# NYT Cooking Recipe Scraper & Extractor (`muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-scraper`) Actor

Extract public NYT Cooking recipes with ingredients, instructions, timing, nutrition, ratings, authors, and source URLs for research and AI workflows.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Muhammad Afzal](https://apify.com/muhammadafzal) (community)
- **Categories:** Other, Automation, MCP servers
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 0.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $3.00 / 1,000 recipe returneds

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 web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
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.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — 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

## NYT Cooking Recipe Scraper

Search public NYT Cooking recipe pages or scrape direct `cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/...` URLs. Records include the recipe name, URL, description, author, rating, timing, nutrition, ingredients, instructions, and publication dates when exposed by the page's public structured data.

The Actor does not bypass subscriptions, authentication, paywalls, robots restrictions, or other access controls. A blank result can mean no matches, an unavailable page, or a changed source layout; run diagnostics are stored in the `OUTPUT` key-value record.

### Input

- `searchQuery` — optional search text; defaults to `chicken`.
- `recipeUrls` — optional list of direct public NYT Cooking recipe URLs.
- `maxResults` — total record cap, 1–100.
- `maxSearchPages` — search page cap, 1–10.
- `includeDetails` — include ingredients and instructions, default `true`.
- `requestDelayMs` — delay between crawl phases, 250–5000 ms.

### Output

One homogeneous dataset item per recipe. The `OUTPUT` key-value record contains counts and warnings.

### Pricing

| Event | Price | Description |
| --- | ---: | --- |
| Recipe found | $0.003 | One validated recipe record saved to the dataset |

The run displays its maximum possible recipe-event cost before crawling. Apify's automatic Actor-start event, if enabled in the pricing configuration, is separate. Users can set a per-run maximum charge in Apify.

Respect NYT Cooking's terms, copyright, and access policies. Store only data you are authorized to use.

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search NYT Cooking for a recipe, ingredient, cuisine, or dietary term, such as 'chocolate chip cookies'. Leave blank when using recipeUrls.

## `recipeUrls` (type: `array`):

Optional public cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/... URLs. When provided, these are scraped directly in addition to search results.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum total recipe records returned. Enter 1–100.

## `maxSearchPages` (type: `integer`):

Maximum NYT Cooking search pages to visit when searchQuery is used. Enter 1–10.

## `includeDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Fetch each recipe page and include public ingredients, instructions, timings, nutrition, and ratings. Defaults to true.

## `requestDelayMs` (type: `integer`):

Polite delay between requests. Enter 250–5000 milliseconds.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQuery": "vegetarian pasta",
  "maxResults": 10,
  "maxSearchPages": 3,
  "includeDetails": true,
  "requestDelayMs": 500
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `recipes` (type: `string`):

Validated NYT Cooking recipe records with names, URLs, timings, ratings, ingredients, instructions, and metadata.

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

Run-level counts, charged events, warnings, search query, and scrape timestamp.

# 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 = {
    "searchQuery": "chicken"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-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 = { "searchQuery": "chicken" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchQuery": "chicken"
}' |
apify call muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,muhammadafzal/nyt-cooking-recipe-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/ZpGX92ykEmSQ0jybu/builds/0Idnf7t60ibNKDlOw/openapi.json