# Elevation Scraper: Terrain Height for Coordinates (`naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-scraper`) Actor

Look up terrain elevation for any list of coordinates from the public OpenTopoData API, backed by SRTM, ASTER, EU-DEM and other open elevation datasets. No login, no proxy, no browser.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Naimur Hasan](https://apify.com/naimurhasanrwd) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
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.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## 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.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Elevation Scraper

Looks up terrain elevation for a list of coordinates via the public
OpenTopoData API, which serves SRTM, ASTER, EU-DEM, NED and other open
elevation models. No login, no proxy, no browser.

### Input

| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `locations` | array | Required. `"latitude,longitude"` strings. Default: Everest, Mt Whitney, Aconcagua. |
| `dataset` | string | Elevation model. Default `srtm30m`. |
| `interpolation` | string | `bilinear` | `nearest` | `cubic`. Default `bilinear`. |

### Output

One row per coordinate: `latitude`, `longitude`, `elevationMeters`,
`elevationFeet`, `dataset`.

### Notes

- **The public instance is rate limited to one call per second**, so
  coordinates are batched 100 at a time into a single pipe-separated request
  and consecutive batches are spaced out. One list of 500 points is five
  requests, not 500.
- **A null elevation is not zero.** Regional models return null outside their
  coverage — EU-DEM over North America, NED outside the USA — and sea level is
  a legitimate `0`, so the two are kept distinct and a run logs how many points
  fell outside coverage.
- Coordinates that cannot be parsed are logged and skipped rather than failing
  the run, so one typo in a long list does not lose the rest.
- `srtm30m` and `srtm90m` cover 60°N to 56°S only; use `mapzen` or `aster30m`
  for polar latitudes.

# Actor input Schema

## `locations` (type: `array`):

Coordinates as "latitude,longitude", one per line

## `dataset` (type: `string`):

Which elevation model to sample. Regional models are more accurate but return null outside their coverage.

## `interpolation` (type: `string`):

How to sample between grid cells

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "locations": [
    "27.9881,86.9250",
    "36.5785,-118.2923",
    "-32.6532,-70.0109"
  ],
  "dataset": "srtm30m",
  "interpolation": "bilinear"
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `items` (type: `string`):

One row per coordinate with its terrain elevation.

# 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 = {
    "locations": [
        "27.9881,86.9250",
        "36.5785,-118.2923",
        "-32.6532,-70.0109"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-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 = { "locations": [
        "27.9881,86.9250",
        "36.5785,-118.2923",
        "-32.6532,-70.0109",
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-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 '{
  "locations": [
    "27.9881,86.9250",
    "36.5785,-118.2923",
    "-32.6532,-70.0109"
  ]
}' |
apify call naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,naimurhasanrwd/opentopodata-elevation-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/WdiaBRVOnZeEr4k2l/builds/1DIlxaMLasQZtGfaS/openapi.json