# ManualsLib Scraper (`lexis-solutions/manualslib-scraper`) Actor Scrape ManualsLib for product manual metadata, including titles, brands, categories, page counts, publish dates, breadcrumbs, and related manuals from search, brand, or detail pages. Fast, low-cost Apify actor with JSON, CSV, and Excel output. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lexis-solutions/manualslib-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Lexis Solutions](https://apify.com/lexis-solutions) (community) - **Categories:** Automation, AI, Agents - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $1.90 / 1,000 manuals This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have. 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 ## ManualsLib Scraper --- ![ManualsLib](https://i.ibb.co/DHt7wHKC/Screenshot-2026-04-08-at-8-36-42-PM.png) --- The **ManualsLib Scraper** is an Apify Actor that extracts product manual metadata from [ManualsLib](https://www.manualslib.com), the world's largest online database of user manuals and guides. It scrapes manual titles, brands, categories, page counts, publication dates, related manuals, and full breadcrumb hierarchies. --- ### What does ManualsLib Scraper do? This scraper collects structured data about product manuals and documentation from ManualsLib. It supports three types of input URLs: - **Search URLs** to find manuals by keyword (e.g., "hp laser") - **Brand URLs** to list all manuals for a specific manufacturer - **Manual Detail URLs** to scrape metadata for a specific manual For each manual, the scraper outputs title, brand, category, document type, page count, publish date, description, breadcrumb navigation, and related manuals. --- ### Why use ManualsLib Scraper? - **Product research**: Find documentation availability across brands and categories. - **Support inventory**: Build a database of available manuals for customer support. - **Competitive analysis**: Compare documentation coverage across manufacturers. - **Content indexing**: Catalog available technical documentation for search and discovery. --- ### Who is it for? - **Technical writers** researching documentation patterns across brands. - **Support teams** building knowledge bases with manual references. - **Procurement teams** verifying documentation availability before purchases. - **Data analysts** studying product documentation trends. --- ### How to use ManualsLib Scraper 1. Navigate to the ManualsLib Scraper on the Apify platform. 2. Enter one or more start URLs in the **Start URLs** field. 3. Set **Max Items** to control how many manuals to scrape per start URL. 4. Click **Start** to run the scraper. 5. Download the results from the **Dataset** tab in JSON, CSV, or Excel format. --- ### Input | Field | Type | Description | Default | |-------|------|-------------|---------| | `startUrls` | array | URLs to scrape (search, brand, or detail pages) | Search for "hp laser" | | `maxItems` | integer | Maximum manuals to scrape per start URL | 5 | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | Proxy settings | No proxy | #### Example input ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/h/hp+laser.html" }, { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/brand/hp/" }, { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/manual/387372/Hp-T1936aa-Digital-Sending-Software.html" } ], "maxItems": 5 } ```` *** ### Output Each dataset item represents one manual with its metadata. You can download the dataset in various formats such as JSON, CSV, or Excel. ```json { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/manual/387372/Hp-T1936aa-Digital-Sending-Software.html", "manualId": "387372", "title": "HP T1936AA - Digital Sending Software Support Manual", "brand": "HP", "category": "Software", "documentType": null, "pages": 56, "publishDate": "2012-09-28T00:00:00+00:00", "description": "Hp mfp digital sending software v. 4 - support guide", "imageUrl": null, "breadcrumb": [ { "name": "Manuals", "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/" }, { "name": "Brands", "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/brand/" }, { "name": "HP Manuals", "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/brand/hp/" }, { "name": "Software", "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/brand/hp/software.html" } ], "relatedManuals": [ { "type": "Instructions", "pages": 4, "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/manual/72628/Hp-Laserjet-4mv-Series.html" } ] } ``` *** ### Data fields | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `url` | Manual page URL on ManualsLib | | `manualId` | Unique manual identifier | | `title` | Full manual title | | `brand` | Manufacturer/brand name | | `category` | Product category (e.g., Software, Printer Accessories) | | `documentType` | Type of document (e.g., User Manual, Service Manual) | | `pages` | Total number of pages in the manual | | `publishDate` | Date the manual was indexed | | `description` | Manual description or subtitle | | `imageUrl` | Product image URL (when available from search) | | `breadcrumb` | Full navigation breadcrumb from ManualsLib | | `relatedManuals` | Array of related manual versions with type, pages, and URL | *** ### Cost estimation The scraper uses only HTTP requests (no browser), keeping compute costs low. A typical run scraping 5 manuals completes in under 30 seconds and costs less than $0.01 in platform credits. *** ### Tips - Use **search URLs** for keyword-based discovery across all brands. - Use **brand URLs** to catalog all manuals from a specific manufacturer. - Set `maxItems` to a small number (3-5) for quick test runs. - The scraper extracts JSON-LD structured data from detail pages for accurate publication dates. *** ### FAQ and support **Is it legal to scrape ManualsLib?** This scraper accesses publicly available data. Always review the website's Terms of Service before scraping. **Why are some fields null?** Fields like `documentType` and `imageUrl` depend on the source URL type. Search results provide images; brand pages provide document types; detail pages provide both via JSON-LD when available. *** Got feedback or need an extension? Lexis Solutions is a [certified Apify Partner](https://apify.com/partners). We can help you with custom solutions or data extraction projects. Contact us over [Email](mailto:info@lexis.solutions) or [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/lexis-solutions) *** ### Image Credit Image credit: [manualslib.com](https://www.manualslib.com/) # Actor input Schema ## `startUrls` (type: `array`): URLs to start scraping from. Supports search URLs (/h/...), brand URLs (/brand/...), and manual detail URLs (/manual/...). ## `maxItems` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of manuals to scrape per start URL. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings for the scraper. ## Actor input object example ```json { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/h/hp+laser.html" } ], "maxItems": 5, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `overview` (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 = { "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/h/hp+laser.html" } ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lexis-solutions/manualslib-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 = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/h/hp+laser.html" }] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lexis-solutions/manualslib-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 '{ "startUrls": [ { "url": "https://www.manualslib.com/h/hp+laser.html" } ] }' | apify call lexis-solutions/manualslib-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lexis-solutions/manualslib-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "ManualsLib Scraper", "description": "Scrape ManualsLib for product manual metadata, including titles, brands, categories, page counts, publish dates, breadcrumbs, and related manuals from search, brand, or detail pages. Fast, low-cost Apify actor with JSON, CSV, and Excel output.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "Tf5CyWlxNeB9CbiPb" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lexis-solutions~manualslib-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lexis-solutions-manualslib-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lexis-solutions~manualslib-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lexis-solutions-manualslib-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lexis-solutions~manualslib-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lexis-solutions-manualslib-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": [ "startUrls" ], "properties": { "startUrls": { "title": "Start URLs", "type": "array", "description": "URLs to start scraping from. Supports search URLs (/h/...), brand URLs (/brand/...), and manual detail URLs (/manual/...).", "items": { "type": "object", "required": [ "url" ], "properties": { "url": { "type": "string", "title": "URL of a web page", "format": "uri" } } } }, "maxItems": { "title": "Max Items", "minimum": 1, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of manuals to scrape per start URL.", "default": 5 }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings for the scraper.", "default": { "useApifyProxy": false } } } }, "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```