# Website Change Monitor (`kondasviktor/website-change-monitor`) Actor Monitor company web pages for content changes. Returns content hash, changed yes/no, and a short diff summary. Ideal for pricing, careers, and impresszum watch lists across CEE/EU SMEs. - **URL**: https://apify.com/kondasviktor/website-change-monitor.md - **Developed by:** [Viktor Kondas](https://apify.com/kondasviktor) (community) - **Categories:** AI, Automation, Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $2.50 / 1,000 page check completeds This Actor is paid per event and usage. You are charged both the fixed price for specific events and for Apify platform usage. 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/docs.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.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/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 ## Website Change Monitor **Monitor company web pages for content changes — content hash, changed flag, and a short diff summary.** Standalone Apify actor for pricing, careers, impresszum/privacy, and homepage watch lists. Pairs well with the [Google Maps CEE Supplier Shortlist Builder](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/google-maps-cee-scraper) and [Website Intelligence + Contact Extractor](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/website-intelligence-contact-extractor) when you already have company URLs. **Optional next step after Website Intel:** schedule this actor on key pages (pricing, careers, legal) to catch updates. ### What it does - Fetches each watch URL (HTTP first, Playwright + residential proxy fallback). - Normalizes HTML (strips scripts/styles/noise) and computes a **SHA-256 content hash**. - Compares against the previous snapshot in a **named Apify Key-Value store** (persists across scheduled runs). - Returns `changed` yes/no, `isBaseline` on first check, and a short **diff summary**. - Built for **n8n**, **Make**, **Zapier**, and vibe-coder agent workflows. ### Who it's for 1. **Sales / ops teams** watching competitor pricing or careers pages. 2. **Procurement teams** monitoring supplier impresszum / compliance pages. 3. **Agencies** running client watch lists on a schedule. 4. **Vibe coders** wiring change alerts into Slack / Telegram / CRM. 5. **Market researchers** tracking public page churn across SME lists. ### What this actor is — and is not This actor helps you **detect public page content changes**. It does **not** interpret legal meaning, prove intent, or replace a full visual regression suite. Use the output for: - change alerts - watch-list scheduling - evidence that a page moved Do **not** treat a hash change as automatic proof of a price or policy change without reading the page. ### What data you get | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `url`, `finalUrl`, `statusCode` | Request identity | | `contentHash`, `previousHash` | SHA-256 of normalized text | | `changed`, `isBaseline` | Change flags (baseline = first snapshot) | | `diffSummary` | Short human-readable change hint | | `contentLength`, `previousContentLength` | Normalized text lengths | | `checkedAt`, `previousCheckedAt` | Timestamps | | `error` | Set when the page could not be fetched | ### How to use it 1. **Configure input** — URL list, snapshot store name, proxy. 2. **Run** on Apify cloud (recommended on a schedule) or locally with `apify run`. 3. **Download** dataset as JSON, CSV, or Excel from the run page. ### Input presets #### Wise terms & privacy (Store example) ```json { "urls": [ "https://wise.com/terms-and-conditions", "https://wise.com/privacy-policy" ], "maxUrls": 2, "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ```` Published Store example: [Wise terms & privacy — change monitor demo](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/website-change-monitor/examples/wise-terms-privacy-change-monitor-demo). #### SME homepage, about & privacy (QA / prefill) ```json { "urls": [ "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/about", "https://www.projectisconsulting.com/adatvedelem" ], "maxUrls": 3, "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` Store input **prefill** uses this small SME set so Apify automated QA finishes within 5 minutes. First run saves baselines (`isBaseline: true`); later scheduled runs report `changed`. #### Competitor pricing watch ```json { "urls": [ "https://example-competitor.com/pricing", "https://example-competitor.com/careers" ], "maxUrls": 20, "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` #### After Google Maps / Website Intel ```json { "urls": [ "https://example-clinic.hu/", "https://example-clinic.hu/impresszum", "https://example-clinic.hu/arak" ], "maxUrls": 50, "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": ["RESIDENTIAL"] } } ``` ### Output example ```json { "url": "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "finalUrl": "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "statusCode": 200, "contentHash": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb924…", "previousHash": null, "changed": false, "isBaseline": true, "diffSummary": "Baseline snapshot saved — no previous hash to compare.", "contentLength": 18422, "previousContentLength": null, "checkedAt": "2026-07-20T10:20:00.000Z", "previousCheckedAt": null, "error": null } ``` ### Snapshots, scheduling, and noise | Feature | Support | |---------|---------| | **Named KV store** | Default `website-change-monitor-snapshots` persists hashes across runs | | **Normalization** | Scripts/styles/comments stripped; whitespace collapsed | | **First run** | Always `isBaseline: true` (expected for Store demos) | | **Schedule tip** | Apify Schedule daily/hourly — only later runs show real `changed: true` | **Tips to avoid Store QA timeouts** - Keep prefill / public-task demos at **`maxUrls: 3`**. - Prefer fast SME pages over heavy enterprise SPAs. - Raise `maxUrls` only for paid production watch lists. ### Secrets and local development - **Never commit** `apify/website-change-monitor/.env` — it is listed in `.gitignore`. - **`apify push` excludes** `.env` via `.gitignore` and `.actorignore`. - **Docker builds exclude** `.env` via `.dockerignore`. - On Apify cloud, customers configure **Proxy** via input — not from your local `.env`. - For local runs only, copy `.env.example` → `.env` and add `APIFY_TOKEN` if you call the platform. - Only `.env.example` (placeholders, no real keys) is in git. ### FAQ **Why is everything unchanged / baseline on the first run?