# Franchise Direct Scraper — Franchise Listings & Investment Data (`muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-scraper`) Actor

Extract public FranchiseDirect listings, ranking entries, and optional profile details such as investment ranges, fees, categories, and locations. For franchise investors, brokers, and market researchers; it does not submit lead forms or access private data.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Muhammad Afzal](https://apify.com/muhammadafzal) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $5.00 / 1,000 franchise record scrapeds

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

## Franchise Direct Scraper — Franchise Listings & Investment Data

Extract structured data from public [FranchiseDirect.com](https://www.franchisedirect.com/) directory, category, ranking, search-result, and franchise profile pages. It is designed for franchise investors, brokers, consultants, and market researchers who need a repeatable export instead of manual browsing.

This Actor reads only publicly available pages. It does not log in, submit “Request Information” forms, collect private lead details, or represent an affiliation with Franchise Direct.

### What it extracts

One dataset item is saved per discovered franchise profile. Fields are kept stable and use `null` when a public profile does not disclose a value.

| Field | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `name`, `profileUrl`, `sourceUrl` | Franchise name and auditable public URLs |
| `category`, `rank`, `nativeCountry` | Public directory and ranking information |
| `minimumCash`, `franchiseFee` | Publicly disclosed financial requirements, parsed as USD numbers when available |
| `totalInvestmentMin`, `totalInvestmentMax`, `investmentText` | Parsed and original investment range |
| `availableLocations`, `territory` | Public location and territory signals |
| `description`, `tagline`, `businessType`, `training`, `imageUrl` | Public profile content when available |

### When to use it

Use this Actor to build a shortlist from a Franchise Direct category, compare public investment requirements, export a Top 100 ranking, or enrich an internal franchise research sheet with source URLs.

Do not use it to submit franchise-information requests, gather contact details behind forms, or make investment decisions without reviewing the original profile and completing independent due diligence.

### Input

Provide one or more public Franchise Direct URLs. Directory, category, ranking, search-result, and individual profile pages are supported.

```json
{
  "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14" }],
  "maxItems": 50,
  "includeProfileDetails": true
}
````

`maxItems` caps the total unique franchise rows. Start small to confirm the page gives the fields you need. `includeProfileDetails` visits each discovered public profile for financial and descriptive details; turn it off for a faster listing-only export.

### Output example

```json
{
  "name": "Example Franchise",
  "profileUrl": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/example-franchise/",
  "category": "Food Franchises",
  "minimumCash": 50000,
  "franchiseFee": 30000,
  "totalInvestmentMin": 180000,
  "totalInvestmentMax": 350000,
  "availableLocations": ["United States"],
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z"
}
```

Fields vary because brands disclose different information. Keep `investmentText` alongside parsed values when making financial comparisons.

### API and MCP use

This Actor is MCP-friendly: give an agent a narrow public URL and a result cap, then use the returned dataset for comparison or research. The run summary is stored under the `OUTPUT` key and includes the saved-record count and non-fatal warnings.

#### Node.js API example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

const client = new ApifyClient({ token: process.env.APIFY_TOKEN });
const run = await client.actor('muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-scraper').call({
  startUrls: [{ url: 'https://www.franchisedirect.com/top100globalfranchises/rankings/2025' }],
  maxItems: 25,
  includeProfileDetails: true,
});
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
console.log(items);
```

For an MCP workflow, ask an agent to collect a specific public category or ranking page, set a small cap, and compare the returned `minimumCash`, `franchiseFee`, and investment fields. This Actor is not a general lead generator: it does not request information from franchises, discover private contacts, or replace legal and financial due diligence.

### Reliability and limits

The Actor uses session-aware requests and retries for public pages. Franchise Direct can change page markup, and ranking pages expose a different subset of fields than profile pages. A valid page with no detectable profiles completes with a warning rather than inventing records. Always retain `sourceUrl` for auditability.

The crawler avoids browser rendering because the target’s public directory pages are available as HTML. It limits concurrency by default and respects `maxItems`; reducing that cap is the simplest way to keep a research run small and predictable. Public pages may show different financial labels across brands. Parsed currency values are best-effort numbers, while the original value is retained in `investmentText` whenever it is visible.

### Pricing

The Actor charges **$0.005 per public franchise record saved** plus **$0.00005 per run start**. A 20-record research run therefore costs about **$0.10** before any platform compute or proxy usage. Set `maxItems` to control the maximum number of per-record charges.

### Compliance

Use this tool only for lawful purposes and comply with Franchise Direct’s terms, applicable privacy laws, and reasonable request rates. Public availability does not remove the need for independent verification or investment due diligence.

### FAQ

#### Why are some financial fields null?

Franchise brands control the details exposed on their public profiles. A null value means the scraper did not find that detail on the page; it never estimates missing financial information.

#### Can I scrape the entire directory?

Yes, but begin with a category or ranking URL and a low `maxItems` value. Broader runs should be scheduled thoughtfully, with a result cap that reflects the number of records you actually need.

#### Why does a run return a warning with no rows?

The supplied URL may not contain public franchise cards, the page structure may have changed, or the target may have temporarily limited access. The `OUTPUT` key records these non-fatal warnings so that automated workflows can distinguish an empty result from a successful export.

#### Is this affiliated with Franchise Direct?

No. This independent tool processes publicly accessible Franchise Direct pages and does not claim endorsement by Franchise Direct or any franchise brand.

# Actor input Schema

## `startUrls` (type: `array`):

Use this when you have public FranchiseDirect pages to collect. Enter directory, category, Top 100 ranking, search-result, or individual profile URLs, for example https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14. This actor does not submit request-information forms.

## `maxItems` (type: `integer`):

Use this when you need a bounded export. The actor stops after this many unique franchise records across all input URLs. Use 20 for a quick check and increase only after reviewing the output.

## `includeProfileDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Use this when you need publicly displayed franchise fees, investment ranges, descriptions, training, or territory signals. It visits each discovered public profile page; disable it for a faster listing-only export.

## `maxConcurrency` (type: `integer`):

Use this when you need to tune request throughput. Keep the default for respectful, reliable public-page collection; this is not a results limit.

## `proxyConfiguration` (type: `object`):

Use this when your Apify account requires a specific proxy setup. Leave it empty to use Apify Residential Proxy when available; no cookies or account credentials are required.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "startUrls": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14"
    }
  ],
  "maxItems": 20,
  "includeProfileDetails": true,
  "maxConcurrency": 3,
  "proxyConfiguration": {
    "useApifyProxy": true,
    "apifyProxyGroups": [
      "RESIDENTIAL"
    ]
  }
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Dataset records containing public franchise and investment information.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

JSON run summary with record, page, charge, and warning counts.

# 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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "startUrls": [
        {
            "url": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-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 '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "startUrls": [{ "url": "https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14" }] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-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.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-remote",
                "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=muhammadafzal/franchise-direct-scraper",
                "--header",
                "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_TOKEN>"
            ]
        }
    }
}

