# IMDb Scraper - Movies, TV Shows & Ratings (`lulzasaur/imdb-scraper`) Actor Scrape IMDb movie and TV show data. Extract titles, ratings, votes, genres, runtime, cast, plot summaries, and images from Top 250, Most Popular charts, or genre searches. Detail mode adds full cast and awards. - **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/imdb-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community) - **Categories:** Other - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, NaN bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $5.00 / 1,000 results 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 ## IMDb Scraper Apify Actor for scraping IMDb movie and TV show data. Uses CheerioCrawler to parse server-rendered `__NEXT_DATA__` for fast, reliable extraction without a browser. ### Features - Scrape IMDb charts: Top 250 Movies, Top 250 TV Shows, Most Popular Movies, Most Popular TV Shows - Search by genre with results sorted by user rating - Two modes: quick chart/search data or full detail scraping - Extracts rich structured data from `__NEXT_DATA__` JSON - Detail mode adds: cast, directors, writers, box office, metacritic score, keywords, production companies, countries, and languages ### Input | Field | Type | Default | Description | |-------|------|---------|-------------| | `chartTypes` | string[] | `["top"]` | Charts to scrape: `top`, `toptv`, `moviemeter`, `tvmeter` | | `searchQueries` | string[] | `[]` | Genre search queries (e.g., `action`, `comedy`, `horror`) | | `maxListings` | integer | `250` | Max titles per chart or search (0=unlimited) | | `scrapeDetails` | boolean | `false` | Visit each title page for full details | | `proxyConfiguration` | object | `{}` | Proxy settings (recommended for large runs) | #### Example Input ```json { "chartTypes": ["top", "toptv"], "maxListings": 50, "scrapeDetails": false } ```` #### Genre Search Example ```json { "chartTypes": [], "searchQueries": ["action", "comedy", "horror"], "maxListings": 25 } ``` ### Output #### Chart mode (default) ```json { "rank": 1, "imdbId": "tt0111161", "title": "The Shawshank Redemption", "titleType": "Movie", "year": 1994, "rating": 9.3, "votes": 2900000, "runtimeSeconds": 8520, "runtime": "2h 22m", "certificate": "R", "genres": ["Drama"], "plot": "A banker convicted of uxoricide forms a friendship...", "imageUrl": "https://m.media-amazon.com/images/...", "url": "https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/", "chartType": "top", "scrapedAt": "2026-03-17T12:00:00.000Z" } ``` #### Detail mode (`scrapeDetails: true`) Adds these fields to each title: ```json { "directors": [{"name": "Frank Darabont", "id": "nm0001104"}], "writers": [{"name": "Stephen King", "id": "nm0000175"}], "cast": [ {"name": "Tim Robbins", "id": "nm0000209", "characters": ["Andy Dufresne"]}, {"name": "Morgan Freeman", "id": "nm0000151", "characters": ["Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding"]} ], "keywords": ["wrongful imprisonment", "prison", "escape"], "metacriticScore": 82, "boxOffice": { "budget": {"amount": 25000000, "currency": "USD"}, "grossDomestic": {"amount": 58300000, "currency": "USD"}, "grossWorldwide": {"amount": 58300000, "currency": "USD"} }, "productionCompanies": ["Castle Rock Entertainment"], "countries": ["United States"], "languages": ["English"] } ``` ### Available Charts | Chart Type | Description | |-----------|-------------| | `top` | IMDb Top 250 Movies | | `toptv` | IMDb Top 250 TV Shows | | `moviemeter` | Most Popular Movies | | `tvmeter` | Most Popular TV Shows | ### Available Genres for Search action, adventure, animation, biography, comedy, crime, documentary, drama, family, fantasy, film-noir, history, horror, music, musical, mystery, romance, sci-fi, sport, thriller, war, western ### How It Works 1. Fetches IMDb chart or search pages via HTTP (no browser needed) 2. Extracts `__NEXT_DATA__` JSON embedded in the server-rendered HTML 3. Parses structured title data from the Next.js page props 4. Optionally visits individual title pages for rich detail extraction 5. Outputs clean, structured JSON to the Apify dataset ### Quick Start ```bash apify run --purge ``` ### Deploy to Apify ```bash apify login apify push ``` ### Related Scrapers More marketplace scrapers and data tools by [lulzasaur](https://apify.com/lulzasaur): - [AbeBooks Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/abebooks-scraper) — Rare and used books - [Bonanza Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/bonanza-scraper) — Online marketplace listings - [Contractor License Verifier](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/contractor-license-scraper) — Multi-state license verification - [Craigslist Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/craigslist-scraper) — Classifieds and for-sale posts - [Goodreads Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/goodreads-scraper) — Book ratings and reviews - [Grailed Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/grailed-scraper) — Luxury fashion resale - [Houzz Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/houzz-scraper) — Home improvement professionals - [Nurse License Verifier](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/nurse-license-scraper) — State