**\ There is no previous hash yet. Schedule the actor or run it again — the second run compares against the saved snapshot. **Will cookie banners flip `changed` every day?**\ Normalization removes scripts/styles and collapses whitespace, which reduces noise. Highly dynamic personalization can still cause flips — watch stable pages (pricing, impresszum) when possible. **Do I need an LLM key?**\ No. Diff summaries are deterministic. No Apify AI event fee. **How many URLs can I check per run?**\ Up to **200** (`maxUrls`). Prefill/demo stays at **3**. ### Local development ```bash cd apify/website-change-monitor npm install npm test npm run build npm run dry-run apify run --input-file=INPUT.smoke.json ``` Dry run fetches the SME hero URLs twice (baseline → unchanged). Install Playwright Chromium once: `npx playwright install chromium`. ### Pricing Pay-per-event: **$2.50 per 1,000 page checks** (`page-check` event @ `$0.0025`), minimum charge **$0.10** per run. Enable **Pay per event + usage** in Apify Console so platform compute/proxy costs are passed through to users. ### Related actors (suite) | Actor | Role | |-------|------| | [Google Maps CEE Supplier Shortlist](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/google-maps-cee-scraper) | Discover local suppliers | | [Website Intelligence + Contact](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/website-intelligence-contact-extractor) | Enrich websites (contacts, tech, compliance) | | [Dealer / Distributor Locator](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/dealer-distributor-locator) | Expand brand locator pages | | [PDF Procurement Document Extractor](https://apify.com/kondasviktor/pdf-procurement-document-extractor) | Find certs / reports / datasheets | | **Website Change Monitor** (this Actor) | Watch pages for changes | Each Actor runs standalone; use them as an optional suite when chaining discovery → enrichment → monitoring. ### Feedback Open an issue on the actor’s Apify page or contact [Vibe Coder's Life](https://vibecoderslife.com/#contact). # Actor input Schema ## `urls` (type: `array`): Page URLs to check (homepage, pricing, careers, impresszum/privacy). Prefill is QA-safe (3 SME pages). ## `snapshotStoreName` (type: `string`): Named Apify Key-Value store for previous hashes (persists across scheduled runs). Leave default unless you need isolated monitors. ## `maxUrls` (type: `integer`): Hard cap per run. Prefill stays at 3 so Apify Store QA finishes under 5 minutes. ## `requestTimeoutSecs` (type: `integer`): HTTP timeout per page fetch. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Use Apify Proxy RESIDENTIAL when pages block datacenter IPs. ## Actor input object example ```json { "urls": [ "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/about", "https://www.projectisconsulting.com/adatvedelem" ], "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "maxUrls": 3, "requestTimeoutSecs": 25, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (type: `string`): No description ## `dataset` (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 = { "urls": [ "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/about", "https://www.projectisconsulting.com/adatvedelem" ], "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "maxUrls": 3 }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("kondasviktor/website-change-monitor").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 = { "urls": [ "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/about", "https://www.projectisconsulting.com/adatvedelem", ], "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "maxUrls": 3, } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("kondasviktor/website-change-monitor").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 '{ "urls": [ "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/", "https://www.vibecoderslife.com/about", "https://www.projectisconsulting.com/adatvedelem" ], "snapshotStoreName": "website-change-monitor-snapshots", "maxUrls": 3 }' | apify call kondasviktor/website-change-monitor --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=kondasviktor/website-change-monitor", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "Website Change Monitor", "description": "Monitor company web pages for content changes. Returns content hash, changed yes/no, and a short diff summary. Ideal for pricing, careers, and impresszum watch lists across CEE/EU SMEs.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "3mhiTneyTQ9a3OQDn" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/kondasviktor~website-change-monitor/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-kondasviktor-website-change-monitor", "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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/kondasviktor~website-change-monitor/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-kondasviktor-website-change-monitor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/kondasviktor~website-change-monitor/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-kondasviktor-website-change-monitor", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "urls" ], "properties": { "urls": { "title": "URLs to watch", "type": "array", "description": "Page URLs to check (homepage, pricing, careers, impresszum/privacy). Prefill is QA-safe (3 SME pages).", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "snapshotStoreName": { "title": "Snapshot store name", "type": "string", "description": "Named Apify Key-Value store for previous hashes (persists across scheduled runs). Leave default unless you need isolated monitors.", "default": "website-change-monitor-snapshots" }, "maxUrls": { "title": "Max URLs to check", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 200, "type": "integer", "description": "Hard cap per run. Prefill stays at 3 so Apify Store QA finishes under 5 minutes.", "default": 50 }, "requestTimeoutSecs": { "title": "Request timeout (seconds)", "minimum": 5, "maximum": 60, "type": "integer", "description": "HTTP timeout per page fetch.", "default": 25 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Use Apify Proxy RESIDENTIAL when pages block datacenter IPs.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": true, "apifyProxyGroups": [ "RESIDENTIAL" ] } } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```