RubyGems Scraper: Ruby gems search and stats

RubyGems Scraper collects gem search results, gem stats, version lists, and reverse dependencies. Each run writes a flat dataset you can export as JSON, CSV, or Excel.

Requests are sequential, paced, and capped so a refresh stays inside a polite rate limit.

Use cases

• Gem search: export matching gems for a keyword such as json, including downloads, license, and project links
• Dependency review: load exact gems such as rails or rack and keep the current version stats
• Release tracking: pull the version list for a gem and see downloads, platform, and Ruby version requirements
• Impact checks: list reverse dependency names for a gem before you ship a breaking change
• Scheduled inventories: rerun the same input on a timer and diff downloads or new versions
• Open data export: hand a CSV of gem stats to a spreadsheet without manual copying

Input

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
searchQueries	array	["json"]	Keywords sent for search, one per line. Pages continue until a page is empty or the item cap is reached.
gemNames	array	empty	Exact gem names to look up details for.
includeVersions	boolean	false	Also fetch the version list for each gem name.
includeReverseDependencies	boolean	false	Also fetch reverse dependency names for each gem name.
maxItems	integer	100	Maximum successful records in one run. Minimum 1, maximum 1000.
requestDelaySecs	number	0.15	Pause between calls. Values below 0.15 are raised to 0.15.
timeoutSecs	integer	300	Overall time limit in seconds.
requestTimeoutSecs	integer	30	Per-request timeout in seconds.
proxyConfiguration	object	{"useApifyProxy": false}	Optional proxy configuration. Direct connection is default.

Example input

{
  "searchQueries": ["json"],
  "gemNames": ["rails"],
  "includeVersions": false,
  "includeReverseDependencies": false,
  "maxItems": 100,
  "requestDelaySecs": 0.15,
  "timeoutSecs": 300,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false }
}

What data does this actor extract?

Successful rows extract standard gem fields, plus mode and scraped_at. Version text from the versions view is stored in info so the dataset field list stays valid. Failed requests become error rows with error, input, and status, allowing the run to continue without halting.

{
  "name": "json",
  "version": "3.0.2",
  "downloads": 1398968346,
  "version_downloads": 5363548,
  "platform": "ruby",
  "licenses": ["Ruby"],
  "project_uri": "[https://rubygems.org/gems/json](https://rubygems.org/gems/json)",
  "homepage_uri": "[https://github.com/ruby/json](https://github.com/ruby/json)",
  "documentation_uri": "[https://docs.ruby-lang.org/en/master/JSON.html](https://docs.ruby-lang.org/en/master/JSON.html)",
  "source_code_uri": "[https://github.com/ruby/json](https://github.com/ruby/json)",
  "bug_tracker_uri": "[https://github.com/ruby/json/issues](https://github.com/ruby/json/issues)",
  "changelog_uri": "[https://github.com/ruby/json/blob/master/CHANGES.md](https://github.com/ruby/json/blob/master/CHANGES.md)",
  "gem_uri": "[https://rubygems.org/gems/json-3.0.2.gem](https://rubygems.org/gems/json-3.0.2.gem)",
  "mode": "search",
  "scraped_at": "2026-10-12T00:00:00+00:00"
}

Field	Type	Description
name	string	Gem name.
version	string	Version string.
downloads	integer	Download count.
platform	string	Platform, usually ruby.
authors	string	Author string when available.
info	string	Summary or longer description text.
licenses	array	License names.
project_uri	string	RubyGems project page.
metadata	object	Metadata object.
mode	string	search, detail, versions, or reverse_dependencies.
scraped_at	string	UTC timestamp.
error	string	Present on failed rows.
input	string	Query or gem name that failed.
status	integer	HTTP status on failed rows.

Duplicate records are automatically skipped. Search and detail use the gem name. Versions use gem name plus version. Reverse dependencies use the parent gem plus the dependent name.

How it works

1. Reads search queries and gem names. Empty values are dropped.
2. Collects matching items page by page (30 results per page) until a page is empty or maxItems is reached.
3. Retrieves detailed metrics for each target gem name.
4. If requested, fetches the version list and reverse dependency names for each gem.
5. Pauses for at least requestDelaySecs between network requests to maintain a polite browsing cadence.
6. Saves rows in batches. A missing page or non-existent gem is logged as an error row while the scraper continues processing the remaining list.

FAQ

How fresh is the gem data? Each run extracts live metrics at the time of execution. You can schedule runs whenever you need a fresh export of downloads, versions, or reverse dependencies.

How many gems can one run save? Set maxItems from 1 to 1000. The default is 100. Error rows do not count toward that limit.

What happens if a gem name does not exist? The tool stores an error row with status 404 and continues with the remaining gem names.

Trademark Notice

RubyGems and related names, logos, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Their use in this documentation is solely to identify the source of the data and does not imply affiliation, sponsorship, endorsement, or partnership.

Disclaimer

This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise officially associated with RubyGems or its owners. All data is collected from publicly available pages. Users are responsible for complying with the source's terms of use, rate limits, and attribution or licensing requirements.

Is web scraping legal?

This Actor only collects publicly available data without bypassing any access controls. Scraping public data is generally legal, but how you use it matters:

• Personal data: If the results include personal data (for example names, emails, or profile details), privacy laws such as GDPR in the EU or CCPA in California may apply. Only collect and store personal data when you have a legitimate reason.
• Copyright: Some content (articles, images, descriptions) may be protected by copyright. Do not republish full copyrighted content without permission.
• Terms of use: Respect stated rate limits, terms of use, and any attribution or non-commercial-use requirements.
• Legal advice: This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure, consult a legal professional.

To learn more, read Apify's full guide: Is web scraping legal?