nursing board verification - [OfferUp Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/offerup-scraper) — Local marketplace listings - [Poshmark Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/poshmark-scraper) — Fashion resale marketplace - [PSA Population Report](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/psa-pop-scraper) — Card grading data - [Redfin Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/redfin-scraper) — Real estate listings and prices - [Reverb Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/reverb-scraper) — Music gear marketplace - [StubHub Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/stubhub-scraper) — Event ticket prices - [Swappa Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/swappa-scraper) — Used electronics marketplace - [TCGPlayer Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/tcgplayer-scraper) — Trading card prices - [ThriftBooks Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/thriftbooks-scraper) — Used book prices - [Thumbtack Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/thumbtack-scraper) — Local service professionals # Actor input Schema ## `chartTypes` (type: `array`): IMDb charts to scrape. Options: 'top' (Top 250 Movies), 'toptv' (Top 250 TV Shows), 'moviemeter' (Most Popular Movies), 'tvmeter' (Most Popular TV Shows). ## `searchQueries` (type: `array`): Search IMDb by genre (e.g., 'action', 'comedy', 'drama', 'horror', 'sci-fi', 'thriller'). Results are sorted by user rating. Leave empty to use chart mode only. ## `maxListings` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of titles to scrape per chart or search query. Top 250 charts have up to 250 items. Set to 0 for unlimited. ## `scrapeDetails` (type: `boolean`): If enabled, visits each title's page for full data: cast, directors, writers, keywords, box office, metacritic score, production companies, countries, and languages. Slower but much richer data. ## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`): Proxy settings for avoiding rate limiting. Recommended for large-scale scrapes or when using detail mode. ## Actor input object example ```json { "chartTypes": [ "top" ], "searchQueries": [], "maxListings": 250, "scrapeDetails": false, "proxyConfiguration": { "useApifyProxy": false } } ``` # 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 = { "chartTypes": [ "top" ], "searchQueries": [] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/imdb-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 = { "chartTypes": ["top"], "searchQueries": [], } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("lulzasaur/imdb-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 '{ "chartTypes": [ "top" ], "searchQueries": [] }' | apify call lulzasaur/imdb-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=lulzasaur/imdb-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "IMDb Scraper - Movies, TV Shows & Ratings", "description": "Scrape IMDb movie and TV show data. Extract titles, ratings, votes, genres, runtime, cast, plot summaries, and images from Top 250, Most Popular charts, or genre searches. Detail mode adds full cast and awards.", "version": "1.0", "x-build-id": "epo66aQdwCZxR4lu9" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/lulzasaur~imdb-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-lulzasaur-imdb-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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~imdb-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-lulzasaur-imdb-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/lulzasaur~imdb-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-lulzasaur-imdb-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$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", "properties": { "chartTypes": { "title": "Chart Types", "type": "array", "description": "IMDb charts to scrape. Options: 'top' (Top 250 Movies), 'toptv' (Top 250 TV Shows), 'moviemeter' (Most Popular Movies), 'tvmeter' (Most Popular TV Shows).", "default": [ "top" ], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "searchQueries": { "title": "Genre Search Queries", "type": "array", "description": "Search IMDb by genre (e.g., 'action', 'comedy', 'drama', 'horror', 'sci-fi', 'thriller'). Results are sorted by user rating. Leave empty to use chart mode only.", "default": [], "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxListings": { "title": "Max Titles per Source", "minimum": 0, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of titles to scrape per chart or search query. Top 250 charts have up to 250 items. Set to 0 for unlimited.", "default": 250 }, "scrapeDetails": { "title": "Scrape Full Details", "type": "boolean", "description": "If enabled, visits each title's page for full data: cast, directors, writers, keywords, box office, metacritic score, production companies, countries, and languages. Slower but much richer data.", "default": false }, "proxyConfiguration": { "title": "Proxy Configuration", "type": "object", "description": "Proxy settings for avoiding rate limiting. Recommended for large-scale scrapes or when using detail mode.", "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 } } } } } } } } } } ```