```

## OpenAPI specification

```json
{
    "openapi": "3.0.1",
    "info": {
        "title": "Franchise Direct Scraper — Franchise Listings & Investment Data",
        "description": "Extract public FranchiseDirect listings, ranking entries, and optional profile details such as investment ranges, fees, categories, and locations. For franchise investors, brokers, and market researchers; it does not submit lead forms or access private data.",
        "version": "1.0",
        "x-build-id": "fKRUnhw15r2vfQB3Y"
    },
    "servers": [
        {
            "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2"
        }
    ],
    "paths": {
        "/acts/muhammadafzal~franchise-direct-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-muhammadafzal-franchise-direct-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": {
                                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                "parameters": [
                    {
                        "name": "token",
                        "in": "query",
                        "required": true,
                        "schema": {
                            "type": "string"
                        },
                        "description": "Enter your Apify token here"
                    }
                ],
                "responses": {
                    "200": {
                        "description": "OK"
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/muhammadafzal~franchise-direct-scraper/runs": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "runs-sync-muhammadafzal-franchise-direct-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$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": {
                                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        },
        "/acts/muhammadafzal~franchise-direct-scraper/run-sync": {
            "post": {
                "operationId": "run-sync-muhammadafzal-franchise-direct-scraper",
                "x-openai-isConsequential": false,
                "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.",
                "tags": [
                    "Run Actor"
                ],
                "requestBody": {
                    "required": true,
                    "content": {
                        "application/json": {
                            "schema": {
                                "$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": "Directory, Category, Ranking, or Profile URLs",
                        "type": "array",
                        "description": "Use this when you have public FranchiseDirect pages to collect. Enter directory, category, Top 100 ranking, search-result, or individual profile URLs, for example https://www.franchisedirect.com/foodfranchises/14. This actor does not submit request-information forms.",
                        "items": {
                            "type": "object",
                            "required": [
                                "url"
                            ],
                            "properties": {
                                "url": {
                                    "type": "string",
                                    "title": "URL of a web page",
                                    "format": "uri"
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    },
                    "maxItems": {
                        "title": "Maximum Franchise Records",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 1000,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Use this when you need a bounded export. The actor stops after this many unique franchise records across all input URLs. Use 20 for a quick check and increase only after reviewing the output.",
                        "default": 20
                    },
                    "includeProfileDetails": {
                        "title": "Include Public Profile Details",
                        "type": "boolean",
                        "description": "Use this when you need publicly displayed franchise fees, investment ranges, descriptions, training, or territory signals. It visits each discovered public profile page; disable it for a faster listing-only export.",
                        "default": true
                    },
                    "maxConcurrency": {
                        "title": "Maximum Concurrent Requests",
                        "minimum": 1,
                        "maximum": 10,
                        "type": "integer",
                        "description": "Use this when you need to tune request throughput. Keep the default for respectful, reliable public-page collection; this is not a results limit.",
                        "default": 3
                    },
                    "proxyConfiguration": {
                        "title": "Proxy Configuration",
                        "type": "object",
                        "description": "Use this when your Apify account requires a specific proxy setup. Leave it empty to use Apify Residential Proxy when available; no cookies or account credentials are required.",
                        "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
                                    }
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }
}
```