Seattle Open Data Scraper: data.seattle.gov (Socrata)

Extract building permits, civic records, and public dataset catalogs from Seattle's open data platform into flat JSON, CSV, or Excel files.

The default setup fetches building permit details (cap of 100 rows per run). Set up automated schedules whenever you need fresh exports for reporting, tracking, or analysis.

---

Use Cases

• Permit Tracking: Export building permit details—including class, type, key dates, estimated cost, and address—straight into a spreadsheet.
• Civic Research: Collect dataset snapshots on a regular schedule to analyze changes over time.
• Catalog Search: Search available public datasets by keyword to easily grab dataset IDs and direct links.
• Filtered Exports: Apply custom filtering conditions when you only need records matching a specific permit class or status.
• Newsroom & Planning Desks: Refresh target data tables before stories, meetings, or public hearings while keeping strict limits on row counts.

---

Extracted Data & Schema

Each extracted record includes a link back to the source record along with a timestamp marking when it was pulled.

Field	Type	Description
permitnum	string	Permit identification number
permitclass	string	Broad permit classification
permitclassmapped	string	Mapped permit classification category
permittypemapped	string	Mapped permit type category
permittypedesc	string	Specific permit type description
permitDescription	string	Detailed project work description
housingunits	string	Total housing units associated with the permit
housingunitsremoved	string	Housing units removed
housingunitsadded	string	Housing units added
estprojectcost	string	Estimated project valuation in USD
applieddate	string	Date application was submitted
issueddate	string	Date permit was officially issued
expiresdate	string	Date permit expires
completeddate	string	Date work/inspection was completed
statuscurrent	string	Current processing status
originaladdress1	string	Street address
originalcity	string	City
originalstate	string	State
originalzip	string	ZIP code
link	object	Record link object
latitude	string	Geographic latitude coordinate
longitude	string	Geographic longitude coordinate
location1	object	Record location object
daysoutcorrections	string	Days spent awaiting corrections
numberreviewcycles	string	Number of review cycles completed
zoning	string	Property zoning designation
dwellingunittype	string	Specific dwelling unit type
standardplan	string	Standard plan indicator
dependentbuilding	string	Dependent building indicator
housingcategory	string	Housing classification category
catalogId	string	Dataset identifier from catalog searches
catalogName	string	Dataset title from catalog searches
permalink	string	Catalog entry permalink
domainName	string	Dataset host domain
scrapedAt	string	UTC timestamp recorded at scrape time
sourceUrl	string	Full web address used during extraction
error	string	Error details if a row fails; empty on successful records

---

Sample Output

{
  "permitnum": "6064208-CN",
  "permitclass": "Single Family/Duplex",
  "permitclassmapped": "Residential",
  "permittypemapped": "Building",
  "permittypedesc": "New",
  "permitDescription": "Establish use as single family dwelling and construct a new single family residence with attached garage all per plan.",
  "housingunits": "1.0",
  "housingunitsremoved": "0.0",
  "housingunitsadded": "1.0",
  "estprojectcost": "380715.0000",
  "applieddate": "2006-03-08T00:00:00.000",
  "issueddate": "2006-08-10T00:00:00.000",
  "expiresdate": "2008-02-10T00:00:00.000",
  "completeddate": "2008-02-07T00:00:00.000",
  "statuscurrent": "",
  "originaladdress1": "",
  "link": {},
  "location1": {},
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-12T00:00:00+00:00",
  "sourceUrl": "https://data.seattle.gov/resource/76t5-zqzr.json?$limit=50&$offset=0",
  "error": ""
}

---

Input Options

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
mode	string	rows	Select rows to export a single dataset, or catalog to search available datasets.
datasetId	string	76t5-zqzr	Dataset identifier (e.g. building permits). Used in rows mode.
where	string	empty	Custom filtering condition for rows mode (e.g., permitclassmapped = 'Residential').
query	string	permits	Keyword search query used in catalog mode.
maxItems	integer	100	Maximum number of records to pull (hard limit: 1000).
timeoutSecs	integer	300	Overall run execution timeout limit in seconds.
requestTimeoutSecs	integer	30	Timeout per individual network request in seconds.
proxyConfiguration	object	{"useApifyProxy": false}	Network configuration settings.

Sample Input Configuration

{
  "mode": "rows",
  "datasetId": "76t5-zqzr",
  "where": "permitclassmapped = 'Residential'",
  "query": "permits",
  "maxItems": 100,
  "timeoutSecs": 300,
  "requestTimeoutSecs": 30,
  "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false }
}

---

How Data Collection Works

• Runs extract records in batches of 50.
• Paging proceeds sequentially until all matching records are gathered or your configured maxItems threshold is hit.
• Built-in deduplication prevents identical permit or catalog IDs from appearing twice in your output.
• Requests automatically retry up to 3 times if temporary connection interruptions occur, using exponential backoff (2s, 4s, 8s).
• Unhandled request errors are captured directly inside an error field on a individual record row, allowing the run to finish gracefully without crashing.

---

Frequently Asked Questions

How many rows can I export in a single run?

The default limit is set to 100 records per run, with a maximum limit of 1,000. If you need to pull large historical datasets, set up scheduled runs using filtered queries to break up your collection.

What happens if I enter an invalid filter or dataset ID?

Instead of crashing the entire run, the actor records an error row containing details about what went wrong and continues processing.

Why is the work description field labeled permitDescription?

The platform reserves description for internal schema handling, so we renamed the field to permitDescription to keep the dataset structure consistent and clear.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This Actor is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or otherwise officially associated with Seattle Open Data or its owners. All data is collected from publicly available sources. 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 from Seattle Open Data, mostly through its public API or feed, without logging in or 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), laws such as the GDPR in the EU and the 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 the source's terms, stated rate limits, and any attribution or non-commercial-use requirements listed in the Data source and licence section.
• Legal advice: This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure, consult a lawyer.

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