login required. For each username you provide, the actor: 1. Fetches `https://buttondown.com//sitemap.xml` to discover all post URLs. 2. Visits the publication's archive page to extract the publication name, description, and per-post card metadata (excerpt, cover image, date, tags, paid flag). 3. Visits each post's detail page to extract the title, publish date, and full body text. ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |-------|------|-------------| | `usernames` | array | Required. List of Buttondown usernames (e.g. `["cassidoo", "buttondown"]`). You can also pass full URLs like `https://buttondown.com/cassidoo`. | | `maxItems` | integer | Maximum posts to scrape **per publication**. Set `0` for unlimited. Default: `10`. | #### Example input ```json { "usernames": ["cassidoo", "swyx"], "maxItems": 50 } ```` ### Output Each record in the dataset contains: | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `publication_username` | Buttondown username (e.g. `cassidoo`) | | `publication_name` | Publication display name | | `publication_description` | Publication about text | | `post_url` | Full URL to the post | | `post_title` | Post title | | `post_subtitle` | Subtitle, if present | | `author` | Author name | | `publish_date` | Publication date as shown on the page (e.g. `May 25, 2026`) | | `excerpt` | Short excerpt from the archive listing card | | `cover_image_url` | Cover image URL from the archive card | | `tags` | Comma-separated tag list | | `is_paid` | Whether the post is behind a paid subscription wall | | `full_text` | Full body text of the newsletter email | | `scraped_at` | ISO timestamp when this record was scraped | #### Example output record ```json { "publication_username": "cassidoo", "publication_name": "rendezvous with cassidoo", "publication_description": "Interviews, tips, and thoughts on software engineering...", "post_url": "https://buttondown.com/cassidoo/archive/permit-yourself-to-change-your-mind/", "post_title": "Permit yourself to change your mind", "post_subtitle": "", "author": "rendezvous with cassidoo", "publish_date": "May 25, 2026", "excerpt": "Hey friends! I hope you had a good week...", "cover_image_url": "", "tags": "", "is_paid": false, "full_text": "Hey friends!\nI hope you had a good week!...", "scraped_at": "2026-05-28T17:15:00.000Z" } ``` ### How to find a Buttondown username The username is the part of the publication URL after `buttondown.com/`. For example: - `https://buttondown.com/cassidoo` → username is `cassidoo` - `https://buttondown.com/swyx` → username is `swyx` Any publication that has a public archive at `https://buttondown.com//archive/` or a sitemap at `https://buttondown.com//sitemap.xml` works. ### Limitations - **Private posts**: Posts behind a free-subscription gate are still fetched but flagged `is_paid: false`. Posts behind a paid-tier wall are flagged `is_paid: true` and may have truncated `full_text`. - **Sitemap coverage**: Only posts listed in the publication's sitemap are discovered. Publications without a sitemap or with a private-only archive return zero results. - **Rate limiting**: The actor uses a polite crawl rate. For large publications with thousands of posts, use `maxItems` to cap the run size. # Actor input Schema ## `sp_intended_usage` (type: `string`): Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler. ## `sp_improvement_suggestions` (type: `string`): Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements. ## `sp_contact` (type: `string`): Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you. ## `usernames` (type: `array`): List of Buttondown publication usernames to scrape (e.g. "buttondown", "adam-wathan"). Each username corresponds to buttondown.com//sitemap.xml. ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of posts to scrape per publication. 0 = unlimited. ## Actor input object example ```json { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "usernames": [ "buttondown" ], "maxItems": 10 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `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 '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "usernames": [ "buttondown" ], "maxItems": 10 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-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 = { "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "usernames": ["buttondown"], "maxItems": 10, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("jungle_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-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 '{ "sp_intended_usage": "Describe your intended use...", "sp_improvement_suggestions": "Share your suggestions here...", "sp_contact": "Share your email here...", "usernames": [ "buttondown" ], "maxItems": 10 }' | apify call jungle_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=jungle_synthesizer/buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Buttondown Newsletter Archive Scraper", "description": "Scrape posts from any Buttondown newsletter publication. Input a list of publication usernames and get back every post with title, date, excerpt, cover image, tags, and optional full body text. Supports multi-publication fan-out. No login required.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "uclmqCPFRRWbjszYX" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/jungle_synthesizer~buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-jungle_synthesizer-buttondown-newsletter-archive-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/jungle_synthesizer~buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-jungle_synthesizer-buttondown-newsletter-archive-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/jungle_synthesizer~buttondown-newsletter-archive-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-jungle_synthesizer-buttondown-newsletter-archive-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": [ "usernames", "maxItems" ], "properties": { "sp_intended_usage": { "title": "What is the intended usage of this data?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Please describe how you plan to use the data extracted by this crawler." }, "sp_improvement_suggestions": { "title": "How can we improve this crawler for you?", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide any feedback or suggestions for improvements." }, "sp_contact": { "title": "Contact Email", "minLength": 1, "type": "string", "description": "Provide your email address so we can get in touch with you." }, "usernames": { "title": "Publication Usernames", "type": "array", "description": "List of Buttondown publication usernames to scrape (e.g. \"buttondown\", \"adam-wathan\"). Each username corresponds to buttondown.com//sitemap.xml.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items Per Publication", "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of posts to scrape per publication. 0 = unlimited." } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```